I’ve been out of town every weekend for the past month. I will continue to spend my weekends away the rest of this month (with the exception of Easter) as well as next month. As the longest running columnist of this publication, I congratulate my fellow writers and Publisher Michael Portantino on 20 years …

What’s going on in some of the GLBT community organizations? Yes, I’ve been around since many of the organizations started, and I’ve watched them grow and change. Still some organizations should do a more thorough job at screening when it comes to bringing on board and staff members. In the past I’ve heard several disturbing cases, including receptionists telling members of the GLBT community calling for assistance to call back when they could speak English, and proceeding to hang up on them. Thank goodness the Latino GLBT leadership brought this to the organization’s board and the situation was quickly handled.

Then we had a high-ranking staffer at another nonprofit tell “ugly dyke” jokes to his staff and others. Well, the last laugh was on him because he was fired.

Now there is word that a local organization’s board member raised questions, stating she feels uncomfortable receiving donations from the leather community.

I would like to say to this lesbian board member that she needs to attend some leather events, because there are hundreds of lesbians involved in the leather community and its events.

The leather community has raised at least a million dollars for organizations in the past 40 years. For a board member to make these statements tells me that she has her head in the sand when it comes to the GLBT community.

While I’m very glad that other board members disagreed with this particular woman – speaking out and explaining that the organization has received donations in the past from the leather community – I feel that she should have been officially reprimanded, given a Leather Community 101 course, or asked to resign.

This organization is about helping GLBT people from 18 to 80, and does not need someone like this involved.

Many people ask me why I don’t name the organizations I write about. Well, I know that one individual does not speak for an entire organization. I just feel such organizations are not asking possible new board and staff members the right questions surrounding racism, sexism, etc.

Mayor: Well maybe Mayor Jerry Sanders could win it all in June, but with the millions that Steve Francis is spending, it might force a run-off. Still, Sanders will be re-elected.

City Attorney: Anyone else want to run against Mike Aguirre? Where is Peter Navarro when we need him? (Yes, we need him like a hole in the head.) With so many candidates running, Aguirre will place first, and its anyone’s guess who he will face in the general election.

City Council District 1: Phil Thalheimer, who came close in the last election and is highly respected for leading the fight to save the Mount Soledad Cross, will definitely come in first. But who knows which of his opponents will force him into a run-off.

City Council District 3: Look for former Concilmember John Hartley to finish first and for Todd Gloria to come in a close second. The other four candidates running will follow, with Stephen Whitburn coming in third, but with a strong showing.

City Council District 5: Carl DeMaio had this locked up until another candidate who is a retired firefighter and who has heavy Labor Union support filed at the last minute. DeMaio fits this district like a glove, as he is a conservative Republican and one of the most intelligent and knowledgeable candidates running in the race for City Council. He has led a citizens group for the last several years to reform City Hall and could easily win this seat in June.

I guess when you only receive four percent in a poll focused on the City Council race, you’ll say and do anything to get elected – and will let your supporters do the same.

I give my respect to Hartley who remains above the fray and also to Gloria who refuses to let his supporters tear down candidates … But not Whitburn and his supporters, who have written very negative letters trying to paint Gloria as a political hack, who is in the hands of developers and Republicans.

If you read the blogs and letters, you will see that those who are saying such things are those who are close to Whitburn.

Well Steve, we could call you a true carpet-bagger because, as you have said this to me and others in the past, you came into town six years ago with the intent of running for office. You served as president of the very political San Diego Democratic Club for three of your six years in San Diego, and everyone knows you don’t bark unless you are told to by the club. We all know that the District 3 seat would be controlled by the SDDC.

Many of us are sick of you and your supporters who are trying to portray Gloria as some political hack who has gotten money from developers. Gloria was born and raised in District 3 and has given his life to public service. And, you too have received money from developers.

Unless this stops, many of us – and I do mean many of us – will never support you for any office.

If lightning strikes and you do place in the June run-off, we will support and raise money for Hartley.

I found it interesting that one of your best friends and supporters writes a letter to the Gay & Lesbian Times, yet when he wrote a letter to a straight blog he attacked Gloria for his strong support of GLBT bar and restaurant owners.

Watch out San Diego, you will see who District 3 really wants when Gloria signs appear in the front lawns of homes, in condo windows and on businesses all over the city.

I used to respect you Whitburn, but I guess when polls reflect only four percent of people support you, you go negative.

I have just returned from San Jose and while I was there, a book about the GLBT history of the city was being released. The book, which is written by a long time gay activist, is very good. I am proud to announce that Frank Nobiletti and I will be co-authoring a book on the GLBT history of San Diego that will span from the 1950s through 2008. There will be acknowledgements and contributing writers that will include lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people. I will be getting the publishing of this book completely underwritten, with the entire proceeds going to the Lambda Archives. If San Jose can have a book entirely on its GLBT history, so can San Diego!