"I'm gay and out and proud, but in saying that I feel that the gay community could be a little more engaged," Mr. Wainwright said. "You can even spell it out. E-N-G-A-Y." Har!

"I guess one of the reasons I'm so vocal is to get some of my community out there because especially gay men-and those are the only ones I can really speak for-they tend to get a little into the lush life and the dance, the DJs, the disco music, and it's fun and everything, but unfortunately I'm a huge pessimist right now. And I can't dance that off," said Mr. Wainwright, dejectedly.

The actress Fran Drescher interrupted Mr. Wainwright's speech to tell him that his boyfriend is "so cute. I hope he has a straight brother!"

According to Mr. Wainwright, it was the agitation for gay rights that helped bring down John Kerry. "I think we're a little wiser now and we realize we're going to have to play ball a bit in terms of those issues," he said. "Which is unfortunate and depressing but it's also just reality."

As for whether he was interested in dipping into the lush life himself, he said, "No, no. I'm just following hors d'oeuvres around! I feel like a grazing cattle." The evening before, he had performed at the Equality Rocks event with Melissa Etheridge.

The Daily Transom noted that the Hollywood effect that also didn't do well by John Kerry. "I think it really depends on the celebrity," said Mr. Wainwright. "I think what Madonna did was ridiculous and really atrocious, and was just such bad timing," he said, referring to the video she has been showing on her latest tour comparing John McCain to Hitler and Barack Obama to Gandhi. "It's just so, so dumb."

Then Angela Bassett said she thinks it's the perfect time for a black man to be president.

Colorado Senator Ken Salazar, who was wearing an enormous cowboy hat, introduced Ms. Lopez, who was wearing conservative, rather Laura Bush-like red outfit. Mr. Salazar congratulated her on all her accomplishments, especially being mother of twins; Ms. Lopez then took the stage to introduce Ms. Edelman. "If I had a dollar for every person who told me not to get involved with charity, I could provide health care for all the children in the country," Ms. Lopez said. "That illustrated that gee, maybe this country does need a change."