A word or two from Washington, DC

This blogging thingie is bringing me some interesting opportunities.

In February, I was drafted for a panel on blogging and the LGBT rights movement in which I shared a stage with a personal hero, David Mixner.

Recently, I was also drafted to a panel on the international LGBT movement that took place last weekend in Miami with an array of international LGBT leaders including Glen Murray, the first openly gay mayor to be elected to office in a North American city (he was named the mayor of Winnipeg, Canada, in 1998). I was in awe as he gave a moving presentation on his life as an openly gay politician and his recent efforts to find safe refuge for foreign LGBT immigrants escaping their home countries due to persecution based on sexual orientation.

Recent months have also brought an increased openness about support for the candidacy of IL Senator Barack Obama - including efforts to get other LGBT Latinos involved in the campaign. An official press release will go out in the next few days but after weighing the pros and cons of actually becoming involved with the campaign, I have accepted to be an adviser as Co-Chair of the Obama LGBT Latino Comittee (Gloria Nieto is the other Co-Chair). More on that on a later date.

Then last week, Michael Rogers of Page One Q and Blog Active, suggested I look at a blogger summit taking place this weekend in DC and, well, here I am.

The summit, organized by the New Organizing Institute, held at the Center for American Progress, and sponsored by The Arca Foundation, Media Matters for America and the Center for Independent Media, has brought together an impressive number of progressive political bloggers from throughout the United States.

I had the pleasure of meeting Pam from Pam's House Blend, meet other Latinos doing political blogging including the wonderful Marisa Treviño of Latina Lista and Man Egee from Latino Politico, and exchange blog-roll links with The Field Negro - who happens to be my roommate for the weekend (more about him here).

Not sure that my blog necessarily fits with the profile of some of the others - particularly those that write exclusively about state politics - but it's been an interesting weekend.

The list:

• 43rd State Blues
• African American Political Pundit
• The Albany Project
• Anderson at Large
• Blabbeando
• Blog Active
• Blue Hampshire
• Blue Indiana
• Blue Jersey
• Blue Mass Group
• Brave New Films
• Buck Eye State Blog
• Burnt Orange Report
• Calitics
• Center for Independent Media
• Colorado Confidential
• Feministing
• The Field Negro
• Florida Progressive Coalition
• Jack & Jill Politics
• Iowa Independent
• Latino Politico
• Left in Alabama
• Latina Lista
• Left in the West
• Michigan Liberal
• Michigan Messenger
• Minnesota Campaign Report
• Minnesota Monitor
• New Mexico FBIHOP
• New Nebraska
• New Nebraska Network
• Oliver Willis
• Open Left
• Pam's House Blend
• Red State Rebels
• Rhode Island's Future
• The Seminal
• Square State
• The Super Spade
• Texas Kaos
• Think Progress
• Washington Independent
• The Wichita NAACP Blog
• The Young Turks