![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
c9While the event has now finished, the keynote speaker is still to be announced.
Boston Mayor Tom Menino was great. A little hard to understand (damn Boston accents combined with alcohol!), but very enjoyable. It was inspiring to see the kids of Waltham House as well ("the home for little wanderers," a shelter for queer homeless youth). Phil Donahue was great, pointing out instances over his career where he'd encountered and learned from queer guests. He was *so* positive; it was really nice. Jennifer Holliday had the misfortune of appearing on stage after we were tired, and worried about money for some reason, so we didn't stay.
The only unlisted presenter, who could be called the keynote, was Andrew Sullivan. A very intelligent, well-read, and personable speaker. The only downside is that he's a big hawk: supports Bush, supports the war in Iraq, doesn't like Kerry. He recently (like only in 2004) started complaining about Bush, because of Bush's plans for an antigay Federal Marriage Amendment. Yes it's bad, but think about how many things you dislike about the Bush administration... Sullivan is OK with pretty much all of them. It's a little odd. He did take a small potshot at Kerry during his speech ("In one of Kerry's 575 positions on gay marriage...") to stone silence from the crowd. :)
At each seat at the dinner there was a form allowing donations to HRC, and printed on the front was "George W. Bush: YOU'RE FIRED!" It was printed like a pink slip. Cute.
I took a few pictures, and will post a little later. It was a big room with lots of lights everywhere, so I suspect they aren't very good images.
Time to find some breakfast.
Boston Mayor Tom Menino was great. A little hard to understand (damn Boston accents combined with alcohol!), but very enjoyable. It was inspiring to see the kids of Waltham House as well ("the home for little wanderers," a shelter for queer homeless youth). Phil Donahue was great, pointing out instances over his career where he'd encountered and learned from queer guests. He was *so* positive; it was really nice. Jennifer Holliday had the misfortune of appearing on stage after we were tired, and worried about money for some reason, so we didn't stay.
The only unlisted presenter, who could be called the keynote, was Andrew Sullivan. A very intelligent, well-read, and personable speaker. The only downside is that he's a big hawk: supports Bush, supports the war in Iraq, doesn't like Kerry. He recently (like only in 2004) started complaining about Bush, because of Bush's plans for an antigay Federal Marriage Amendment. Yes it's bad, but think about how many things you dislike about the Bush administration... Sullivan is OK with pretty much all of them. It's a little odd. He did take a small potshot at Kerry during his speech ("In one of Kerry's 575 positions on gay marriage...") to stone silence from the crowd. :)
At each seat at the dinner there was a form allowing donations to HRC, and printed on the front was "George W. Bush: YOU'RE FIRED!" It was printed like a pink slip. Cute.
I took a few pictures, and will post a little later. It was a big room with lots of lights everywhere, so I suspect they aren't very good images.
Time to find some breakfast.
