Pride is just a week away, so be sure to show out of town visitors why we are truly America’s Finest City! Let’s all be courteous, smile and be helpful.

Mayor Jerry Sanders said it best when he said, “I’ll miss his friendship. He was a staunch ally and took a lot of bullets for me,” speaking about the departure of his No. 1 aide and friend Fred Sainz.

Fred’s job was not to make everyone happy, but instead to serve and always be there for the mayor – which he was 24/7.

Fred once told me that he loved and respected the mayor like a father and that in his entire political career he’d never met such a truly caring public servant.

It is a great loss for the mayor as Fred will be leaving to take a very well-paying position with the very prestigious Gill Foundation in Colorado. And yes, his hunky and handsome partner Tim Tipton is going with him.

I know a lot of us will miss Fred. I myself had some fun times with my Latino brother. Thank you Fred for being so loyal while serving the mayor and for taking those “bullets,” which I know can be ugly and painful.

Know that you will leave a lot of friends in San Diego and we wish you the very best. God’s blessings to both you and Tim.

Political mover and shaker powerhouse Bill Beck and David Huskey will be getting married this month and Sen. Chris Kehoe will officiate.

Successful businessperson Robbie Cox and Dr. Gregory Scott will also be tying the knot this month with Councilmember Toni Atkins doing the honors.

Also, No on Prop 8 has a new San Diego headquarters right across from Urban Mo’s, thanks to City Commissioner Tom Felkner and Bob Lehman.

Say what you want about Michael Portantino. Yes he has some rough edges, but don’t we all? At times we disagree on a lot of issues and he drives me crazy.

However, there is one area that Michael is outstanding in. Yes, I would say even perfect: That is being a father.

I’ve seen first hand how Michael and his former partner Bill Mondigo raised their daughter Tatiana from the time she was a little girl until now when she is in college. Michael joined the School Board and attended all her soccer games and track meets, along with all of her other activities. Tatiana came first and everything else, yes, including his business and social obligations, came in a distant second.

I’ve seen and witnessed all kinds of parents throughout my life – both GLBT and straight – and Michael rates right on the top of the list.

There were so many of us who were really happy for Michael when he got another baby girl. He smothered her with love and I remember the beautiful first birthday party Michael had for her.

As I watched Michael and his mother playing with Samantha, I thought to myself, boy is Samantha lucky to have Michael as a father.

Well sad to say Michael’s legal guardianship over little Samantha didn’t work out. He had to give her up and it’s like a knife has been put through Michael’s heart, which is broken. Understandably Michael is going through some very rough, sad and emotional times.

Please read this part very carefully:

Sometimes a person’s hurt and pain can be so deep and difficult that just the mention of Samantha makes Michael so very sad and makes his broken heart ache.

Taking that into consideration, I beg of all of you to be understanding and sensitive to Michael during this time.

Don’t mention Samantha, don’t ask how she or he is doing, don’t send cards, e-mail, etc. Sometimes the process of healing a broken heart means not having to talk to everyone about your loss. Sometimes it’s just too painful.

So please give Michael respect and allow him to have his space without bringing up Samantha. Trust me, it will help him so much in the long run. When you see him, just say how nice it is to see him out.

Friday, July 18: Rob Benzon Foundation Party

July 18-20: San Diego Pride

Saturday, July 2: 37th Imperial Court de San Diego Coronation Ball

Sunday, Sept. 28: AIDSWalk San Diego

Saturday, Oct. 11: The San Diego LGBT Center’s 35th Annual Gala

Saturday, Nov. 15: APICAP’s 15th Anniversary Gala

Sunday, Nov. 23: 11th Annual Community Tribute Banquet; 2008 honoree Councilmember Toni Atkins

Saturday, Dec. 13: Lambda Archives Gala “Honoring Heroes, Pioneers and Trailblazers”