CHARLOTTE: Female Politicians Rock Opening LGBT Caucus Session At DNC

A quartet of prominent female politicians stole the show at today's opening LGBT Caucus session at the DNC, where an overflow crowd of more than 400 delegates and press forced convention security to institute a one-in/one-out policy at the door. Speaking to the overcharged audience (among others) was White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Rep. Tammy Baldwin, and AFT union head Randi Weingarten.

At times the event felt more like an Obama pep rally than anything else as speaker after speaker ticked off accomplishments and prompted numerous standing ovations. Sitting among the delegates were numerous notables from the world of gay politics, including Democratic National Committee treasurer Andrew Tobias, Clinton White House advisor Richard Socarides, NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and New York state Sen. Tom Duane. I got a LOT of LGBT delegate photos and will post them here separately.

Randi Weingarten Resigns

Randi Weingarten, the openly lesbian head of the nation's most powerful teachers union, is resigning as president of the United Federation of Teachers, the group whom she also represents in the union - some say over her long battle with Michael Bloomberg over school control.

Randi Weingarten will announce she is stepping from her post as president of the United Federation of Teachers next week, union sources said Wednesday. Current chief operating officer Michael Mulgrew will take her place until the next UFT election in May 2010, the sources said. Weingarten was elected president of the UFT's parent union, the American Federation of Teachers last year. She has been presidnt of the UFT since 1998. "It's hard to maintain a foot in both jobs," said one union source.

Weingarten had been locked in a local battle with NYC Mayor Bloomberg over teacher layoffs and control of the schools, something the state Senate was to resolve. (HA!) Of late she has been dating CNN contributor Hilary Rosen, lending the local press to call them "lesbian power couple #1."

HomoQuotable - Randi Weingarten

"When we make a public declaration of our sexual orientation — when we say that we are proud members of this community, mountains move. Just that simple act helps create hope, opportunity and voice for the thousands of brothers and sisters who still think they must hide." - Randi Weingarten, head of NYC's powerful United Federation of Teachers, in a coming out speech to the Empire State Pride Agenda yesterday (on National Coming Out Day.)

Weingarten has long been out to friends and co-workers, but not publicly. Weingarten: "I had never acknowledged my sexuality in such a big setting, although it had never been hidden from anybody.” She says she was moved in part to come out after reading Tuesday's NY Times article about the plight of gay seniors. The UFT is affliated with the AFL-CIO and the American Federation of Teachers, the second-largest education labor union in the United States. Weingarten has been president of the UFT since 1997.