“We [Barry Manilow and I] were both so happy to have a gig that, you know, we didn’t care because it was, you know, the guy was really nice to us and he was paying us what was really good money in those days, which was like $300 a night. I mean, that was an extraordinary amount of money in those days and we were just, like, we didn’t care. We would have, you know, been at the zoo singing, we didn’t care. We were just thrilled. ... I know people expect me to have been, you know, appalled and stunned and all that stuff. I mean, maybe they’re surprised that I was so blasé. ... I had seen plenty by that time, so, I have to say, it was not a big surprise. I had a great time. They were great to me and I had a chance to learn all these songs and play all these songs and move into the mainstream, and it was just like a dream come true.”

“In high school, everyone was like, ‘I wanna be a doctor!’ I was like, ‘I wanna be on ‘Survivor.’’ And I did it! So now I’m like, cool, I’m 22 and my goals are accomplished. What next? There’s always a possibility of going back to college, but it’s a possibility of not knowing what to go into, ultimately.”

“I will vote for Hillary if she is the nominee of my party, because I want Democrats appointed to the Cabinet and the Supreme Court. But I plan to vote for Barack Obama in the Pennsylvania primary because he is a rational, centered personality who speaks the language of idealism and national unity. Obama has served longer as an elected official than Hillary. He has had experience as a grass-roots activist, and he is also a highly educated lawyer who will be a quick learner in office. His international parentage and childhood, as well as his knowledge of both Christianity and Islam, would make him the right leader at the right time. And his wife Michelle is a powerhouse. The Obamas represent the future, not the past.”

“This bill would establish a clear rule that the federal government will provide the same benefits to all its employees regardless of sexual orientation. This is not only the right thing to do, it is smart policy. This bill will treat domestic partners with the equity and fairness they deserve.”