In the last couple of weeks, I’ve been on a speaking tour of Europe. Strangely enough, it all came about through Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts — but that’s another story. Thanks to them, I was introduced to the President of the Parliament of the German State of Hesse — the equivalent of one of our governors. Hesse’s major city is Frankfurt, but its capital is Wiesbaden, a historic and charming city filled with palaces and cultural treasures.

President Astrid Wallmann, whom I first met at a reception for Gov. Healey, was struck by my story. Since Hesse was about to hold its official LGBTQ+ Parliament celebration, she invited me to speak. They took care of all the arrangements. My plan was simple: make the speech, then head home. But one invitation

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