It might not officially be the end of summer but with Labor Day approaching we were definitely getting back into the swing of things last night on The Agenda with Joe Solmonese.

At the top of the show we looked at a new report from the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) that shows educational institutions are making advances in supporting of those who do not fit into stereotypes of masculinity and femininity. GenderPAC Youth Program Coordinator Brittney Hoffman was our guest to talk about the new GENIUS Index. Listen in.

We were thrilled to welcome Newsweek’s investigative correspondent Michael Isikoff to The Agenda. He’s steeped in the politics of Washington after covering the Valerie Plame affair as well as Karl Rove’s role in the White House. His best-selling book is Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal and the Selling of the Iraq War.

With fall on the horizon, we’re all trying to figure out which shows are going to make it onto our TiVo lineup. So to sort out the new television season we welcomed back one of our favorite Agenda regulars, Damian Holbrook, senior writer at TV Guide. The magazine hits newsstands every Thursday and the fall preview issue is available next week.

Then we looked at a local controversy in Montgomery County, Md. For the past few years, the community has been fighting over a proposed sexuality education curriculum that (to the chagrin of right-wing activists) includes positive portrayals of GLBT people. As a father of two gay sons, David Fishback has been a local leader on the issue, and he was our guest.

From Montgomery County we went to medieval France with Shippensburg University professor Allan Tulchin. He’s just published a new article that shows there were actually legal arrangements for same-sex couples in Europe similar to today’s civil unions. Listen to this fascinating conversation.

We thought it was time to check in on the blogosphere, so we welcomed Joe Sudbay into the studio last night. He writes for the popular AmericaBlog and shared his insights on the netroots with election season heating up and Congress reconvening soon. Listen in.

Next week we’re taking off for Labor Day but make sure to tune in for some of the best interviews so far in 2007.

This week we brought you a very special edition of The Agenda with Joe Solmonese — this month’s Human Rights Campaign Foundation/Logo Presidential Forum in its entirety.

[It is August after all and we deserve a bit of a break now and then, don't we?]

But don’t despare… we’ll be back again next Monday with a fresh live show featuring:

Charles Marsh, author of Wayward Christian Soldiers;
Joe Sudbay of AmericaBlog.com;
David Fishback, a father of two gay sons and an advocate of comprehensive sexuality education in Maryland’s public schools;
plus more exciting guests!

Last week was momentous for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation/Logo Presidential Forum. On last night’s The Agenda with Joe Solmonese, we brought you some great recaps of the event plus our usual news and views.

Jonathan Capehart of the Washington Post joined Joe along with singer and advocate Melissa Etheridge on the forum panel. Capehart was our guest in-studio to give his take on the evening as well as some political news of the day. Listen in.

Also, co-host Mary Breslauer was out in Los Angeles for the event so she brought us her perspective on the forum with interviews from backstage and in the press room. Hear the report.

In other news, we took a look at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, which voted last week to encourage bishops to err on the side of inclusion and restraint when it comes to gay and lesbian clergy. Phil Soucy, a board member of Lutherans Concerned, was our guest.

We also went in-depth with two guests on GLBT TV. First, Bravo airs some of the gayest programming on television and their senior vice president of programming joined us. Andy Cohen is the mastermind behind shows like “Project Runway,” “Shear Genius,” “Work Out” and “Queer Eye.” Listen to parts one and two.

Then we examined how network television is treating GLBT issues through the eyes of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. They have published a new Network Responsibility Index and their entertainment media director Damon Romine was our guest.

Finally, it is the summer after all so we took a look at a favorite getaway destination — Provincetown, Mass. Sally Rose is the editor of the Provincetown Banner and filled us in on how the season fared and what’s still left this summer for the vacation village.