AIDS Walk & = Broadway Impact Marriage Equality Rally =

What felt like 38 degrees, cloudy, windy, and spitting rain -- perfect weather for a 6.2 mile walk in NYC right? Well, we did it. Marina Montes, Miss Suffolk County, made the poor decision to wear shorts. But at least we walked! We were joined by my friends Carlie and Betsy from college, and although we missed her at the Apple store, Inga Schlingmann, Miss Manhattan, was also on the walk with her Americorps crew. The walk was....slow actually. We felt like a heard of cattle. But by a heard of cattle, I mean 45,000 people who came together to walk in honor of, memory of, and hope for people with HIV/AIDS. And in the midst of a recession, the 24th annual NYC AIDS Walk raised $5,603,409. (that's 5 million to clear up your "0" counting.) Pretty amazing.





Go home...warm up....nap a little....then off to...........


...the marriage equality rally in Times Square with my college/soon-to-be NY friends Carlie and Marcie. Now this was cool. The rally was organized by tons of organizations: Broadway Impact, Broadway Cares, Equity Fights AIDS, Human Rights Campaign, Empire State Pride Agenda, and more. Gavin Creel (<--marry me?) and the cast of HAIR put on an amazing show featuring "Aquarius" and "Let the Sunshine In."



Once again, we heard the support from Sen. Tom Duane, Assemblyman Danny O'Donnell, Governor Patterson, and this time also Mayor Bloomberg. Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City) announced her engagement to her partner Christine Marinoni with Kristen Davis there in support of her. More people spoke and sang, and it was just great - such positive energy in the middle of the streets of NYC. It was a rally, so of course some people had signs, but this is the one that jumped out at me. It is beautiful. Thank you, Warren.