A big welcome to the thousands of visitors for Pride weekend. You are participating in the largest civic event in the entire city and county of San Diego.

Play safe; be safe. Thank our Stonewall Citizens Patrol. Watch out for each other, and spend all your money. Then get back in your cars, trains, buses and planes and get home safely.

Thirty-three years ago, a Vietnam veteran named Jess Jessop and an attorney named Tom Homman, along with an empress of the Imperial Court named Nicole, went down to the police department headquarters (then on Market Street) to get an official permit to hold our city’s first Pride parade.

You have to remember that in the early 1970s, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) was very racist, sexist and homophobic. Blacks, Latinos and gays were targeted and, yes, harassed and beaten by police officers.

Jess, Tom and I knew this wasn’t going to be a cake walk, but we were taken aback when police officials told the three of us that, “In no way will San Diego ever allow a homosexual parade.”

I’ll never forget one police official who told us to “get the hell out” of their building or he might just throw the three of us “perverts” in jail. Well, we walked out with our heads still on and held high, although I was a nervous wreck. But then I quickly got as angry as Jess and Tom already were. Homman told us that our next step was to call the American Civil Liberties Union and sue the city. But after we sent a letter to the SDPD informing them of our intentions, they soon backed down and told us to come and get our permit.

Well, we stopped by Bradley’s, a wild gay bar where Horton Plaza is now, that opened at 6 a.m. Tom and Jess took a couple of shots, and I was just too much of a nervous Nelly to participate. I was also living as a transsexual, and, at that time, a man wearing women’s clothing was against the law – a law that, trust me, they did enforce. My trips to the police department with Tom and Jess posed a real possibility of being arrested on the spot, although the police never asked me if I was a drag queen, and some thought I was a lesbian. (This was many decades ago, when I had hair and was much thinner.)

Anyway, there were many police officials there to intimidate us when we arrived at the police department. You could feel the hate in the room.

We took the permit, and when we had just about made it out the door, an officer said, “You know that this permit doesn’t guarantee your safety or that of those in the parade.”

We walked out and went back to Bradley’s. I had about a dozen shots!

So this year, I’m asking you to remember Homman and Jessop, who are no longer with us. They were true, brave pioneers and heroes. I was just a drag queen whom they convinced to go with them as the empress of the Imperial Court, which helped raise a majority of the money to put on the parade. I know they would both be so proud of all of you. Let’s never forget them.

All eight Republican and Democratic city councilmembers, along with our Mayor Jerry Sanders, once again signed and unanimously voted for our annual GLBT Pride Proclamation. But this one is very special because we went from a Pride day to a week and, now, it’s for a whole month!

Of course, “ex-gay” and so-called “Christian” James Hartline went to City Hall with about a dozen other homophobes to speak against the proclamation. But, as always, their hate did not win. Diversity and equality won.

All of our speakers stood proud and tall, and they were excellent, especially The Center’s board president. Yes, City Commissioner Richard Valdez, it was your best speech ever.

Longtime activist Gloria Johnson, GSDBA executive director Joyce Marieb and Pride co-chair Philip Princetta also spoke.

There were close to 100 of us, but the total number of homophobes was only about two dozen, if that.

What is really great is that only one news camera showed up in response to John Hartline’s protest against Pride. Usually, all the camera crews show up. This was a major defeat for the media whore, ex-homo Hartline.

I was so proud of all of you who showed up. Please write the mayor and all of our councilmembers, because you know they’re already receiving hate mail.

Our mayor will, of course, once again be in our parade, just as he was many years ago when he was chief of police.

San Diego Housing Commissioner, past board chair of The Center and district director for Congressmember Susan Davis, Todd Gloria has become the clear front-runner to follow popular councilmember Toni Atkins in District 3. Gloria has more endorsements from District 3 leaders, businesspeople and activists than any of his opponents, and he has raised more money from more individuals than any of his opponents. While Gloria is a native San Diegan who has lived here all his life and has countless years of activism, volunteerism and social service, opponent Steve Whitburn has lived here only about six years – three years of which he spent as president of a political organization getting ready to run for this office.

Both Gloria and Whitburn are nice guys, and I like them both. But Gloria is the most experienced and qualified. And he is the clear choice for District 3!

With all due respect Mr. Whittle, your letter saying that the GLBT community should not proudly display the American flag at events because we can’t marry is way off base. Black people were slaves; thousands were hanged, beaten and discriminated against in ways we never could imagine. Yet they proudly display our flag.

Civil rights are won, sadly, for those of us in the minority, step by step. But after being an activist for almost 40 years, I know the GLBT community has come a long way toward our goal for full equality. You are sending out the wrong message about our flag and about America. Talk to me about the nations which, to this day, do not allow GLBT organizations or lifestyles, and have laws against being gay.

This Pride week, we should display both the rainbow and American flag. As for me, I am proud to be a gay and Latino American, and I am proud of our flag.

Pride is full of entertaining events. One not to miss is Martinis Above Fourth’s annual Pride Bingo BBQ, hosted by Babette’s trashy cousin, Tiffany Tanqueray. Pick up your $15 meal ticket at Martinis Above Fourth to confirm your reservation for Pride Bingo. Tiffany is a performer not to miss!