It’s getting dirty out there … again

My mom just celebrated another birthday (my father died of Alzheimer’s) and she has never been in a hospital and is still driving.

People, politics and opinions

The three Republicans who are running for mayor (Dumanis, DeMaio and Fletcher ) recently took part in a GOP debate and Nathan Fletcher went after DeMaio for using false statistics/numbers as usual and DeMaio got very hot under the collar, while Dumanis remained cool and calm between the two men. Congressman Bob Filner should have gotten the Congressional Medal of Honor for agreeing to attend a Tea Party meeting. These psychos called Filner a Marxist , a liar and son of a communist. Right wing anti-gay rights Tea Party San Diego members favor Carl DeMaio for mayor as he is the only candidate to have attended their angry rallies last year. On the subject of conservative right-wingers my good sources tell me that anti-gay marriage publisher Doug Manchester will make sure his Union-Tribune paper endorses his pal Carl DeMaio. Our city’s soon-to-be new library is being built with mostly large private donations. A lot of credit goes to Jay Hill at the Library Foundation. We are all proud of you, Jay. Long Beach will be dedicating a small city park in honor of Harvey Milk and word is that Billie Jean King will return to her hometown for the dedication.

Big Mike’s birthday bash raised more than $2,000 for ANoteToMyKid.com. My friend, Steve Danon has raised more than $100,000 for his upcoming county supervisors race. Among well-known Republicans supporting medical marijuana use are Liz Cheney, Barbara Bush, Maureen Reagan, Meghan McCain and locally Briana Bilbray , the daughter of Congressman Bilbray, and Lisa Sanders, the daughter of the mayor. A much respected women’s political action pro-choice organization recently honored former Sen. Denise Ducheny , former Assemblywoman Lori Saldana and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. Let’s hear it for women’s power!

Thank you Mayor Parker of Houston

My four-day stay in Houston, Texas was full of speeches and meetings; but for me the highlight will always be when I got a call from an aide to Mayor Annise Parker informing me that she would like to stop by my hotel and meet with me. Last Friday night, Mayor Parker was returning from Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Conference of Mayors and after landing at the Bush International airport she headed for the Sheraton Houston South Hotel where we had a private meeting. I first met Mayor Parker when she was the comptroller of this, our nation’s 4th largest city. She is a rising star in the South and could be a future governor or U.S. senator. Parker recently was re-elected to her second term and has earned a much respected reputation, not as a politician, but a true public servant. Mayor Parker and I talked about various subjects from the Harvey Milk U.S. stamp campaign , her high respect of our mayor, Jerry Sanders, to Jose Julio Sarria, the first openly gay candidate to run for public office in 1961. Of course, our discussion concerning San Diego’s mayoral race was totally off the record.

Stonewall Inn’s owner coming to Coronation XL

San Diego’s 40th anniversary coronation celebration weekend (Feb. 10-11) is really going to be impressive with now, not only Stuart Milk flying in, but the owners of the historic Stonewall Inn of New York City. Also attending will be Stonewall bartender “Tree” who was involved in the riots in 1969. Gay royalty from all over the U.S.A., Canada and Mexico are coming to San Diego and event tickets are going fast (the Friday night Imperial State Dinner is almost sold out).

Dear David Lundin,

Thank you for your “letter to the editor” questioning my many positive columns concerning mayoral candidate Nathan Fletcher. To answer your questions state Assemblyman Fletcher supports full equality for all Americans which, yes, includes marriage equality.

As a past state chairman of Equality California I can also tell you his voting 2011 record received a 92 percent approval rating. Ex-Marine Nathan Fletcher stood up on the state assembly floor and gave a stirring speech against Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell which received wide press coverage and also many hate-filled letters, e-mails and phone calls attacking him, his family and questioning his Christian faith. Fletcher stood his ground even as these ugly and vicious attacks continued. Assemblyman Fletcher was at my table at last years Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast and supports a San Diego street to be named in Milk’s honor. Nathan has been endorsed by many GLBT leaders including one of our community’s most respected and admired, Ben F. Dillingham. While I still have not endorsed any mayoral candidate I am proud to call Nathan Fletcher my friend. As I’ve said, being close to Bonnie Dumanis and good friends with Bob Filner since the 1970s, this has made this race very difficult for me.

Johnathan Hale … there he goes again

Anyone reading my columns, recently, knows that I’ve tried to take the high road when it comes to Johnathan Hale and Carl DeMaio, trying to be as civil as possible. But a snake like Johnathan can’t help but be a snake. Recently Johnathan, on his blog, went off on me, again. First of all, you are a really big hypocrite by calling out my name change when your real name isn’t Johnathan Hale. You have changed it once or twice. And if you had your facts together you would know that indeed “Robert” isn’t my real birth name. Living as a transgender woman for five years, yes, I at the time changed my name.

Now for you and Carl. I had asked Carl to attend an AIDS benefit being held at a restaurant/bar named Hawthrones. Carl really didn’t want to go because a close friend was coming into town. But after I urged him to, at least, stop by he did and you were there in your then usual camera holding position covering the event. Big Mike agrees that it was I who introduced you and so did he. Remember, Johnathan, our entire community knows how close Carl DeMaio and I were. So close that, at the time, I knew about your first kiss and when you had your first roll in the hay with Carl. Know this, Johnathan Hale, when you attack me I will respond and I will not do so by also having paid employees attack, like you do. As Joan Crawford said in Mommie Dearest, “Don’t f—k with me fellas, this ain’t my first time at the rodeo.”

Nicole Murray Ramirez has been an award-winning columnist since 1973, and a Latino and gay activist for well over 40 years. He is currently a city commissioner and has served the last five mayors of San Diego. He is also a national board member of the Harvey Milk Foundation and chairman of the International Court Council of the USA, Canada and Mexico. Nicolemrsd@aol.com.