SAN DIEGO — More than 1,100 leaders from the LGBT, Latino, African-American, labor and business communities will gather for the Seventh Annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast at The Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel, 1 Park Blvd in San Diego in celebration of Harvey Milk’s life and work for human rights.
During the event, which starts at 7: 30 a.m., Phill Wilson, president and CEO of The Black AIDS Institute, and Rev. Troy Perry, founder of Metropolitan Community Churches, will each receive the Harvey Milk Lifetime Achievement Award. Kiernynn Grantham-Crum and Aimee Molina-Cuellar will receive Harvey Milk Youth Essay Awards and Kayla McKinley and Isaac Gomez will receive Nicole Murray Ramirez/Harvey Milk GLBT Student Scholarship Awards.
Among the speakers will be Speaker of the California State Assembly, Toni G. Atkins and Dr. Delores Jacobs, CEO, San Diego LGBT Community Center and co-chair, Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast.
The Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast brings together San Diegans who support equality and justice, joining on the anniversary of Harvey Milk’s birthday not only to honor the memory of an American hero but also to strengthen coalitions between the many diverse social justice groups in San Diego working toward equality.
When he was elected to the Board of Supervisors in San Francisco in 1977, Harvey Milk became one of the first openly gay men to be elected to political office in the United States. He was assassinated (along with Mayor George Moscone) only eleven months after taking office. Although he did not live to see his dreams fulfilled, the example of his life and his leadership has made him an important national symbol for the struggle for human rights and freedom of expression.
