Sometimes it seems our community loves to eat their own. We put people up on pedestals, and then try to knock them down. Recently, a so called “gay writer” released a book, that took him eight years to write, trying to destroy the late Matthew Shepard. I know his parents and most people have gotten…
My phone rang off the hook recently over the back cover ad in the October issue of San Diego Pix magazine. It featured two hunky guys sharing what is known in the drug world as a “shotgun.” I have always admitted my own personal drug problem since the 1960s (mostly quaaludes and coke) and trust…
Former Marine Captain Jacquelyn R. Atkinson and City Commissioner Nicole Murray Ramirez have been elected co-chairs of the first LGBT Advisory Board to the Sheriff of San Diego County, Bill Gore. The Advisory Board held its first meeting with Sheriff Gore and his top commanders a few weeks ago. Former Marine Captain Jacquelyn R. Atkinson…
In one of my past columns I personally took my own responsibility as a longtime friend and supporter of Bob Filner for not speaking out to him about his conduct. The facts are that almost all of us heard, talked, gossiped about Bob and his hitting on women, not for years, but decades. We laughed…
WASHINGTON — The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force celebrates the confirmation by the United States Postal Service that it will introduce a stamp commemorating LGBT rights pioneer and one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S., Harvey Milk. He will become the first openly LGBT elected official to be featured on…
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and as I’ve said before, “The pink ribbon should be as important to the GLBT community as is the red.” During those dark, early and lonely years of AIDS in the 1980s lesbian women were the unsung heroes who many times took care of their then dying gay male…
In 1961, gay men and lesbians could be arrested for dancing together in bars, or for kissing in public. Homosexuality was considered a mental illness. There were no openly LGBT elected officials, no LGBT characters on television and no laws to protect the lives of LGBT people from harassment, discrimination and even murder. The dark…
Gloria Johnson, who died recently at the age of 76, devoted her entire life to the cause of equality for all Americans. She was not just an LGBT activist, but a human rights activist who spoke out and worked for the causes of any people or community who were discriminated against. Gloria was born in…
San Diego’s District Attorney, Bonnie Dumanis, is one of our region’s most respected public officials. Being the County’s top law enforcer is not an easy job, but she does it with an iron hand covered with a velvet glove of understanding and compassion. Recently, the Log Cabin Republican Club of San Diego honored Bonnie with…
Recently two long time GLBT activists/leaders passed away – Jose Julio Sarria and Gloria Johnson. Both very different but yet so much the same. Jose, a World War II veteran, drag queen and the first openly gay candidate to run for public office in North America (1961). Gloria, a feminist, hard core Democrat, anti-war and…
