SLIDESHOW: Under One Sun

Yesterday Father Tony and I spent the afternoon at the Winter Party Festival's Under One Sun event at Miami Beach's Surfcomber Hotel. As you can see, it was quite the festive mob scene, so I spent much of the party comfortably removed in one of the poolside balcony cabanas. And I still got sunburned.
SLIDESHOW: Many hotties within. Full-screen images here.

PODCAST: Same Sex Sunday

Same Sex Sunday is a weekly LGBT news podcast hosted by activists Phil Reese and Joe Mirabella, the latter of whom is being subbed for this week by Metro Weekly reporter Chris Geidner.

This week's guests:

Rea Carey, Executive Director of the NGLTF
Michael Cole, Press Secretary for the HRC
R. Clarke Cooper, Executive Director of the LCR
Paul Crist, Board Member for Americans for Democratic Action
Diego Sanchez, Senior Legislative adviser for Rep. Barney Frank
Shawn Werner, Dir. of Campaign Services for the Victory Fund

Topics discussed this week:

*White House DADT meeting that took place early last week
*What to expect in the lame duck session
*What the fate of the LGBT agenda may be next Congress

Subscribe via iTunes.

April 22nd: LGBT Leadership Town Hall

SiriusXM radio host Michelangelo Signorile will host a national LGBT leadership town hall in Washington DC on Thursday, April 22nd. The show will aired live nationally.

The Panel: National Gay & Lesbian Task Force executive director Rea Carey; Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese;National Center for Transgender Equality executive director Mara Keisling; Servicemembers Legal Defense Network executive director Aubrey Sarvis; former Clinton White House adviser on gay rights Richard Socarides and blogger and activist Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend.

When: Thursday, April 22, 2-4 ET, Sirius 109, XM 98.

Where: XM studios, Washington DC. (Listeners can enter a drawing to win tickets to be part of our studio audience, must be in by Friday at the end of the day to win). Will be aired live on The Michelangelo Signorile Show, 2-4 ET, Sirius 109, XM 98 and streamed online.

Signorile reports that activists David Mixner and GetEQUAL's Robin McGehee will be among the special guests asking questions from the studio audience. Solmonese vs. McGehee, that should be very interesting.

David Mixner's 20 Most Powerful Lesbians

For those you who have issues with yesterday Out Power 50 list, former Clinton White House adviser David Mixner has his own list of the 20 most powerful lesbians in politics. Mixner's top ten: Rachel Maddow, Tammy Baldwin, Hilary Rosen, Pam Spaulding, Randi Weingarten, Christine Quinn, Annise Parker, Rea Carey, Urvashi Vaid, Dr. Marjorie Hill. Hit the link for the complete list and Mixner's explanations.

Rock For Equality: Hundreds Rally In CA For Social Security Benefits

Hundreds of activists and politicians rallied in West Hollywood this weekend calling for equality in Social Security benefits. Speakers included Sen. Barbara Boxer and NGLTF head Rea Carey.

State and local officials joined hundreds of people outside the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center in Hollywood on Sunday morning to kick off a national grass-roots campaign demanding equal Social Security benefits for same-sex couples. The rally and march -- dubbed Rock for Equality -- was put together by the center and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in conjunction with the Aids Community Action Foundation, said Jim Key, a spokesman for the center.

At the rally, Rep. Linda T. Sanchez (D-Lakewood), who is a member of the House Subcommittee on Social Security, announced that she would sponsor legislation to provide equal Social Security benefits for same-sex couples. "I don't think it's right that Americans should be treated differently by the country they love because of who they love," she said, triggering thunderous applause and cheers from the crowd. "Right now, same-sex marriage couples pay equally into a system that they don't receive equal benefits from in return," Sanchez told the crowd. "Shame on this country for allowing that to happen." As of now, people in same-sex relationships are denied Social Security survivor benefits from their deceased partners because the federal government does not recognize same-sex marriages or domestic partnerships as valid relationships.

Go here for many more photos of the event. In the clip below, West Hollywood Mayor Abbe Land addresses the crowd.