Well, businessperson Rick Ford and I just returned from Hollywood, where we were judges at a beauty pageant, which was filmed by HBO. What a wild night, and boy does HBO have a large staff and tons of cameras when it films something.

This week, I am attending a town hall meeting organized by students at SDSU. A rise in hate crimes and homophobia on the campus is very alarming. (I will give you a full report in my next column).

I am especially concerned about a recent incident where SDSU students celebrated at a marriage equality demonstration and were attacked.

And, I am outraged by the attack on longtime community activist Doug Case, an SDSU staff member, who was viciously attacked and threatened in the student newspaper, The Koala. There are, indeed, freedom of speech, press and First Amendment rights, but I feel this article called for violence and physical attacks on Doug Case. I call on San Diego GLBT leadership and the community to get informed and involved, and stand with our SDSU students and Doug Case. Thank you.

The San Diego chapter of American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) held events all Veterans Day weekend, and the theme was “Honor Every Veteran.” I attended most of the events and they were all a huge success, with Saturday night’s “Military Ball Reception” at The Center seeing the highest attendance of GLBT veterans and active military members in the history of our community!

I attended and spoke at the AVER “Rally to Lift the Ban” at the downtown Federal Building, then went to a reception at The Caliph. The next day, City Commissioner Tom Felkner and I represented the City of San Diego’s Human Relations Commission at the Veterans Day Parade downtown. The AVER contingent was big, colorful and patriotic.

It was certainly the AVER Military Ball Reception at The Center that was the event of the weekend, with hundreds of people in attendance, including many veterans and active duty personnel proudly wearing their uniforms. I had the honor of introducing the evening’s honorary co-chairs: Congressmember Susan Davis (chair of the subcommittee on military personnel) and Congressmember Bob Filner (chair of the veterans affairs committee), both of whom spoke about their strong support for lifting the ban on gays in the military. Both congressmembers Davis and Filner joined AVER chair Bob Lehman in presenting the prestigious Veteran of the Year award to Ben F. Dillingham III (a former Marine captain and a member of the County Veterans Commission).

Dillingham received a well-deserved standing ovation.

The San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus was outstanding, and this event was one of the most patriotic GLBT events in decades. Bravo to everyone at AVER, volunteers, staff members, and especially to the ever hard-working Bob Lehman for his leadership.

Yes, you read right. More than 100 veterans commit suicide each week in our nation and those who served in Iraq are the most likely to take their lives. This is not only shocking, but should be unacceptable to our nation. Our government does not treat or support our veterans well, period. If our active duty personnel are not treated well (about 30 percent of Camp Pendleton’s military families are on food stamps), it’s time the nation wakes up and does right by our veterans and men and women currently serving. Did you know that hundreds of wounded servicemembers have been transferred from Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., to San Diego’s Balboa Military Hospital? Most of them are amputees. It’s time our nation wakes up and makes this issue a priority.

On Tuesday, CBS News released figures about the number of veteran suicides. In a pre-emptive attempt at damage control, President Bush, on Nov. 5, signed the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. Every year since the Iraq war began, the president has cut funding for veterans, as evidenced by the Walter Reed scandal.

Once again, some of the writers of the letters to the editor show their ignorance. The reason my record of supporting more winning candidates for public office is so good is because, unlike most GLBT activists, I endorse Republicans as well as Democrats. And, as for those stupid statements that I endorse candidates who are going to win – oh, all of a sudden I have ESP? In politics, nothing is certain. I have served the last five mayors of San Diego, yet I endorsed only three of them. I endorse candidates not just for their stands on GLBT issues, as is there more to me than my sexual orientation and more important issues. As I am Latino, I am also concerned about issues facing the Latino community. I have worked on the campaigns of many people, from Barry Goldwater and Richard Nixon to Jesse Jackson and Bill Clinton.

A writer wrote that he was upset because so many GLBT voters probably vote for candidates I endorse, and he is right. People tell me they do, and they even e-mail and call me asking who to vote for and how to vote for propositions. I have never and will never vote a straight party ticket. I was a lifelong registered Republican until AIDS hit and Reagan came along. I then registered as a Democrat (which I still am), and was re-registered by the then-chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party, Ms. Irma Munoz. I founded three political groups: The Teddy Roosevelt Republican Club in the 1970s (with chapters statewide), the Harvey Milk Democratic Club in the 1980s and GLBT Vote in 2000 (the late John McCusker was the first chair, and now Bob Lehman and Tom Felkner are current co-chairs).

I disagree with the San Diego Democratic Club and Log Cabin Republican Club a lot of times, but I respect their political activism and hard work. But, I feel like I am like most people in the GLBT community – very independent – not like many of our GLBT leaders who are very partisan. I am also privately very spiritual and strongly support members of our religious GLBT community, be they Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc.

Two very popular but different bars are celebrating their anniversaries.

The Brass Rail celebrated its 47th anniversary as one of San Diego’s oldest bars. Its total state-of-the-art remodeling has made this dance club one of the best looking in Southern California, and manager Wes has done an outstanding job changing the atmosphere of the Brass Rail.

It’s more hip, rad and exciting, and some of the bartenders are hot, hot, hot!

The Eagle celebrates its fifth anniversary from Nov. 16-18 with events every night this weekend. Now, this is most definitely a real leather bar, and has won awards for being a real man’s bar. It remains the only bar if you’re looking to meet a real leather man.

The world famous Interactive Male will now be sponsoring a monthly fun bingo game, with someone winning an all-paid Baja Mexico cruise for two!

This past Wednesday, the first trip was given away, so stay tuned for the next date. Fabulous Bingo is held every Wednesday night at Bourbon Street, with everyone having a chance to win TVs, CD players, microwave ovens, $100, etc. And, there is no door charge! I am your wild and crazy host, and no, I do not dress up like a nun!