Last night was our first show of Spring and we began by congratulating Ray Buckley, the first openly gay chair of a state Democratic Party. Buckley, who won the New Hampshire seat with 80 percent of the vote, gave us a sneak peek of the upcoming 2008 Democratic primaries.

In recent months the Episcopal Church has been flooded with controversy, as some of its conservative leaders have moved against the ordination of gay priests and the blessing of gay unions. We invited the Rev. Susan Russell, of HRC’s Religion Council, to walk us through some of the debates and explain what lies ahead for the Episcopal Church. Listen to parts one and two to hear what she had to say.

Then to continue our spring kick-off show we talked to former NFL running back Dave Kopay. In a 1977 autobiography, Kopay courageously revealed that he was gay and became one of the first professional athletes to come out publicly. We asked Kopay about his own coming out story and then got his reaction to the recent coming out of retired NBA athlete John Amaechi. Kopay will participate in a panel in Atlanta this Friday on gay athletes, which HRC is sponsoring with Nike and It Takes a Team!, part of Billie Jean King’s Women’s Sports Foundation.

Our producer, Michael Cole, was out this week recovering from a tonsillectomy. But before he lost his tonsils and his voice, Michael sat down for an interview with hot young singer/songwriter Eric Himan. This out gay musician is known for his live, intimate performances and has been a big touring attraction for years. He’s well-known to gay audiences through his performances at dozens of prides and even the Gay Games. Check out the interview here.

Then former HRC President Elizabeth Birch joined Joe and Mary in-studio to chat about her life as a lawyer, mom, activist and former leader of the nation’s largest GLBT civil rights organization. We also got an inside scoop about Birch’s new firm, Birch and Company, which runs Rosie O’Donnell’s production company and oversees her foundation, the All for Kids Foundation. Listen to parts one and two of the interview.

Finally, Bill Maher was honored at the HRC Los Angeles dinner last weekend and we listened in on some of his hilarious acceptance speech. To say that he was primed to take on Ann Coulter and her anti-gay comments is selling the moment short.

Last night on The Agenda with Joe Solmonese we brought you a little bit of current events and a lot of history. Starting off with the news of the day, we looked to New Mexico where a domestic partnership bill is on the legislative agenda. Gov. Bill Richardson, who will speak at the Los Angeles HRC dinner this weekend, called a special session of the Legislature to address unfinished business, including the relationship-recognition bill. Openly lesbian Secretary of Human Services Pamela Hyde was our guest. Listen to the segment here.

This past week’s news also included a firestorm of controversy when Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Peter Pace told The Chicago Tribune that he thought gays and lesbians were immoral. To discuss his comments and to talk about the failed policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” we welcomed retired Army Gen. Paul Eaton.

Then we took a step back and looked at the broader gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights movement in a historical context. Marcia Gallo joined us to talk about her book Different Daughters that chronicles the start of the modern lesbian rights movement and the founding of the Daughters of Bilitis. Hear from Gallo here.

Then we checked in with David Mixner, a renowned political activist who at one time was named by Newsweek as the most powerful gay man in America. Listen to Mixner’s segment here.

Finally we turned to entertainment with playwright and screenwriter Douglas Carter Beane. Joe and co-host Mary Breslauer recently met with Beane in New York and talked about everything from his current work to the future of gay humor to the importance of remembering the Stonewall riots.

BTW, if you haven’t signed up for a free trial of The Agenda online, you still have a chance. Before March 31, click here to get two free weeks of The Agenda and the rest of XM’s online programming. You can hear us 24/7 on XM Online channel 134.

Last night was a great show so let’s get right to it… headlining Monday’s The Agenda with Joe Solmonese was Cyndi Lauper, who announced a new tour yesterday that will benefit the Human Rights Campaign. Listen to Joe’s sit-down with Lauper in parts one and two.

Last night was also a special event for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis— the world’s oldest HIV/AIDS service organization. Joe was in New York for their 25th anniversary dinner so Washington Blade Editor Kevin Naff came by to fill in with hosting duties. While they celebrated in New York, we paid tribute to GMHC on The Agenda with Dr. Marjorie Hill, CEO of the organization, and Rodger McFarlane, who was its first paid executive director. Listen to the full segment here.

Steve Stanton was the city manager of Largo, Fla., until city commissioners fired him because he is transgender. Stanton is being represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights in his struggle to get his job back. Hear from him why his gender identity has nothing to do with his job performance here.

Turning to politics, Agenda listeners have been hearing a lot about the presidential frontrunners so we thought we’d look at one of the lesser known contenders. Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination and he was our guest to talk about why he believes he’s the best candidate on GLBT issues.

We also introduced a new feature last night on The Agenda that we’re calling “In Their Own Words.” First, we shared a speech from the 1992 Democratic National Convention by Bob Hattoy — an AIDS and environmental activist who passed away recently. We also gave Agenda listeners a chance to hear what Sen. Hillary Clinton thinks about GLBT issues in her speech to the Human Rights Campaign’s annual spring board meeting.

If you haven’t signed up for a free trial of The Agenda online, you still have a chance. Before March 31, click here to get two free weeks of The Agenda and the rest of XM’s online programming. You can hear us 24/7 on XM Online channel 134.