It happened a week ago in New York but thought I'd post a few pics from the 10th Annual Human Rights Campaign Dinner and take advantage of yet another opportunity to post a picture of my hero, Billie Jean King, who received another well-deserved honor during a special year for this remarkable sports pioneer who has always believed in fighting for what is right.

Billie Jean was presented with the 2006 Human Rights Campaign Equality Award on October 11at an event that drew more than 2,800 guests from across the country who attended the dinner hosted by the largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization.

Receiving the HRC's Visibility Award were the suddenly very visible gay pop singer Lance Bass and partner, Reichen Lehmkuhl, past winner of the CBS reality show "Amazing Race" and author of the newly released book, "Here's What We'll Say." The HRC decision to honor the couple was criticized in a Sept. 8 opinion column in the Washington Blade, a gay weekly newspaper and in an open letter to HRC that appeared anonymously on the Internet. The letter accused HRC of using Bass and Lehmkuhl to raise funds because of their glamour and notoriety, columnist Randy Foster wrote in the Blade: "HRC is not recognizing GLBT activism; they are recognizing a notorious gay couple thrust into the national spotlight by paparazzi. If the exposure of Lance as a gay man advances the GLBT cause, then shouldn’t we be honoring the New York Post instead?"
Foster added: "If we are looking for celebrity flair at the dinner, then let’s ask Lance to sing while Reichen takes his shirt off. Don’t give them a National Award for being over-exposed."

Ouch!!! At least he didn't quibble with Billie Jean. If he had, them would be fightin words!