The White Knot: the Symbol for Marriage Equality

Here’s a heads up: Our friends in the GLBT community are not going to sit down and shut up any time soon about California’s passage of Proposition 8 and PE Obama’s decision to honor the anti-gay pastor Rick Warren by inviting him to give the inaugural invocation.

A friend at my Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship recently called the group’s attention to WhiteKnot.Org, a Web site that explains the symbolism of the white ribbon tied in a knot that supporters of marriage equality for gays and lesbians will be wearing at Obama’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

From WhiteKnot.Org:

“The White Knot is the symbol for marriage equality.

“It takes two traditional symbols of marriage—white and tying the knot—and combines them in a simple way to show support for the right of gays and lesbians to marry. All loving couples deserve the same legal rights, benefits, and respect that civil marriage bestows.

“Visibility is the goal. See where White Knots are appearing across the U.S.

“Whether you are gay or straight, please show your support by wearing the Knot and telling people why you are wearing it. It may seem like a small thing, but imagine the White Knot gaining the pervasiveness and instant recognition of the AIDS Ribbon.

“Wear your White Knot to work, to school, to your place of worship. Celebrities will be wearing White Knots down red carpets this awards season. Together, we will keep the topic at the top of people's minds and keep the conversation going.”

Below is a list of events where it’s important to wear your white knot and be sure to check out David Bender’s blog on Air America where Bender writes:

“The White Knot is the brilliant brainchild of Frank Voci, who I interviewed several weeks ago here on my Air America Radio program, "Politically Direct." At the time, I thought the notion of displaying a small symbol of support for marriage equality was the ideal reaction to the horrific passage of Proposition 8 in California. I suggested to Frank that the Obama inauguration would be an excellent opportunity for a quiet affirmation that was non-political, yet visually--and numerically--effective. It seemed like the perfect day to demonstrate support for for a new beginning in America.

“But that was before Rick Warren. Now, I believe deeply that this is not just something that we could do on January 20th, it's something we must do. The choice of Rick Warren was a mistake, the first major misstep of a President-elect in whom I still have tremendous faith. But let's be clear: this invitation would never have been extended to a pastor who viewed interracial marriage as "the mongrelization of the races." This was a widely-held belief -- one sanctified by law in 22 states -- in 1961, the year Barack Obama's mother gave birth to a future president.

‘“Rick Warren certainly has a right to his opinions, now matter how repellant they may be. What he does not have a right to expect is that his speech will be allowed to go unchallenged. The best way to fight Rick Warren's bigotry is not by censoring it, but by overwhelming it with better ideas. And "free speech" doesn't always need words. Sometimes symbols -- like a small, white knot -- are far more powerful.

“Particularly if there are enough of them. On camera. On January 20th. Not only in Washington, DC, but everywhere in America. Why not?”

Wear your White Knot:

Jan. 20 - Inauguration Day

See David Bender's blog on Air America about why this is an essential moment to wear the White Knot.

Jan 27 - Equality on Campus Day

High school and college students will wear the same shirt to show unity. You can design the shirt.

Feb 12 - Freedom to Marry Sit-in

Details to come

Feb 14 - Marry Me!

San Diego Equality Campaign

Rick Warren’s Paternalistic Love for Muslims, Republicans, Democrats, Gays, and Straights Doesn’t Compensate for His Homophobia

Attempting to educate bigots who are oblivious to their bigotry is becoming tiresome. Christina Hoag’s (AP) report of Rick Warren’s address at the 8th Annual Convention of the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Long Beach, California on Saturday provides ample evidence the evangelical pastor would require many intense consciousness-raising sessions to overcome his homophobia and other irrational biases.

For starters, Warren apparently believes his loud paternalistic declarations of love toward Muslims, people of other religions, Republicans and Democrats, gays, and straights somehow compensates for his refusal to support equal rights for the GLBT community.

Hoag notes in her article:

“Although Warren has said that he has nothing personal against gays, he has condemned same-sex marriage.

‘“I {Warren} have many gay friends. I've eaten dinner in gay homes. No church has probably done more for people with AIDS than Saddleback Church,’ he said in a recent interview with BeliefNet. But later in the interview, he compared the ‘redefinition of marriage’ to include gay marriage to legitimizing incest, child abuse, and polygamy.”’

Underlying the controversy over Warren’s invitation to give the inaugural invocation is a popular misunderstanding that the evil of bigotry varies depending on who the victims are. Extrapolating from the Obama team’s responses to human rights violations, on a scale of 1 to 10 the importance of any suggestion of bigotry targeting a straight Christian African-American male ranks as a 10; whereas, easily trivialized bigotry targeting women or gays of any race or religion ranks between a 0 and 1.

The popular use of the above scale explains why hanging Sarah Palin in effigy during the general election was not considered a hate crime, although hanging Barack Obama in effigy resulted in the immediate apprehension of the college students responsible for the act.

America’s promise of Liberty and justice for all must include citizens of every race, gender, religion, age, sexual preference, and ethnic origin. When President-elect Obama opens his eyes and provides the leadership in human rights our world so sorely needs, other domestic and foreign policy concerns will fall rapidly into place.

Let me repeat: respect for human rights is the one and only key to global peace and prosperity and by the way, Rev. Warren, Jesus would probably agree.