Early last month I received an email from Chris Johnson, the blogmeister of Human Rights Campaign's institutional blog, HRC Back Story, asking whether I'd be interested in participating in an profile/interview for the organization's membership publication, Equality about my blogging at my home base, Pam’s House Blend (only some of my posts are shared with Pandafans).

I said yes because there seems to be a lot of mystery and misconceptions about political blogging (and bloggers) out there. Based on many conversations I have had online and offline, people think: 1) you're online all the time; 2) you blog for a living (I wish!); 3) the goal of your writing is to conquer the political universe and destroy political institutions and people from the comfort of your keyboard, and 4) bloggers are somehow disconnected from the real world.

Since the publications of this type have a lengthy production turnaround, this all took place before the Employment Non-Discrimination Act brouhaha. Interestingly, my answer to the last question of the interview is quite apropos, as you'll see. Timing is everything, huh?

Read and weigh in.

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Pam Spaulding's blog is one you want to definitely keep your eye on – if you don't already. Spaulding, 44, is the whirling force behind Pam's House Blend, one of the most admired and beloved blogs coming out of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. As an out lesbian living in the South, a woman of color and a shrewd political commentator, she offers a singular voice that cuts through the congested blogosphere. Every week, more than 40,000 visitors – gay and anti-gay alike – stop in. Spaulding's blog has become a high-profile counterpoint to right-wing, anti-gay propaganda. It's also a national outlet for discussing election issues, the Iraq War and anything else on which she has an opinion. Spaulding, of course, will be the first to tell you how mind-blowing it is to know how much of a voice she has – considering she's just "someone typing away opinions as a hobby in their jammies in the dead of night in Durham, N.C."

Recently, Spaulding took time from her busy work-by-day (she's an IT manager at Duke University), blog-by-night schedule to talk to HRC's Chris Johnson about "third rail" topics, married life and, especially, the Larry Craigs of the world.

[The Q&A is after the jump…]

[I've added hyperlinks…] 

Why did you start blogging? How did you come up with the name, Pam's House Blend?

I was completely frustrated by the political climate when I launched the Blend in July 2004. The religious right and the Republican Party were working mightily to re-elect Bush and other social conservatives by continually flogging LGBT citizens … I had to find an outlet to put my thoughts down.

The name of the blog was originally a play on words about coffee — ironically, I don't drink it myself — reflecting my own blend of opinions and oddball takes on life and political matters. Once the Blend became more popular, and the commenters found their way there and shared their opinions, it became the idea of the blog being branded as a welcoming "coffeehouse" where civil conversations and debates could take place. It just sort of fell into place.

Why do you think your blog is so popular?

There aren't too many black Southern lesbians blogging about politics. I'm a mixed bag of perspectives in other ways as well. I lived for many years in New York City — Hollis, Queens and Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, in the '70s and '80s — as well as in Durham, N.C., where I grew up and reside now, so I'm well aware of the regional cultural divides. I've also been poor (nearly homeless in fact), but I have also lived a middle-class existence as well. All of these circumstances inform my work…. And perhaps because … I'm really just an average person — I'm not a lobbyist, a political consultant or a professional activist — living my life out and proud in a Red-turning-Purple state…

Blogs are so personality-driven. What part of your personality really comes out when you write?

I think it depends on the blog post in question. My blunt, snarky, sarcastic side comes out at times, usually when dealing with issues such as the classic Republican sexual hypocrites, you know, the ones who engage in the most outlandish sexual behavior while attempting to pry into your bedroom with legislation or endless biblethumping.

When I write more long-form posts, such as one I wrote about my religious beliefs, I am usually just … opening myself up in a way that encourages readers to share their views in the comments. I'm not afraid of being vulnerable out there.

You've done substantial reporting on issues surrounding the ultra right and its efforts to exploit homophobia. What has surprised you the most in your research into that?

I think that the more I learn about the right wing, the more I'm convinced that they all need a good therapist. The level of dysfunction, intellectual inconsistency, hypocrisy and even worse, the craven amount of fund raising by fearmongering is outlandish.

One of my most interesting interviews was with former staff attorney for the American Family Association, Joe Murray, a conservative who has since "come out" a conservative who has since "come out" as an ally for LGBT rights….

For whatever reason, Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth Against Homosexuality seems to like to spar with me…. Part of his efforts related to "exposing" the agenda is to attend events like Chicago's International Mr. Leather (on multiple occasions) undercover in leather gear to take pictures - to inform his readership, of course. Now how can I not write about that?

A busy blog and a day job … How do you do it? Lots of coffee?

No coffee, but quite a bit of English breakfast tea, and a few Chessman cookies! The grind of writing 5-7 articles a day is taxing.

Do you think the majority of mainstream journalists now understand the power of the blog? They're your most avid readers, right?

Journalists are reading the blogs, but don't quite understand them very well yet. It's still somewhat of a wild west out here in blogtopia. There are no deadlines - we're out here 24/7, analyzing and comparing stories, digging up facts and inconsistencies, that i makes it difficult to compete. On the other hand, most bloggers are quite dependent on the mainstream media to do the original reporting - we do analysis and followup.  It's a symbiotic relationship.

The bottom line is that many talented bloggers don't have the ad revenue, infrastructure or corporate expense account to travel and do original reporting that the mainstream press has.

Are you optimistic that more lesbians will launch blogs? Any advice to those who do?

I hope there are more out there ready to take the plunge! More voices and perspectives are welcome. One piece of advice — don't be afraid to promote your work by commenting and leaving links to your work (known as 'blogwhoring') at sites you visit that have a similar feel. E-mail links to your favorite bloggers — nice ones will provide link love (link back to your blog). That's how I gained readership — and it's the right thing to do.

Regional and state blogging, when it comes to LGBT issues, are fertile ground to break into. Some of my most popular entries are about first hand accounts (sometimes with photos or video) passed on from other bloggers about news events in their area that don't hit the major media — fundamentalist protests of local pro-LGBT legislation, gains made that can inform people in other small towns or cities about how to effect change at the local level. All of this is powerful activism — sharing information.

And finally — find a writing style that is comfortable to you. Many blogs are personality-driven, I find those interesting. What has been the most surprising impact of your blog that you can point to?

That what I write seems to resonate with so many people all over the country — and around the world. It's pretty clear that there are many ways we can learn from one another as we work toward the common goal of equality. Our differences sometimes result in our talking past one another and not keeping our eyes on the prize of civil rights for all.

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The issue also features a conversation with Chris Johnson about Back Story, as well as a chat with Jeremy Hooper of Good As You.

Thanks to photog Judy Rolfe for taking shots that didn't break her camera.

Here are a few questions and answers that didn't make the cut in Equality (the feature takes up two-and-a-half pages as it is, so that's understandable). I'll post them here, since they are questions I've been asked fairly often.

What does your wife think about your blogging? Does she have a role of any sort?

Kate is very supportive of my blogging, though she does worry that I don't get nearly enough sleep. She doesn't blog, but she has gone "on assignment" with me, helping to take pictures and stills at the last Servicemembers Legal Defense Network annual dinner, which I liveblogged. She finds it fascinating that by simply speaking my mind or wrestling with tough subjects online — that there are actually people directly involved in the LGBT rights movement that read my work with interest. She is glad that blogging has given voices outside the institutional infrastructure — mine, as well as many others — a chance to be heard.

Kate keeps me grounded. I'm just the geeky wife when not online. We plan on saving our pennies to take a nice long vacation to Vancouver, BC sometime soon (we married there in 2004) and escape blogworld for a while.

Are you looking forward to the campaign months ahead?

I think the 2008 races will be very interesting to watch and blog about. The candidates know that the response time to gaffes and political miscues is almost immediate — that's why they are desperately wanting to get ahead of the blog curve. Campaigns on the left and the right, at local, state, and national levels, are figuring out that they really cannot ignore or co-opt bloggers. The army of keyboarders is too large.

Regarding the races and LGBT issues, I would like to think that the right-wing has retired its homosexual strawman after 2006, but something tells me they may have no choice, since they have boxed themselves in — the GOP presidential candidates have not only chosen to ignore LGBT issues, but have taken pretty fringe positions at this point — not opposing the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" — come on, the American people are ahead of them on that count. Even Bush managed to squeak out vocal support for the concept of civil unions in the 2004 race. When you have Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, former supporters of the LGBT community running from their own positions, that's a party in shambles. At the very least, it will be entertaining to watch.

Here's the rest of my answer to what surprises me about the impact of my blogging.

…What really surprises me is the fact that I have been asked to speak or serve on panels because of my blogging. It's a pretty big leap of faith to think that someone typing away opinions as a hobby in their jammies in the dead of night in Durham, NC is going to be remotely interesting or enlightening as a panelist. That's the recovering introvert talking.

And I guess the flip side is that it's shocking to know that so many anti-gay activists read the blog frequently. I receive a ton of email (it's hard to keep up these days), but the taunts, reactions and comments that land in my inbox from these folks makes me think they are in a perpetual state of rage. You know you're popular with that crowd when they start emailing you links to their anti-gay diatribes — one landed in my inbox today. And yes, it was too unhinged to resist posting about it!