Lambda Archives of San Diego hosts its annual Heroes, Pioneers and Trailblazers fund-raising and awards gala, Feb. 11, to honor an outstanding group of individuals whose work has made a profound impact on San Diego’s LGBT community.
The mission of the Lambda Archives of San Diego is to collect, preserve and teach the history of LGBT people in the San Diego and Northern Baja California region. Although most of the collection dates from the 1970s and beyond, there are original materials dating back to the 1930s.
“The real goal of the Archives is to create a museum-quality facility, where people can come in and see displays of these items that we’ve got,” said Sharna Langlais, Gala Chairwoman. “The challenge has been raising money to be able to find a space to do that. That’s what this event is really all about.
“This event in part is to honor all of these amazing individuals that have given their time and energy towards advancing LGBT rights in our community. But obviously, we also try to raise funds through the event,” she continued. “We really try to combine the historical nature of collecting the information of what these people have done in their lives, but also try to portray to the audience how important it is that we keep and collect history. Obviously, if we don’t know where we have been, then we really don’t know how to move forward.”
The event honors 12 San Diegans for their long-time commitment as pioneers in the local gay rights movement, as well as presenting one youth award. It is a combination of a social mixer, dinner and awards presentation.
“Lambda Archives purposefully leaves the selection criteria (of the honorees) very broad, as we believe there are many ways to contribute to LGBT history and the community. We look for nominees that have made concrete contributions either through volunteerism or their work in the community. We look to honor individuals that have been leaders in the LGBT community, and that have a strong and consistent track record of service,” Langlais said. “Our Youth Award also seeks to honor the work our young people are doing in the community.”
The event will take place Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. in the Auditorium at The Center, 3909 Centre Street. For available ticket prices and more information, log on to the Archives’ website at lambdaarchives.org.
2011 Heroes, Pioneers and Trailblazers
Al Best was the first openly gay candidate for City Council in 1979. His work in Protocol Development for Community Research Group helped create the AIDS cocktail. More than 66 organizations have benefited from his involvement. A co-founder of Stepping Stone, he moved to San Diego in 1975.
Jeff Wynne retired at the age of 53 and began volunteering as a grant writer for LGBT issues. He has helped raise $100,000 in small grants from local foundations and government. He also helped create Front Runners and Walkers San Diego with Carol Pierce.
Bill Beck has contributed thousands of hours and raised more than $10 million for causes like AIDS, political candidates and philanthropic foundations. He has received numerous honors and awards including the 2005 Champion of Pride in the LGBT Pride Parade. He has also served on the board of the AIDS Assistance Fund for decades.
Judi Schaim, a local therapist, has served as co-chair for LGBT Pride and the National Board of the Family Pride Coalition. She was also on the advisory board for other LGBT organizations including the Gay and Lesbian Times. Her dedication to the community has not gone unnoticed with awards like the Champion of Pride in 2001.
Carol Pierce helped launch and is still involved with Front Runners and Walkers San Diego, a community for LGBT athletes. She was a board member of the San Diego AIDS Project and participated in Blood Sisters, a group of women that conducted blood drives through the San Diego Blood Bank for HIV/AIDS sufferers.
Jennifer LeSar is the president of a development consulting firm. She helped to develop housing for low-income people living with AIDS in addition to Sunburst Apartments which provides housing for homeless LGBT youth. She also served on the Board of Directors for the San Diego LGBT Center for five years.
Doug Case has contributed many years to bettering the lives of LGBT students on SDSU’s campus. His work includes: advising the President of SDSU on LGBT issues, serving as president of the College Area Community Council and the production of articles, book chapters and research projects on the experience of LGBT students.
Larry Baza, a native San Diegan, became involved with human rights in high school. He produced the first major AIDS fundraiser in the arts community. He has been on the board of San Diego Pride for seven years, as well as serving on the board of several other organizations including San Diego Youth and Community Services.
George Murphy has spent the last forty years dedicated to education, LGBT issues and community affairs. He is a founding member of the San Diego AIDS Project and Lambda Archives, and currently ministers to people with AIDS and other illnesses through the Metropolitan Community Church of San Diego.
Max Disposti’s interest in human rights began in his native home of Italy. When he moved to the U.S. in 1998, his passion for civil and human rights followed. In 2008, he founded and is still active in the North County LGBT Coalition. He is also active in Oceanside as a City Commissioner.
Gloria Johnson has been active in LGBT, feminist and political issues for nearly half a century. For 30 years she helped many people living with AIDS. One of the first openly gay/lesbian persons elected for the Democratic Central Committee, she also helped defeat the Briggs Initiative (Proposition 6).
Ret. Colonel Stewart Bornhoft is a decorated combat commander who served in the army for 26 years. His participation in the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), garnered him an invitation to the repeal ceremony. His presentations to the Human Relations Commission and the San Diego City Council helped influence their decision to support the repeal of DADT.
Youth Honoree: Sara Beth Brooks organized a San Diego rally on the national day of protest against the passing of Proposition 8. In under a week, efforts organized by Sara Beth brought 25,000 people together, the largest turnout in the nation. She took leadership roles in the Manchester Grand Hyatt boycott campaign and Camp Courage trainings across the state. In 2009, Sara Beth was awarded the Harvey Milk Leadership Award.
