Apparently I haven't done a good enough job sharing the wonder and glory that is Rachel Maddow with the guys at AfterElton.com, as she did not win — despite my passionate campaigning on her behalf — as the site's favorite lesbian.

I admit I love her for her butchy adorableness and world-class mind, but her politics aren't bad, either. Take, for instance, Friday's episode of her show over on MSNBC, where she sliced, diced, skewered, and eviscerated the choice of celebrity anti-gay preacher Rick Warren to pray at Barack Obama's inauguration next month.

Details and the video clip, after the jump.

Congressman Barney Frank (Getty Images/Alex Wong)

Fallout from President-elect Barack Obama's decision to have Pastor Rick Warren deliver the invocation at Obama's inauguration next month continued this week with the story getting a great deal of ink from the traditional press. Earlier in the week, Obama issued a statement regarding his choice while yesterday MSNBC's Rachel Maddow weighed in and out Congressman Barney Frank issued a statement. 

Read all the details after the jump!

Not literally, of course (though I wouldn't hold it against them if they did). But last night both Coop and Maddow discussed President-elect Obama's choice of Saddleback Church's notoriously anti-gay Dr. Rick Warren as the preacher who will deliver the invocation at his inauguration. Warren was an aggressive supporter of Proposition 8, which recently stripped gay citizens of California of their right to marry.

Cooper invited Hilary Rosen, Roland S. Martin and Robert Zimmerman to debate the issue, with Rosen driving home the point that Inauguration Day is not a place for politically divisive decisions. Maddow took a lighter approach (as is her style) by discussing the controversy with resident "pop culturist" Kent Jones, who had my favorite quote of the night:

"Apparently in his invocation Warren is going to be asking God not only to bless America, but also to make it a lot less gay."

You can watch both clips after the jump, and please weigh in in the comments with your thoughts. This decision isn't being swept under the rug anytime soon. 

Earlier today we posted about the movement to get President-elect Obama to choose Mark Doty to deliver a poem during his inauguration next month. Alas, that honor went to someone else and now comes word that Obama has chosen the Reverend Rick Warren (pictured above) to deliver the invocation during the inauguration.

Unfortunately, it's not a choice many gay folks are going to be happy about for good reason.

Read why this is definitely a WTF moment after the jump!

Gay poet Mark Doty, whose collection Fire to Fire won the National Book Award for Poetry

As January nears the buzz around the inauguration ceremony for our next President — which will be one of the Nation's most historic — grows louder and more persistent, particularly regarding the representation of various groups in the ceremonies.

Gays and lesbians of course would of course like to be represented in the event, especially after the passing of Prop 8 dampened the excitement of Barack Obama's victory for many. And already the news is promising: For one, we've learned that Obama has invited a gay marching band to march in his inaugural parade, making it the first time an LGBT group has done so.

Now a call is out for the President-elect's camp to invite a gay poet to speak at the ceremony. Readings by poets are not uncommon at the swearings-in of Democratic Presidents (Bill Clinton notably invited Maya Angelou, JFK welcomed Robert Frost) and should Obama elect to feature a poet at his ceremony, inviting a celebrated LGBT poet for the occasion would send a tremendous message of support for ongoing civil rights causes.

The man behind the campaign, novelist K.M. Soehnlein, feels that National Book Award recipient Mark Doty would be a good fit, while some of his readers feel that lesbian U.S. poet laureate Kay Ryan would be a perfect pick.

Sounds like a great idea to us. Spread the word, and if you have any great LGBT poets in mind who you think would make a perfect speaker at the ceremony, share them in the comments!

On the upside, President-elect Barack Obama included gay Americans in his victory speech last night as he spoke of the country uniting for change.

But in California, gay citizens are fairly sure to lose their right to marry as Proposition 8, a bill that seeks to change the very language of the state's constitution to discriminate against same-sex marriage, is almost certain to pass. And in Arizona and Florida, voters passed anti-gay ballot measures to ban same-sex marriage in their states.

Congratulations to all who voted in favor of these propositions. I hope you can sleep better tonight knowing that you've denied your gay friends, family members, neighbors and fellow citizens the basic right to marry the person they love.

This is sad, infuriating, downright disgusting news, and our thoughts are with gays and lesbians in these states whose civil liberties have been compromised in the shadow of last night's historic victory. Change can't come soon enough.