Well, I’m off to Connecticut for five days and I hear a bad storm is on its way. So maybe you’ll be lucky and I’ll be stuck back east!
San Diego LGBT veterans wall of honor to be established!
In honor of San Diego County military veterans who have served our nation proudly, the Lambda Archives will soon be establishing a wall of honor to be located at our LGBT Center. The wall will be officially named and dedicated as the “Ben F. Dillingham III and Bridgette Wilson GLBT Veterans of San Diego County Wall of Honor.”
Yes, named after these very respected individuals who for decades have devoted their lives to LGBT equality and our veterans. For more information and how you can make a financial contribution for the establishment of this wall, call 619-692-1967.
A big thank you to Frank Nobiletti, Lambda Archives, Dr. Delores Jacobs and The Center for helping me with this project. My father and gay brother are veterans and I am proud of all our American veterans.
Victory Fund raises more than $75,000
This past Sunday, the pride and power of San Diego’s LGBT community was in full display at the annual Victory Fund Brunch at the beautiful Catamaran Resort Hotel. Around 300 of our community’s movers and shakers, friends and allies showed up to hear special guest speaker Mayor Annise Parker of Houston, Texas (who was introduced by our very own Mayor Jerry Sanders.)
It was especially nice to see Councilwoman Lorie Zapf in attendance (wonderful lady, and very smart and down to earth). Also State Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher was looking as handsome and popular as ever. Almost all of the LGBT elected officials in San Diego County were in attendance. But, all eyes were on future mayoral candidates Bonnie Dumanis and Carl DeMaio as well as Nathan, of course.
Among those sitting at my table were Lorena Gonzales executive director of the County Labor Council and popular businessman Nick Moede of Rich’s and Numbers (who by the way gave a sizeable contribution to the Victory Fund). We were, of course, handicapping the upcoming mayor’s race which is looking to be very crowded.
The night before, I attended a private dinner with Mayor Parker at the elegant Torrey Pines Lodge. I had the honor to present the mayor with a civil rights award.
By the way, while the dinner was one of the best I’ve had in decades, I found the brunch not to be so good. What in the hell did they serve us and what is it called? Oh well, we were all there for the “cause” anyway. But please next year serve us a normal brunch.
Well, more than $75,000 was raised for the Victory Fund and almost $20,000 was raised for Mayor Parker’s re-election campaign at another private San Diego event.
While all you who supported these events should stand up and take a bow, our community should also be so very proud of respected LGBT leaders City Commissioner Robert Gleason and Susan Atkins (National Chair of the Victory Fund). By the way, Susan’s outfits were fabulous, chic and made her look like she stepped out of a fashion magazine.
Is it GLBT or LGBT?
Recently, I was at a national board meeting and a huge, and at times heated, discussion came up of how should this organization call our community on their printed material. The GLBT or LGBT community? After a very long discussion and debate, they voted for GLBT.
Now, as many of you know, I come from the 1960s and 70s when we were first called, (1) Homosexuals, then (2) Gay, then (3) Gay and lesbian, and now it’s kinda leaning more towards (4) Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. Our oldest gay organization nationally is called the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) and then there is the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund among others.
So I mostly use, because to me it’s historically correct: gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender.
Lambda Archives fourth annual gala draws big crowd
There was standing room only at the fourth annual presentation of Heroes, Pioneers and Trailblazers, the Lambda Archives annual gala event. The food was fabulous and the entire event lasted only about two hours (other organizations should look up their method).
For many of us, this is one of the most moving events of the year. The video clips of each of the 12 honorees, well they indeed brought tears to your eyes, and you realized how fortunate we are to have such dedicated and compassionate leaders and activists in our LGBT community. Some of them coming from the 1960s and 70s and still working to make this a better world for all of us.
The 2011 honorees were Larry Baza, Bill Beck, Al Best, Stewart Bornhoft, Doug Case, Max Disposti, George Murphy, Gloria Johnson, Jennifer LeSar, Carol Pierce, Judy Schaim, Jeff Wynne and Sara Beth Brooks. They are all role models and it’s my honor to know most of them and to call many of them good friends.
While I was the Honorary Chair of this event, all credit must go to the hard working and beautiful Sharna Langlais (Co-chair) and her outstanding committee, and of course to me the “father” of the Lambda Archives, its dedicated and tireless president, Frank Nobiletti.
The great news is that Lambda Archives is expanding, though still working on getting a permanent home. Please continue to give to the organization that is preserving and saving our history. (Put them in your wills.)
There are no paid staff and just wonderful volunteers and board of directors. We owe them all so very much. Thank you, Lambda Archives.
Get your Harvey Milk Diversity tickets today!
Now listen up all you people who moan and groan about where your table is at the annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast! As you know, it draws more than 1,000 people and gets sold out. So get your tickets/tables today! There are general and VIP/sponsor tables now on sale for another great event on Friday, May 20 at the Hilton Hotel by the Bay. For info, tickets etc., call The Center: 619-692-2077.
Rival store gives to local causes
Recently, the Desert AIDS Project of Palm Springs opened up their fifth store right here in Hillcrest on University Avenue. Their other four stores are in Riverside County. Some San Diegans began to question why would an AIDS agency in Palm Springs open up a store in another city and then send all the money back to Palm Springs when we also have AIDS agencies in need. Well, the good news is that Rival will be giving back to several local agencies, including Mama’s Kitchen and Being Alive.
They will also be issuing out monthly “vouchers” for LGBT teens in need and HIV/AIDS patients through our local agencies. The Rival store will be financially sponsoring some events for these local agencies. So I say welcome to the neighborhood and I just love thrift stores!
