Larry Kramer pulls no punches at NLGJA convention...

One thing you would never say to Larry Kramer is "Gee, tell us what you really think." The co-founder of the Gay Men's Health Crisis and the founder of ACT-UP, Kramer is a playwright whose work includes "The Normal Heart," an Oscar-nominated screenwriter ("Women in Love" and an author whose book includes the best-selling gay novel "Faggots."
He showed up at the NLGJA convention this afternoon for a session called "Making Headlines: A Conversation With Larry Kramer." Ever outspokem he called the NLGJA "tacky" for not sending him a plane ticket and let it rip on any topic that came up. Here are some of the highlights:

On the state of gay rights: "As I get older, I don't get more optimistic about where we're going and where we'll end up in another 40 years. We make progress but we don't make enough progress. We take itty bitty steps then we take 10 giant steps back. Considering how many of us there are and how much money we have, we don't have power. We are, in essence, a very passive population....What rights do we have? You tell me. I can't leave my money to my lover? I can't leave my house to my lover? That is appalling.That's what pushes my buttons. Why do we put up with it? There are so many of us."

On activism: "We should be at war constantly. You cannot take your guard down...The important thing to tell yourself is, 'I'm not going to be passive.' The thing about activism is you don't need a lot of people...Activism has to be a daily thing. It's got to be a part of your life. You cannot stop. The right wing doesn't stop. Their hate fuels them. Why doesn't our anger fuel us?...Anger, I think, is one of the greatest emotions there is. Very useful."

On the Human Rights Campaign: "I do not think it would make one bit of difference if they disappeared tomorrow."

On the HRC/LOGO Presidential forum: "There's talk and then there's talk. They didn't say much, those candidates. And they weren't grilled, those candidates..."

On Sen. Hillary Clinton: "We take so much lip service. Hillary says, 'I love you, I love you, I love you'" and we believe her. I don't believe her."

On being outspoken: "I learned long ago, whatever you say, some people will agree with you, some people aren't so you might as well say what you want to say."

On why he's so hard on his fellow gays these days: "I guess I just love being gay so much and I love gay people so much. I think we're the best."