It was a great holiday week edition of The Agenda with Joe Solmonese last night. We had something for everyone — from romance novels to political web video to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender human rights around the world.

Kicking off the show, we talked to Lee Badgett of the Williams Institute. She is the lead author of a new report on bias in the workplace — an important topic with Congress set to take up the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the coming months. Listen here.

We took a turn from there to welcome author Jacki Collins — queen of the Hollywood romance novel. Her new book out last week, Drop Dead Beautiful, is sure to be on many beach reading lists. She talked about the new book, some of its gay characters and her personal love of gay men. Hear from her in parts one and two.

Switching gears again… Scott Long, the director of the LGBT Rights Project for Human Rights Watch, was a return guest on The Agenda. Now that pride month has wrapped up, he gave us the highs and lows from around the world from Moscow to Bucharest to São Paulo.

We’re very tech-savvy here at The Agenda so we just had to have William Sledd, creator of the popular video blog Ask a Gay Man. William just signed on with the TV network Bravo to star in their new online venture OutZoneTV.com.

But web video isn’t all fun and games; there are some serious political uses. No one knows that world better than veteran political consultant Will Robinson. He’s a partner at The New Media Firm and joined us in-studio to talk about how Internet technology is changing the face of modern politics. Enjoy this fascinating conversation here.

Finally, playwright Carol Lynn Pearson joined us to discuss her play that has been getting rave reviews. Facing East opened earlier this year in Salt Lake City, had a great run off-Broadway and is going to San Francisco in August. Carol Lynn discussed the powerful message in her story of a Mormon couple dealing with the suicide of their gay son.

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