I’m off to Waco, Texas this weekend for meetings and a charity event that I’ll be the guest of honor and featured speaker at. This should be interesting – I hear they don’t have even one gay bar in Waco, and I was probably the only activist who said yes!

It seems that everyone, including the Gay & Lesbian Times, is pointing fingers at the “mishandling” of the recent City Council refusal to become a part of the court appeal on marriage equality to the California Supreme Court. While the GLT should be commended for being the first to urge Councilmember Toni Atkins to make this a priority in June, Atkins was on top of the issue from that moment on. She began lobbying for the five votes needed (marriage equality is still a controversial and difficult issue for many elected public officials). The San Francisco City Attorney’s office informed me that it lobbied our City Attorney Michael Aguirre early this year to get this started. Soon, Aguirre and Atkins were working together on this important issue. Sometimes it takes much pushing to get all your ducks in a row, and Atkins took this before the council when she felt she had secured her five votes (then the Donna Frye bomb dropped).

Toni Atkins has been in a long-term relationship and this is not only a personal issue for her, it is a personal issue for her community as well. Things didn’t go perfectly, but Toni Atkins is not to blame, and it is unfair to try and make her the scapegoat.

1) On Sept. 18, the council votes 5-3 to support the friend of the court brief in the marriage equality case, and the mayor signs on.

2) One of the councilmembers who voted Sept. 4 in favor of the friend of the court brief changes his mind. Even if Donna Frye votes in favor, the vote will be 4-4.

3) The 5-3 vote in favor of supporting the brief is vetoed by Mayor Jerry Sanders, who has never lied to the GLBT community about his support for gay unions, not same-sex marriage (the same position that former President Bill Clinton, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama, and former Gov. Gray Davis have taken).

4) The City Council acts quickly and overturns the mayor’s veto.

I wish to make it clear that at this time, Mayor Sanders has not, in any way, made up his mind on this issue. He is taking it very seriously and giving it his time and attention.

Bishop Robert Brom is a disgrace to his office and the Catholic church, and he should resign. The handling of John McCusker’s death and burial (including his consultations and friendship with extremist James Hartline) was enough ugliness by Brom. It is an outrage that Bishop Brom tried to put the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego in bankruptcy, and attempts to hide church assets so victims of the church could not get the support or settlement they deserved.

Bishop Brom is not a man of God – he is more like a banker trying to horde all his money. There have always been rumors about Brom being a big ole’ closet case (God knows he has had a lot of queens on his staff), but what he most certainly is is one big disgrace and an embarrassment to all Catholics.

Twenty-two-year-old Justin Smith is a nice, handsome young man, who has lived in San Diego for only one and a half years. Although he wasn’t really involved with community causes, his parents always taught him to try and help those in need and make a difference.

So, young Justin Smith, who had never organized a benefit before, decided he wanted to help our Youth Center. He came up with the idea for a “Masquerade Ball” at Rich’s. With the help of mentor Big Mike, and the help of his lover and friends, Justin put on his first benefit, and raised $11,000 for the Youth Center (a big “thank you” to Nick Moede, the Rob Benzon Foundation, the Imperial Court, Rich’s and all those who made donations).

Justin Smith proved that just one person, with the right idea, can make a difference. He is a role model for his generation, and our future is in good hands with individuals like Justin.

Metropolitan Magazine’s annual prestigious “40 Under 40 Awards” honoring San Diego’s brightest leaders of today and tomorrow were held Tuesday at the San Diego Convention Center and I was the guest of one of the most popular honorees – Fox 6 newscaster Maria Arcega-Dunn, who has also worked for CNN, Global Canada and CBS. She is most certainly a rising star, and is one smart, articulate, beautiful woman who is going places. I admire her for her work in the Asian community and with other important causes. Maria’s beautiful mother attended, along with Maria’s mother-in-law, and Jess San Roque, Julia Legaspi and Big Mike were also in attendance, to name a few from our community.

While there I had a nice talk with former City Attorney Casey Gwen. The event was a benefit luncheon for the YWCA’s Becky’s House, a shelter for battered women.

Our popular mayor, Jerry Sanders, was one of the guests of honor at Saturday’s annual “Living Out Loud” gala. To the nearly 500 people who attended, Mayor Sanders spoke about his visits to Stepping Stone and what an important role it plays in San Diego, as it changes and saves lives in the recovery community.

This year’s gala was titled “Laughing Out Loud” and it was the event of the summer, with comedians Leslie Jordan and Joy Tenuta stealing the show and making us laugh until we cried (next time, ditch the loud rock band, please). Ria Carey was the usual great songstress, and the food was scrumptious. The ever-hard working Jim Ginelli, board president Gil Eastham, and the gala’s outstanding co-chairs Rich Ahrendt, Alan Schmitt, Joe Gray and Jim Urbina were given special Congressional, State Senate, and city commendations.

A big thank you goes to the owners of the beautiful Marston Point Estate for always opening their home to so many noble causes. God bless you, gentlemen. And, of course, thanks to Viejas Casino for some of its major underwriting, as well as Darl Edwards of Club San Diego, The BottomLine and Matthew Thompson. It was a great, fun time, and we can’t wait until next year. The staff and volunteers should also be acknowledged. Stepping Stone, take a bow for putting on a stellar event. It was also great to see Councilmember Toni Atkins there, having a great time.

One of San Diego’s top artists, yes the one and only Julie Warren, will be displaying some of her paintings this Saturday and Sunday in the lobby of the Diversionary Theatre during the University Heights Arts Open, a fun, free festival running from noon to 6 p.m. both days (more information is available at www.uharts.org). Julie will be there on Saturday from 4-6 p.m., so drop by and get a painting before she gets too famous.

Tuesday, Sept. 18, San Diego’s party central, yes Urban Mo’s, will celebrate its one-year anniversary. A big congratulations goes to Chris Shaw, Doug, Matt, Mary and the whole gang of people who make this restaurant/dance club so popular. They always give back to the community, and the business is always packed.

Many more anniversaries, Urban Mo’s, we love ya’!