Pam Spaulding (photo: sterno_inferno)

I am using tonight’s Late Night post for a point of personal privilege, because I have been so patient and so quiet for so long. Some months ago, I pointed Jane Hamsher to a post Pam Spaulding published about issues with her blog (Pam’s House Blend) and asked if she, Jane, thought there was a place for Pam in our bloghouse. Luckily, Jane agreed that this would be a swell fit and deputized me to find out if Pam would be interested in making her home here with us.

Once I found out there was mutual interest, I said I was happy to have provided the “introductions” — not that any were necessary, these two strong powerful women knew of and knew one another. And there was no need for my involvement beyond the initial “does everyone agree this is a great idea worth pursuing?” The answer from both side was, “Yup.”

But when you start to think about combining forces, sometimes it takes someone outside the immediate sphere to broker the initial conversations. And that person drops out, so that the business and technical deals can be worked out.

I was really happy to be that point person, although I don’t want to claim credit because I’ve done very little on the deal except to sit quietly and wonder how things were going! And hope that they would all work out.

Which they did! And now the word it out! Hurray!

I’m so glad it’s all worked out such that Pam will be joining us next month when all the technical details of her historical output are smoothed into our Firedoglake format. I’ve long been an admirer of Pam’s, and as a brief North Carolina resident I found her perspective on that state’s politics to be exceptional. Beyond that, though, she has assembled a superlative team of bloggers at Pam’s House Blend — you should spend some time getting acquainted with them before they join up over here!

As lesbian bloggers become increasingly scarce, through creepy “not a lady at all” attrition as well as economic factors that weigh on all of us, I’m very happy as a gay man to welcome Pam to Firedoglake. Her blogmates will introduce themselves to FDL as the time comes, but suffice to say there is a remarkably diverse team heading our direction.

You — FDL readers, members, supporters and friends — have been incredibly supportive of my work here at Firedoglake, on LGBT issues, Prop 8 and everything else I’ve blogged about. And I’ve had terrific backup from the blog and from co-bloggers on “gay issues” like Prop 8, the Perry trial, and general discrimination stories and legal battles.

I can assure you that you’ll see no less of me around here.

But I feel now like I won’t be the only gay kid on the block. Having a group of bloggers on board to help pick up the “gay” end of things is going to help us all be better informed, more knowledgeable, and more widely exposed to a broad understanding of blog-culture.

Karen Ocamb at LGBT-POV gets it:

This is great news since it will allow Pam to get some sleep, do more blogging and not worry so much about the backstage mechanics. The new collaboration also stands as a wonderful example of how women can work well together to create even greater content to serve and challenge the Greater Good.

All the best to Pam, whose blog will be changing over in July. And thanks to both women for being so smart and brave. And with an election year approaching – I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Get ready for some excitement — it should be really fun. Welcome, Pam Spaulding, and Autumn Sandeen, and Alvin McEwen, and Scott Wooledge, and Laurel Rameseyer.

Please join me in comments to welcome the Blend team to Firedoglake.