Cynically Optimistic

This past weekend I visited Tom in Washington, D.C. while the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. Tom invited me to join him at the Equality Virginia Third Annual Commonwealth Dinner in Richmond, VA. The only other political speech I've attended was when Elizabeth Dole gave a speech at The University of Iowa. This was a lot larger event.

The began with a silent auction and, of course cocktail hour. We mingled a bit, and eventually the crowd of 1300+ people sat down to begin dinner. We were seated at a table with several elected officials from Arlington County, and the dinner company was very pleasant. After the introductions of introducers and other formalities, dinner was served, and the Keynote speaker was introduced. I didn't quite know what to expect, since my knowledge of Virginia politics and political figures is miniscule at best. The speaker was former U.S. Senator Charles Robb, who gave an impassioned speech against discrimination and legislation such as the Defense of Marriage Act. Most of the room was close to tears, me included. The simple fact that this man stood up for equal marriage rights equality back in 1996, and made a rare public appearance for this event showed how genuine some politicians can be.

After the speeches were over, and delicious desserts were consumed, the bar re-opened downstairs where there was a DJ and a dancefloor. Let the disco music play! No, really. It was fun, but we split after one drink to explore the Richmond nightlife. Barcode was running drink specials for the dinner attendees, so we hung out for a while.

All in all, it was a great roadtrip! More on the cherry blossoms and photos to come.