Joel Osteen, who personally doesn't support marriage equality but doesn't preach against it because he doesn't want to "go there," recently gave the opening prayer at the inauguration of Annise Parker, the first openly lesbian mayor of Houston. Unlike much of the gay press, Timothy Kincaid supports the decision:
Joel Osteen does not agree with my understanding of Scripture; but his disagreement does not make him a hater or a bigot. And I recognize the value in having a lesbian politician – elected despite her opponent’s religion-based homophobic campaign – being given blessing by the pastor of the largest congregation in the nation.
I agree. We gays should be seeking friends and alliances, not only searching for haters. That doesn't mean we should ignore complicity in anti-gay violence, as the Ugandan example shows. But when evangelicals or Mormons or Catholics or Muslims show respect, we should always reciprocate.
The Dish 