No apologies for my political standings

To the many of you who have told me you can’t wait ’til my response to publisher Stampp Corbin’s recent commentary about me, you are going to be disappointed. I will not get personal or get into name calling as he did; but his commentary must be answered and I will let my record speak for itself.

First of all, it contained two major false statements: I have never attacked Congresswoman Susan Davis who I have supported since her first campaign for school board and recently attended her 70th birthday party. (I very much appreciate that this was corrected in a later version of the commentary with an apology.) Second, Mayor Faulconer has had a transgender member on his GLBT Advisory Board since it was established – the very respected activist Tracie O’Brien.

I am no mouthpiece for any political party; my column is my personal opinion, not this paper’s or the community’s, but mine and mine alone.

Since I started writing a column in 1973 I have always supported Democrats and Republicans and will continue to do so. Yes, I am now a registered Democrat and changed my registration from Republican when Reagan was president because of his disastrous record on AIDS and the right wing takeover of the Republican Party.

I supported and became involved in the Jesse Jackson presidential campaign and have supported all the Democratic nominees since and now am supporting Hillary Clinton. But I like a majority of Americans, vote for the candidate not the political party and will continue to do so.

When I first came to San Diego in the early 1970s this was a Republican controlled city and I, to this day, work with who is in office on issues that I am involved with – be it GLBT civil rights, people of color empowerment, health issues etc. Yes, Mr. Corbin, I have advised and served the last seven elected mayors of San Diego and two interim mayors and I am very proud to say that I am personally responsible for the appointments of a majority of GLBT City and County commissioners and board members. (Mr. Corbin neglected to mention that I got him appointed to a City commission and County advisory board, both made by two Republican elected office holders.)

I am also proud to have helped establish the first GLBT advisory boards to the police chief and sheriff. I was the co-chair of the first GLBT Mayoral Advisory Board (Democrat O’Connor) and decades later I am once again the co-chair of the current Mayoral Advisory Board. (Yes, Republican Faulconer.) And Mr. Corbin, I also served on the California Democratic Party State Central Committee and have been appointed by then Democratic State Assemblyman Peter Chacon (state chair, Hispanic causes) and our current California Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins.

In the 1970s I was an officer in the statewide Teddy Roosevelt Republican Club and I am a former vice president of the Log Cabin Club. I also am the founder, and was the first president, of the Harvey Milk Democratic Club, which was officially chartered by the San Diego Democratic Party. And yes Mr. Corbin, I was even, in my teens, an officer in the Teen Age Republicans organization. (We were called T.A.R. babies.)

While I am proud to say I supported not only the Jesse Jackson presidential campaign but the Howard Dean campaign, I am equally as proud to say, like Harvey Milk, that I supported the late Republican Sen. Barry Goldwater’s campaign.

So Mr. Corbin, all my life I have been actually both a Democratic and Republican mouthpiece and if you look at my record I have supported a majority of Democrats, but I guess I am more of an individual supporter and always will be.

And Mr. Corbin, since the 1970s I have been a constant advocate for GLBT people of color … the facts are I have gotten a majority of GLBT people of color appointed, as yourself, to City and County boards and commissions … most of them by Republican office holders.

About 80 percent of all current GLBT County appointments have been made because of my personal recommendations. Yes Mr. Corbin, I have served on State, County and City offices but I always use these positions to get other GLBT people represented also.

In my over 45 years of activism I have opened the doors for many in our community and will continue to do so.

So listen up, all you Democratic partisan haters, I give you no apologies for my last column. Carl DeMaio does support his community and our fight for equality and is a libertarian, not a Tea Party activist. I do not agree with Mayor Faulconer on his Barrio ballot position as well as his minimum wage one. I stand 100 percent in my belief that Faulconer was the right choice over David Alvarez. However, I do respect David Alvarez’ stands on progressive issues and for always supporting our community.

I will continue to support both Democratic and Republican candidates and if you don’t like my stands and political opinions … turn the damn page!

Finally, I want to make something quite clear: I want to thank Stampp Corbin and all my past publishers for allowing me to publish my columns without editing.

Nicole Murray Ramirez has been an award-winning columnist since 1973, and a Latino and gay activist for more than 45 years. He is currently a city commissioner and has served the last seven 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. In 2013 Murray Ramirez was named “Mayor of Hillcrest” by a City proclamation. Nicolemrsandiego@aol.com