Inaugural Party....thanks Abner!

You know, it is really troubling that the Angry Bush Hater took up my time in posting pictures from the evening of President Bush's Inauguration last week. Because it distracted me from thanking Abner Mason and Brian Pruitt for allowing PatriotPartner and I to join their Inaugural Party. It was a great evening and aside from the dust-up in front of the JW Marriott, it was a perfect way to celebrate President Bush's re-election.

Abner Mason is the Executive Director of the AIDS Responsibility Project. Abner was also the author of a recent column in The Advocate, which I posted on earlier this year.

First of all, I admit I need to learn much more about the good works of the ARP. And since I would hate to mischaracterize what they do, I'll reprint this directly from their website.

ARP was founded in 2003 by a diverse group of policy experts, activists, political leaders, and former public and corporate officials. Their primary goal was to help meet a tremendous public need for critical information on the complex global challenges presented by the HIV/AIDS epidemic today, and to help build important bridges between underserved populations and the wide array of agencies, officials and organizations taking on bold, new efforts to confront these challenges as billions of dollars would soon be pumped in from the U.S. government.

ARP -- unlike other groups that claim to represent gay Republicans -- actually has the ear of and works with the Bush White House. In fact, Joseph O'Neill who is Deputy Coordinator of the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator in the US State Department, was honored at ARP's Inaugural gala dinner.

From what I can see, ARP has provided a key link between unmet needs of underserved patients, industry, and various government agencies. Finally -- a group of people committed to working together on a common purpose, rather than finding ways to criticize and politicize.

I'd encourage you also to learn more about ARP, and I'll do the same!


Now, here are two fun photos of the night:




A grainy picture of my dessert platter. You can barely make out the Presidential Seal on the round chocolate treat.



This was the big statue greeting partygoers in the lobby of the JW Marriott hotel in Washington, DC on Inauguration Day. Cute.