"Many gay leaders have concluded that significant gains for gays have not been made under Bill Clinton," he said.
But despite this debate, the overall mood of the panel was one of cooperation.
Paras emphasized the points that the panelists agreed upon, including the importance of "coming out of the closet."
"We overwhelmingly share common goals," she said. "Coming out is the first step--you cannot change society while you're still in the closet."
Coming out is also a "final acknowledgement of self-worth," she said.
McFeeley agreed: "Closet is enemy number one," he said.
He also focused on strategy and methods of gaining power for the gay community.
"Gay people must first understand the political process and then act in that process," he said. "Most Americans don't know much about politics and don't get involved."