Congressional leader Nancy Pelosi called the ceremony not only historic for the LGBT community, but for all Americans and it most certainly was.
American LGBT leaders and officials flew in from all over our great nation to pay tribute to a great American civil rights icon who has become a global hero for LGBT people everywhere. The 75th Secretary of the Navy and former Gov. of Mississippi Ray Mabus sent out invitations for the official “Naming Ceremony” of the USNS Harvey Milk at Treasure Island in San Francisco. The USNS Harvey Milk will be built and christened in San Diego and thus a VIP official city delegation flew to San Francisco for this historic event: Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Speaker Emeritus Toni Atkins, Councilman Todd Gloria, City Commissioner Robert Gleason, Ben F. Dillingham III (member S.D. County Veterans Board), Marine veteran Bob Lehman (past president American Veterans for Equal Rights), and little old me. Sadly, City Commissioner Bruce Abrams who was also invited couldn’t attend because of illness. Also in the San Diego delegation was Stephen Puetz, mayoral chief of staff, Jen Lebon, LGBT mayoral liaison and Police Officer Ana Rodriguez.
As many of you know, in 2011 I launched a national letter writing campaign in San Diego to request a Navy vessel be named after Milk and the International Imperial Court (ICC) led the way. Representing the ICC and this successful campaign were Empress Coco LaChine of New York, Empress Donna Sachet of San Francisco and Emperor Rob Surreal of Spokane. Secretary Mabus’ speech touched everyone in attendance as he called upon any LGBT Americans who had gotten discharged for being homosexual while serving in the U.S. military to seek an honorable discharge.
I had the deep honor to have been asked to emcee the official reception after the ceremony and among the speakers were Ambassadors Jim Hormel and Nancy Brinker (founder of the Susan B. Komen Cancer Foundation), Speaker Pelosi, Speaker Atkins, Mayor Faulconer, Councilman Gloria, San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener and other dignitaries. It was especially nice to be able to introduce my long-time friend, gay icon Cleve Jones.
After the ceremony, I went to AT&T Park for a San Francisco Giants baseball game special ceremony in honor of the USNS Harvey Milk and the Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, Stuart Milk and I were brought on to the field and baseball diamond for a special tribute to Harvey Milk. We were given VIP seats, but this old queen politely left because I was exhausted by then and of course loyal to our Padres, but a special “thank you” to the San Francisco Giants.
It was quite a wonderful, historic day and it was especially good to hear so many dignitaries praise the global human rights work that Stuart Milk is doing around the world. He is indeed becoming a gay icon in his own right.
While I most sincerely want to thank all of you for congratulating me for leading the now successful Harvey Milk postage stamp and Milk ship campaigns, the vast majority of praise should go to the 68 city chapters of the Imperial Courts in North America.
Now, San Diego, let’s build the USNS Harvey Milk!
Nicole, who or what paid for your trip? We know you didn’t. So please tell us who or what organization did.
Nichole works for George Soros.
Liz