Dear Mr. President-elect,
Like many others I greet your inauguration with great joy, with a great sense of hope for a new future together. Your choice of Pastor Rick Warren puzzles and disappoints me in this regard, however. Overall, he is a divisive figure. Both as a gay man and as a religious leader I am left wondering what price you will be willing to pay to bring all to the table. I want Rick Warren to be at the table, mind you, but I don't want him leading the call, because people like me then cannot follow, by definition. It would be as if you chose an openly gay pastor to deliver the invocation. I would not support that either at this time in our nation's history even though it would be a great step forward for me personally.
I understand at this point you cannot back down. Please, then, make sure lesbian and gay folk get included in your speech and take action early on in your administration on something that strengthens our families. Let us know without a doubt that the protection of our families is on your agenda.
Respectfully,
(The Rev.) Michael W. Hopkins
Rector, the Episcopal Church of St. Luke & St. Simon Cyrene
Rochester, NY
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