Reply #9: I did:

[BR_Parkway]

Dear President Elect Obama,

How could you have possibly allowed Rick Warren to be selected to celebrate your historic inauguration? After his active support against the GLBT community millions who busted our butts to get you elected on Hope & Change. Of the thousands of people of faith you could have selected who would not have been so insulting to all of us, especially this closely after his help in passing Prop 8.

I understand reaching across the aisle, and building bridges - but you don't have to throw your own underneath the bus to do it. You reach out to those who aren't so far apart, and when you win them over, use them to help you reach out to the next larger circle.

Well, you said you'd need our help to make Washington different. And we poured it out, in time and money and everything else we could do. You're there now, but it's really hard to see any difference. You see, as a gay man of way too many election cycles - there are always the promises - then "you need to wait, the time isn't right for it". And then we're dumped to the side until the next election cycle when our votes, hours and dollars are needed once again. Because the other side is worse. Where is the hope or change in that.

If Rosa Parks or MLK had waited until their ideas became popular enough before they acted like leaders and drug the rest of the country along for what's right - you certainly wouldn't be standing up there on Jan 20 being sworn in.

I've heard the comparisons of you to both of them. But today Sir, with all due respect, you didn't live up to them - by rewarding those who don't deem me an equal citizen, based on their personal religious choices. The same people who, using the same arguments wouldn't have allowed you're parents to marry.

And to watch you swear to uphold and defend our Constitution, that got it's start with the declaration that all men are created equal - please understand, that for many in my community, that's been diminished with this choice of Rev Warren. We understand, that no matter who we send to Washington, it's always ok to sacrifice the 2nd class citizens for some bigger political cause.

I wish you all the luck in the world, this country needs so much right now to restore it. But that man on the stage with you in January really makes me question how you're going to be any different than what we've always had.