I’ll be off to Washington, D.C., Boston and New York and it will be very interesting to hear what our brothers and sisters on the East Coast have to say about Proposition 8 passing.

I am very proud of our community and its family members, friends and allies. I am so proud to see new activists, organizers, students and youth working together to pull off these demonstrations. As a Latino, I was proud when thousands of Latinos hit the streets for the immigration issue last year. As a gay man, I was moved to tears to see these huge demonstrations all over our state – the new blood, the new leadership … bravo!

And now I beg you to get more involved. Join a GLBT youth or student group or mainstream organization – the Stonewall Young Democrats, the Log Cabin Republicans, the San Diego Democratic Club, the soon-to-be-reorganized Harvey Milk Democratic Club. It is you and your generation that will change America and, indeed, the world. Don’t get angry – organize! At the same time, form your own group or organization. The future is yours, so build it, change it, and always remember: Even though we must be at the tables in the suites of power, we must never, ever forget our movement for equality started in the streets. Next year will be the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and we are still fighting for equality!

With 70 percent of black voters voting “yes” on Proposition 8, 53 percent of Latino voters voting “yes” on 8 and only 51 percent of Asian Pacific Islanders voting “no,” we clearly have a very big problem here. In San Diego there is not one GLBT civil rights political or social action organization for blacks, Latinos or Asians. Yes, there is APICAP, Bienestar, Karibu, and The San Diego LGBT Community Center’s Latino Services Program, and they do their best with most AIDS or health funding, but there are no action organizations. Black Pride and Latin Pride came and went, never to be seen again. Yet, our nightclubs’ most successful nights are Latino nights – what’s wrong with this picture? The truth is: Many people of color don’t go out because they feel unwelcome. You can count our leaders of color on your fingers. People of color make up a low percentage of membership in most GLBT organizations. So, there is a big problem here and everywhere. It is the people of color who can reach out to their mainstream communities. It is the major GLBT community nation-, state and city- county-wide that reach out to the leaders of color, not their communities or organizations. Our nation, state, city and county will one day be made up of a majority of people of color. Are we ready for this?

We have a remarkable leader in Delores Jacobs. During these past months, she has had to maintain her role as executive director of The Center, overseeing countless programs, and making sure our youth have the teen center and housing project to go to. She also had to direct our biggest GLBT dinner, the 35th Annual Gala, which broke all records this year. She had to drive to Los Angeles for hours each week for statewide No on 8 meetings and she oversaw the No on 8 local headquarters and campaigns. She had countless meetings, made countless phone calls and worked 24 hours a day sometimes seven days a week – yet she never complained. I do know her new wife and child missed her! Delores Jacobs has been giving our community 100 percent for years. Now, it’s time we let her know just how much we appreciate her!

Our new Councilmember-elect Todd Gloria is extending an invitation to all his constituents – that means seniors, students, straight friends, family members, GLBT residents, union workers, people of color, business people, religious leaders, Republicans, Independents, Democrats, etc. Todd will make history as he becomes the first member elected to the San Diego City Council to walk to his swearing in. Meet Todd to walk alongside him Monday, Dec. 8, at 9 a.m. sharp at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Laurel Street in Balboa Park. Bring signs that tell us what neighborhood you’re from (Normal Heights, North Park, Hillcrest, University Heights, etc.) or who you represent (veterans, organizations, etc.). For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1090. This is Todd’s way of always remembering he is a public servant and will always walk beside his constituents, not in front of them.

Coming up Tuesday Nov. 18 is a Hillcrest History Guild fund-raiser at the beautiful Top of the Park from 5:30-9 p.m. with food and a special steam-roast carving station, a silent auctions, fun and dancing, and superstar Sue Palmer performing. You’re all invited to celebrate. Wear vintage clothes if you’d like. See you all there Nov. 18.

Premiering Monday, Nov. 24, at The Flame is the weekly San Diego Dance Off – you can be GLBT, straight or from Mars, as long as you can dance! There are cash prizes for winners and the final winner will win $1,000 in cold, hard cash. Contestants can be couples, groups or singles and all styles of dance are welcome: hip-hop, salsa, jazz, tango, country, strip, ballroom, mambo, ballet, etc. The vote is 50 percent based on judges’ evaluation, 50 percent on audience ballot. Trust me: Monday nights will never be the same. The Flame will be the place to be every week. For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1090.

Yes, my blog has been burning up recently for different reasons. Right now you can catch my Worst and Best Halloween Costumes 2008 on my blog, and coming up you’ll find the list to end all lists: San Diego’s Most Influential GLBT Citizens. Catch it all on my blog! For the link to my site, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1090.

Everyone who was at Nightmare on Normal Street and who has read the letters from those two bitter queens Kirk Pfeiffer and John Padgett have been laughing their heads off – were they at the same event? What’s the problem girlfriends? First of all, this was the biggest Nightmare on Normal Street event ever with 4,000 in attendance, and this isn’t a gay event – it’s for everyone. Halloween is my biggest night for being a paid emcee. I can make big bucks – but I have refused to get paid since Nightmare started because it was my idea for a Halloween block party. All the money goes to charity, so I rush and do my paid jobs before and after.

The people at The Center and so many others tell me every year I am a major fun part of the evening … and I always insult myself too! This year I called myself fat, old, ugly, huge, etc. I also said I didn’t swim across the Tijuana River – I floated across. And if you have ever been to San Francisco, L.A. or N.Y., you know their emcees make me look like an angel. Kirk, you said you paid your seamstress with good money to make your costume. Well, Kirk darling, ask for your money back, and next time look in the mirror before you go out (all my mirrors are cracked!). And John, just don’t come back next year. Stay home and take in an “Addams Family” re-run – because next year, this old, tired, ugly, fat bitch isn’t changing one bit. Period.

Let’s all support one of our community’s only black AIDS agencies, Karibu, this Saturday at the Bamboo Lounge from 4-7 p.m. They need our support and help, especially with all the funding cuts. Karibu has a long history in our community so now lets really support them when they need it.

For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1090.