Summer is here and it’s time to soak up the sun. Be sure to check out some of the best patios our community has to offer, such as the ones at #1 Fifth Ave., The Caliph, Club Montage, The Hole, Redwing, Urban Mo’s and more.

Much like everyone else, I was shocked and angered at actor Isaiah Washington of the hit television show “Grey’s Anatomy,” when he outed fellow actor T.R. Knight and called him a “faggot.” However, I believe that Washington did everything he could possibly do to apologize and learn from this. He even did a very serious advertisement for the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network about how words can hurt others. Still Washington was fired. God knows I’d be rich if I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard a GLBT person use the “n” word.

Vice President Dick Cheney’s daughter, Mary Cheney, and her partner recently had a baby boy, whom they named Samuel David Cheney. The White House released an official picture of a smiling vice president and his wife, Lynne Cheney, proudly holding their new grandson. Sadly, the Cheney’s daughter and her partner have been attacked by the radical right because of their lesbian relationship. I have never agreed with the numerous attacks from the GLBT community on Mary Cheney, who has never claimed to be a GLBT activist. She did, however, work as a community liaison for the Coors Brewing Company and is a Republican activist, and she is proud of her father as he is of her. Though we may disagree with the vice president and the Bush administration, to me, Cheney’s family life and that of his daughter is personal. It is up to them as to how to handle it when it comes to the public.

This past week, along with Bob Lehman, chair of GLBT Vote 2008, I attended a reception at the University Club for state Assembly District 78 candidate Marty Block. Block, whose passion is education and youth, has been endorsed by a vast majority of the outstanding past legislators who have held this seat. He has served two elected terms as the president of the San Diego County Board of Education and is also on the Commission on Children, Youth and Family. He is a member of the San Diego County Alcohol and Drug Prevention Task Force and is a judge pro-tem for the San Diego Superior Court. While Block’s history has never been as a politician, he is a true public servant who will bring a lot of issues to Sacramento. He is also a firm believer in the equality of all Americans, and GLBT Vote 2008 endorses Block for state Assembly.

One of the nation’s most powerful and influential GLBT rights organizations, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), is once again making sure it has a presence in San Diego. The organization has established the HRC San Diego Steering Committee, which is headed by a dynamic trio of activists that includes past HRC national board member Stampp Corbin, along with local realtor Brian Lacklen and Colin Schwartz.

The community is invited to attend the HRC re-introduction meeting at Sunset Temple Hall on Tuesday, June 26, at 7 p.m. Top HRC staff members will be flying in to give San Diego a full report on the equality agenda in Washington, D.C.

Sunset Temple Hall is located behind Claire de Lune Coffee Lounge at 3911 Kansas St. in North Park. To RSVP, e-mail david.paul@hrc.org. See you all there!

The Padres will be saluting the GLBT community and showcasing the Gay Men’s Chorus at PETCO Park on Sunday, July 8. As you know, radical and militant so-called Christian right-wingers will be protesting. So we need to show up in full force. We should all thank San Diego Pride for partnering with the Padres. Do your part by purchasing a $16 ticket today.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call 619-697-7683 or visit www.sdpride.org.

Tickets are still available for the Annual GLBT Community Tribute Banquet. These tributes are truly moving and are always a proud moment for our community, as we annually honor those who helped build our community to make it what it is today.

This year, the tribute is honoring longtime respected leader Richard J. Kerman. The banquet will take place at the beautiful Western Horton Plaza Hotel on Sunday, June 24, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $80.

For more information, call 619-692-1967.

Summer is here and nothing is better than taking in a show at the beautiful outdoor Starlight Theatre in Balboa Park. Elton John’s and Tim Rice’s Aida is currently showing through Sunday, June 24. It will be followed by Oklahoma, Beauty and the Beast and Ragtime. Season tickets start at $40. Nothing is more “San Diego” than seeing a hit show under the stars in our world- famous Balboa Park. Get your tickets today.

For more information or to purchase tickets for an upcoming show, call 619-544-7827 or visit www.starlighttheatre.org.

Mark your calendars for Sunday, July 29, when community leaders will throw a birthday party at Lei Lounge in honor of Councilmember Toni Atkins. In lieu of gifts, a $25 donation is requested to benefit the Toni Atkins Health Fund, established by The Center and the Imperial Court de San Diego. The funds pay for mammograms and breast cancer screenings for the women’s LBT community.

I’d like to give a big thank you to Bobby Weiss, Michael Mack and everyone at Lei for hosting this event.

For more information, call 619-692-1967.

The official grand opening of Hillcrest’s new and exciting restaurant, Bite, will take place on Sunday, June 28, from 6-9 p.m. A suggested donation of $20 gets you into world famous chef Chris Walsh’s grand opening event, and all the proceeds will benefit the Stonewall Citizens Patrol. For more information, call 619-299-2483.