CHARLOTTE: Top Politicos Address Second LGBT Caucus At Democratic Convention

A galaxy of the Democratic Party's top stars literally waited in line outside the jammed LGBT Caucus ballroom today for a turn to address the overflow audience of activists, journalists, and delegates. Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who entered to chants of COR-REE COR-REE, sent reporters flying to their Twitter accounts when he broadly hinted that he'd be the one to approve marriage equality in New Jersey when he becomes governor. Similarly, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell vowed that his state too would soon advance from civil unions to full marriage rights.

Sen. Al Franken demanded support for his federal anti-bullying bill, the Student Non-Discrimination Act, and Democratic National Committee Treasurer Andrew Tobias rallied the troops to get out the vote. Second Lady Jill Biden, who was received like a rock star, spoke briefly in LGBT-supportive generalities then was whisked out of a side door. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis followed but I'd stepped out for a better photo of Mrs. Biden and missed much of her speech. Obama campaign manager Jim Messina followed and pointed out the openly gay White House social secretary in the audience.

The star power in the room was not limited to the dais as recently hired HRC president Chad Griffin and NLGTF head Rea Carey looked on from the front rows. Most would agree, I think, that we have truly entered a new era when virtually every top official from the nation's in-power political party vies for face time in front of LGBT activists. Speaking directly to us this week we've had cabinet members, top-ranking members of the Senate and House, state governors, rising stars, and the First and Second ladies. A new era.

HomoQuotable - Andrew Tobias

"The Democratic Party under the leadership of Barack Obama has dramatically improved the lives of millions of lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual Americans and at no cost to anyone else. In college, I thought I was the only guy in the world who liked other guys. Later I found there was someone else like me, our 26-year-old resident tutor. He and I never talked about it at the time. No one talked about being gay back then. People killed themselves over being gay. Tragically, some kids still do.

"But, the progress we have made. Eight weeks ago, I attended that young tutor's wedding! To a guy! He and I never talked about it at the time. Love that had been unspeakable 46 years ago was celebrated by hundreds of people—straight and gay, surfers and senators. In a way, it was a wedding that married my two topics—money and equality—because that young tutor had grown up to become the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Barney Frank.

"Vote for equality, my friends. Vote for prosperity. Vote for Barack Obama. Vote Democrat." - Openly gay Democratic National Committee Treasurer Andrew Tobias, raising the issue of LGBT rights tonight within 30 minutes of the opening of the convention. Yeah, there's no difference between the two parties.

HomoQuotable - Andrew Tobias

"About the only guy who seems to have done really well these last eight years is a guy with a private jet and so many homes that he loses count. In just the last eight years, the Republicans have cut the value of the U.S. dollar almost in half and added $4 trillion to our children's debt. They've done this in just eight years. And now they want four more?

"As an investor, I yearn for a president who looks to financial heroes, not corporate lobbyists, for economic advice. As a gay man, I yearn for a president who believes in equal rights for all Americans. But most of all, as an American, I yearn for a president that the world can root for and be inspired by. Because having much of the world on our side again would not only be good for our national security, it would be good for business. Vote Obama, my fellow Democrats. Because, boy, do we ever need a change" - Democratic National Committee treasurer and openly gay man Andrew Tobias, speaking from the podium of the convention last night.

Tobias is the author of numerous best-selling books on finance and investing, but you may also know him by his pre-out pen name John Reid, the name he used for his 1973 memoir The Best Little Boy In The World. That book had a great impact on me as a young queer.