[ LAUGHTER ] >>> ONE STAGE, NO ROOM.
LAST ONE STANDING GETS THE OH, SO, ILLUSIVE -- A CNN TOWN HALL
EQUALITY AMERICA WITH ANDERSON COOPER.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> GOOD EVENING.
I'M ANDERSON COOPER. THIS TOWN HALL WILL DISCUSS
ISSUES AFFECTING OUR COMMUNITY. LGBTQ AND GIRLS IN PRIMETIME.
IT WILL BE TWICE AS LONG AS THE DEBATES WITH NONE OF THE
URGENCY, AND SINCE WE'LL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO GO
ALL-OUT. SO, TO HELP US ANNOUNCE THE
CANDIDATES, IT'S BILLY PORTER FROM "POSE."
>> HELLO! HELLO.
YES. HELLO, ANDERSON.
CATEGORY IS VANDERBILT DYNASTY, NEWS REALNESS.
>> YES, GOD. NOW BILLY, PLEASE INTRODUCE OUR
FIRST CANDIDATE. >> OKAY.
YES. HE MAY LIVE IN THE PROJECTS, BUT
LADIES, HE AIN'T NO PROJECT. IT'S SENATOR CORY BOOKER.
[ APPLAUSE ] >> OKAY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, SENATOR BOOKER.
>> MY GIRLFRIEND WAS IN "RENT" SO YEAH, I GET IT.
>> FIRST QUESTION. >> HI SENATOR.
MY QUESTION IS, HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THE GAY
COMMUNITY? >> ABSOLUTELY, YES I HAVE
NOTHING BUT RESPECT SINCE DAY ONE.
>> BUT IN 1992 -- >> UH-OH.
[ LAUGHTER ] >> YOU PUBLISHED AN OP-ED WHERE
YOU SAID SOME VERY DEROGATORY THINGS ABOUT THE GAY COMMUNITY.
>> I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK I'M DODGING THE QUESTION.
SO I'M GOING TO GO NOW. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> OKAY. WELL, PLEASE WELCOME, PLAYING
WITH A HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE, MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG.
[ APPLAUSE ] >> YES!
THAT'S RIGHT. REPRESENTING THE HOUSE OF
BOOTY-GIG, IT'S MAYOR PETE! [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I -- I WENT TO HARVARD, BUT THEY DON'T TEACH YOU WHERE TO PUT
YOUR ARMS. >> OUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM
DANIEL. >> YEAH.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THOSE WHO SAY YOU'RE NOT GAY IN THE RIGHT
WAY? >> YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD THAT,
BUT THERE'S NO WRONG WAY TO BE GAY.
UNLESS YOU'RE ELLEN THIS WEEK. >> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
>> YEAH. ANDERSON, ACTUALLY I HAVE ONE
QUESTION. WHY AM I NOT WINNING?
I'M A VAET VETERAN, UNDER THE LEGAL RETIREMENT AGE AND WHEN I
TALK IT MAKES SENSE. IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME
>> NO -- NO. YOU'RE GREAT GUY, JUST LIKE, AS
A FRIEND, NOT FOR PRESIDENT. >> OH.
YEAH, THAT MAKES SENSE. >> CAN I CALL YOU AN UBER?
>> OH NO. I DROVE.
>> OKAY. >> WELL, I HOPE YOU DIDN'T FILL
UP ON SNACKS, BECAUSE NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE MEAT AND POTATOES.
>> WARRENING -- WARRENING -- IN HERE!
SHE'S GOT A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE! IT'S ELIZABETH WARREN!
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> THANK YOU, BILLY.
THANK YOU, ANDERSON. I AM SO EXCITED TO BE HERE.
I HAD SOME APPLES SLICES BACKSTAGE, AND THEY'RE HITTING
ME LIKE COCAINE! YOU KNOW, I AM NOT A LESBIAN,
BUT ALL THE INGREDIENTS ARE THERE.
LET'S GO. WHEW!
>> AND WHO WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION?
>> SO, SENATOR, LET'S SAY YOU'VE BEEN ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
>> YEAH, I HAVE. I SURE HAVE.
>> HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND IF SOMEONE SAID TO YOU, I'M
OLD-FASHIONED AND MY FAITH TEACHES ME THAT MARRIAGE IS
BETWEEN ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN? >> LOOK, WELL, I'M GOING TO
ASSUME IT'S A GUY ASKING. >> OH, SNAP!
THE LIBRARY IS OPEN, AND YOU ABOUT TO GET READ!
. >> I WOULD SAY, SIR, TELL ME
YOUR BUS STOP, BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU GET OFF.
WHAT ELSE? WHAT ELSE?
IF SOMEONE DOESN'T WANT TO SERVE GAY PEOPLE AT THEIR SMALL
BUSINESS I BET THAT'S NOT THE ONLY THING THAT'S SMALL.
AND WHEN PEOPLE SAY, GAY AND IN FRANCE PEOPLE SHOULDN'T BE
INCLUDED IN CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS.
WELL, I WISH THEIR PARENTS HAD USED PROTECTION.
♪ YEA, WHOA, OOH ♪♪♪ >> OKAY.
>> WORK IT OUT, WORK IT OUT! NOW FROM THE HOUSE OF URBAN
DELICIOUSNESS IS JULIAN CASTRO. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
>> SO HAPPY TO BE HERE, AND LOOK, I EVEN GOT A PARTICIPATION
RIBBON. [ LAUGHTER ]
NOW, COME ON. CUT TO THE CHASE.
WHEN DO THE "QUEER EYES" GUYS COME OUT?
I WANT TO GO ROCK CLIMBING WITH KARAMO.
>> THIS ISN'T "QUEER EYE" SENATOR.
>> ACTUALLY IT'S SECRETARY. >> I WOULDN'T TELL PEOPLE THAT.
>> OKAY, NEXT QUESTION. >> MY QUESTION IS, IF ELECTED
WHAT WILL YOU DO TO BRING QUEER VOICES TO YOUR CABINET?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, GRACIAS. AS A DEMOCRAT, I WANT TO
APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BEING GAY, BUT I PROMISE TO DO BETTER
IN THE FUTURE. HOWEVER, I AM LATINO, WHICH WE
CAN ALL AGREE IS SOMETHING. LOOK, I'M YOUNG.
I'M DIVERSE. I'M LATINOBAMA.
LET'S GET THE HASHTAG GOING -- #LATINOBAMA.
>> ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SAY?
>> YOU KNOW THERE WAS ONCE ANOTHER MAN WHO LEFT HIS MARK ON
THIS NATION'S HISTORY, BUT HE NEVER BECAME PRESIDENT.
♪♪♪ >> HOE HOW SO?
>> REALLY? [ APPLAUSE ]
>> COME ON! >> THANK YOU, SECRETARY.
>> REMEMBER TO VOTE FOR ME FOR VICE PRESIDENT -- I MEAN,
PRESIDENT. YES, YES, YES!
>> AND NOW THE DELAWARE DADDY WHO'S ONLY VICE IS THE CHOO CHOO
TRAIN! IT'S VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN,
Y'ALL! [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
>> HI, ANDERSON. GOOD TO SEE YOU.
I AM SO EXCITED TO BE HERE. >> TOO CLOSE, MR. VICE
PRESIDENT. TOO CLOSE.
HOW ARE YOU TONIGHT? >> I'M GLAD TO BE HERE.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN AMERICA ARE NOT HOMOPHOBIC.
THEY'RE JUST SCARED OF GAY PEOPLE.
>> THAT'S WHAT HOMOPHOBE MEANS, JOE.
>> LOOK, YOU KNOW ME. I BELIEVE THEY'RE ALL GAY,
WHETHER GAY, TRANSGENDER OR QUEER, YOU'RE OKAY WITH JOE.
I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A SECOND TO RESET AND GO TO AN AUDIENCE
QUESTION. >> HI, MR. PRESIDENT.
>> OH, LOOK AT YOU. IF I TOLD YOU, YOU HAD A
BEAUTIFUL BODY, WOULD YOU HOLD IT AGAINST ME?
>> SURE. MR. VICE PRESIDENT --
[ LAUGHTER ] -- HOW CAN YOU DEFEND THE
PASSPORT OF DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL?
I'M GLAD YOU HAVE HAD THAT QUESTION AND LET ME ANSWER BY
TELLING YOU A FALSE MEMORY. NOW, THE YEAR WAS 19 --
26, AND I WAS WITH MY FATHER DOWNTOWN DOVER, AND WE SEE TWO
VERY WELL DRESSED MEN -- VERY WELL DRESSED MEN.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN BY WELL DRESSED?
RIGHT? ANYWAY --
WHO'S NERVOUS ABOUT THIS STORY? SHOW OF HANDS.
>> WE'RE ALL NERVOUS, JOE. >> THEN I'LL KEEP GOING.
AND THESE MEN TURNED THE CORNER AND KISSED.
AND I TURNED TO MY DADDY AND SAID, "WHAT THE HUH?"
AND HE SAID, "BABY, THEY WERE BORN THIS WAY."
AND THAT WAS DELAWARE 19 CLICKITY CLACK.
>> OKAY. >> THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> WE ALL KNOW I'M YOUR GUY. SO IN CLOSING, EVER BEEN KISSED
BY A VP BEFORE? [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
>> I THINK WE'RE DONE HERE. >> YEAH, AND --
>> All: LIVE FROM NEW YORK, IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT"!