Now This is a Preacher

Rev. Ed Bacon said yesterday on the Oprah show that being gay is a gift from God (Here's a link to the clip). It was in response to a gay man who said he's had trouble reckoning with himself since he was 12. I'm sure the evangelicals are going bonkers today. But it was refreshing, especially since Rick Warren, who scored a role in Obama's inauguration, has been running around condemning gay people. You'd think he'd show more humility but he's running with it because he's got the big stage. 
What does Obama have to say on gay marriage? An interview in Rolling Stone captured it well. Essentially, he says we need a gradual culture shift:

In Dreams From My Father, you recount the bigotry your parents faced because of interracial marriage, which was illegal then. What is the difference between that and the current bans on gay marriage?
Well, I'm always careful not to draw easy equivalents between groups, because then you start getting into a contest about victimization or who has been discriminated against more. What I'll say is that I am a strong believer in civil unions that would provide all the federal rights under federal law that a marriage contract would provide to people. I think that the country is still working through the idea of same-sex marriage and its entanglement, historically, with religious beliefs.

My sense is that a consensus has already established itself that when it comes to hospital visitation, the ability to pass on benefits like Social Security, that people shouldn't be discriminated against, everyone should be treated equally. I think that is a starting point — that consensus is what will grow over time. If you want to use the analogy of the civil rights movement, Dr. King and others didn't lead with assaults on anti-miscegenation laws. They focused on voting rights and civil rights. Once those rights were secured, the culture shifts.

Rev. Bacon: