Over a decade ago in my weekly column in the then Gay and Lesbian Times, I said that one day the Chargers would move to Los Angeles. Well, all hell broke loose and Charger fans went crazy on me calling me every name in the book and saying that the Chargers would never leave America’s Finest City. The truth is a close closeted friend of mine who is involved in the hierarchy of the Chargers leadership told me even then that the move to the Los Angeles market and money base was far superior to San Diego.
Now you all know that I don’t know much about sports or care (except for boxing and bullfights) and have never understood why so many of you are nuts over two continually losing teams (the Chargers and the Padres). But in reality, it has always been about the money; it’s a business and add the Hollywood movie and television stars etc. and why shouldn’t the Chargers move on to much greener pastures.
What I don’t like is the way the Charger leadership played games with San Diegans, as I believe through my sources that the Chargers always wanted to move to the bigger money city of Los Angeles and I can’t blame them.
The recent Union-Tribune 10 News poll has 34 percent of San Diegans believing that the Chargers really want to leave. Wake up people! Of course they want to leave! Another poll asked if the Chargers have been “deceptive” in their handling of the stadium issue and 65 percent of San Diegans said yes.
Of course they have; sad to say that’s the real ugly side of major business.
Oscars boring
No wonder this year’s Oscars were one of the least watched in years; they were boring and Neal Patrick Harris was especially boring. I did love, though, that some of the winning actors acceptance speeches touched on social justice issues; from equal pay for women, Alzheimer’s, LGBT suicide, etc. I loved that “Glory” won best song as it is. But I found it so boring that I kept switching to The Real Housewives of Atlanta!
Bayard Rustin awards this Friday
It’s your chance to celebrate Black History Month this coming Friday night, Feb. 27, at the annual Bayard Rustin Honors at The Center, 6-8 p.m., with a fabulous soul food buffet, outstanding entertainment including the Martin Luther King Community Choir. The entire community is welcomed. Congratulations to the honorees, Dr. Shirley Weber, Stan Lewis, Phyllis Jackson, Larue Fields, Christopher Wilson, Tanisha Cartwright and John Gwynn. I hope to see you all at The Center this Friday night and it’s only a $10 donation. What a deal!
Harvey Milk/Nicole Murray Ramirez GLBT Student Scholarship
In 1979, after the assassination of Harvey Milk, I along with the Imperial Court of San Diego established one of the very first GLBT scholarships in the nation. Some decades later the board of directors honored me by voting when I was out of town to add my name to the scholarship program. Now this scholarship is given at the Nicky Awards, Coronation Ball and at the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast. For further information write: H.M. /N.M.R. Scholarship Program, PO Box 33915, San Diego, CA 92163
Mayor’s Commissions and Boards
Then Mayor Roger Hedgecock appointed the very first gay mayoral appointees in San Diego history –Susan Davis and the late Dr. Brad Truax; both openly gay in San Diego. Mayor Maureen O’Connor established the first Gay and Lesbian Advisory Board to the Mayor of San Diego.
In the 1960s and ‘70s most of our City Commissions and Boards were made up of predominantly old white Republican men. Now our City Commissions and Boards are very very diverse.
Interestingly enough it was conservative Republican Mayor Dick Murphy who appointed the first transgender individual to a City Commission, that being Julia Lagaspi.
Mayor Faulconer will soon be appointing the first transgender individual to the Citizens Police Review Board.
Now, not only do many LGBT San Diegans serve on almost every City Board and Commission, they are the current chairs of many of them. Now that is truly progress, and it’s because of LGBT political power. We’ve gone from the days of a mayor telling us he wouldn’t meet with us because we weren’t a real constituency to where we are today. Progress indeed!
