Joe was back with a fresh new edition of The Agenda with Joe Solmonese last night on XM Satellite Radio. We started out the show, as per usual lately, with an update on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Joe filled us in on all of the moving pieces.

Then we welcomed David Leavitt, author of the new book The Indian Clerk. Leavitt is a prolific author with a number of novels, non-fiction works and articles. He is also a noted scholar on GLBT themes in literary history. Hear his discussion of his work and the state of GLBT literature today. Listen to parts one and two.

Because Halloween is almost a high holiday for GLBT people, we dug into the topic with Jody Wheeler of DoorQ.com. His new site is launching tomorrow as an online home for GLBT sci-fi, fantasy and horror fans. Listen in.

We got straight at politics with Kristina Wilfore, executive director of Ballot Initiative Strategy Center. BISC is at the center of statewide progressive ballot campaigns – both advancing a positive agenda and beating back negative attacks. She was our guest in-studio to talk about ballot initiatives in the past few cycles and to forecast 2008. Listen here.

Finally we welcomed author and sexuality expert Bronwen Pardes to the show. Her book Doing it Right is a critical resource for parents who want to teach their children responsible sexuality. She is also a contributor to the popular What If Someone I Know Is Gay?

We covered a lot of ground on last night’s The Agenda with Joe Solmonese – unfortunately though, without Joe Solmonese. Joe was speaking at an event at the Kennedy School at Harvard so producer Michael Cole filled in as the guest host.

So w started out as we have been for the past few weeks with a look at the Employment Non-Discrimination Act – ENDA. HRC’s political director Allison Herwitt was our guest to fill us in on the vote expected this week and attempts to amend the bill to include protections on the basis of gender identity.

Then we went much lighter with pop star Lance Bass. His new book, Out of Sync, hits bookstores today and he joined us to talk about coming out, his attempts to become an astronaut and how his dating life is going. Listen in.

We looked to the theater next with the playwrights of The Beebo Brinker Chronicles. Kate Ryan and Linda Chapman wrote the play currently running in New York based on a series of lesbian pulp fiction novels from the 1950s. They joined us from our New York studios to talk about lesbian life fifty years ago and how they adapted the novels for the stage. Listen to parts one and two.

This past weekend, hundreds of conservative activists from around the country gathered in Washington for the annual Values Voter Summit sponsored by the notoriously anti-gay Family Research Council. All of the Republican presidential candidates were on hand and a straw poll showed Gov. Mitt Romney slightly edging out Gov. Mike Huckabee. Blogger Jeremy Hooper of GoodAsYou.org covered the event all weekend and he was our guest to give us the inside scoop. Listen in.

Then we took a slight departure from our usual GLBT beat with Phil Clapp, president of the National Environmental Trust. He helped us sort through some of the environment’s most pressing issues and offered some insights on the similarities and differences between the environmental and GLBT movements. Listen in.

Finally, we wrapped up on politics with James Pindell of the Boston Globe. He’s a learned observer of politics and spends most of his time on the ground in New Hampshire. James gave us the lay of the land among both the Republicans and Democrats and discussed who has the best organization and well as momentum in the Granite State.

We had politics and television and travel and religion last night on The Agenda with Joe Solmonese… A little something for everyone, as usual.

We started out with an update on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, ENDA. House leadership has decided to move forward for the time being with a non-inclusive bill but HRC was able to secure an unprecedented commitment from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to move forward a transgender-inclusive version of the bill once the votes for the broader measure are secured. Joe gave us the inside scoop.

Then we got down and dirty on the political front with Matt Bai of the New York Times Magazine. His new book, The Argument: Billionaires, Bloggers, and the Battle to Remake Democratic Politics, just came out and he shared his insights into how competing interests are shaping the future of the Democratic party. Listen to parts one and two.

From there we switched to television with acclaimed playwright and writer/producer Jon Robin Baitz. He’s won numerous awards over the years for his dramatic work and now he’s the man behind the TV hit Brothers & Sisters. Joe and co-host Mary Breslauer talked with the openly-gay Baitz about how TV is treating GLBT characters generally and how his show is charting new territory.

Then we welcomed back an Agenda regular Ed Salvato, editor of Out Traveler. The new fall issue is out and Ed filled us in on islands of all sorts – from the ones with white sandy beaches to islands of liberalism in red-state America. Listen in.

Finally, we talked with Rev. Eric Elnes, senior pastor at Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ in Arizona. He’s received national and international attention for his innovations and efforts to promote a more inclusive, compassionate vision of Christian faith. He also talked about his new book, Asphalt Jesus: Finding A New Christian Faith Along the Highways of America. Listen in.