CommuniKate

Just returned from emceeing the 25th Annual Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference in San Francisco. The opening night reception was held in the gorgeous SF City Hall, with a welcome by the equally gorgeous Mayor Newsom. We toasted to the courage of SF’s Harvey Milk who thirty years ago urged gays out of the closet, into the streets and then into the seats of power.

The next two days featured panels [life not death panels] on the state of the movement, social networking; plenaries on international LGBT work, green economies and a great conversation with WI Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and CO’s newbie Congressman Jared Polis moderated by the witty Jonathan Capeheart. Hidden in the bowels of the hotel there was a boot camp training for 40 LGBTs who plan to run for office. They emerged tired and squinting, but bursting with info and enthusiasm for running a successful campaign.

Of course there was also lots of schmoozing, adult beverages and late night appreciating of SF. I prefer to call it ideation. The Victory Fund is fully committed to getting LGBT leaders elected to office from the local to the national level. It’s nothing I have the stomach for - I fantasize adult behaviors like throwing pink smoke bombs onto the Senate Floor whenever Joe Lieberman speaks. I am glad LGBT people have the guts and cojones for elected office and I was honored to be with them.

My last official duty of 2009 was co-hosting the Out Music Awards, an ambitiously planned evening at Webster Hall in NY, to honor LGBT singers and songwriters. With many live performances, award presentations and acceptance speeches the bad news is that the night did run long. Good news? I finished my on-line holiday shopping, started and finished my greeting cards, gave myself and my co-host a manicure, learned Spanish and prayed that this wasn’t what hell was going to be like.

With the Yes on K8 tour complete, I have grounded myself for a few weeks and plan only to use my Xootr for transportation. I believe in hibernation and plan to use my time wisely. Since I finished most of my tasks at the Ouch Music Awards, I’m free to take naps, watch movies, see friends, read, write and plan for 2010’s Lady HaHa Tour. It’s going to be a lot of laughs.