Help me please! I’m calling on anyone who has conquered their fear of flying to contact me. My airplane panic has gotten really bad and to the point where I have to do something about it, any ideas?

I spent five great days in New York. I flew into Newark and Robert Hunter, president of the Asbury Park School Board, was nice enough to pick me up and take me to my destination, the Marriott Marquis Hotel, right in Times Square. I was really busy but got to see the musical Billy Elliot, and I highly recommend it. The play will make you laugh and cry and at times feel very proud of yourself.

Councilmember Christine Quinn is not only the first lesbian elected speaker of the very big New York City Council but also the first Irish American. Trust me she will be the next New York mayor, and she is not only beautiful but one very classy dresser. While in town, The 16th Original GLBT Expo was going on at the huge Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. It was also the 30th anniversary of the infamous Rites: The Black Party, an unbelievable XXX-rated circuit party. Trust me, I was too busy to attend these event. But I did stop by the Stonewall Inn, which is still a bar, where our gay-rights movement began. 2009 is the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. When in New York, I recommend you pick up HX magazine for your gay nightlife action or the New York Blade for all your GLBT news.

While in New York, I also stopped by The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center. It is celebrating its 25th anniversary and has a staff of 80 people. Former New York Mayor Ed Koch turned 85-years-old, and the talk of the town is will he ever come out of his closet or will he go to his grave sticking to his “no comment.” I’ve been going to New York since the 1970s and always discover new things. I love New York.

Richard Simmons and David Copley have two major things in common: 1. They both have on-going weight problems, and 2. both think no one really knows they are gay. While I can personally relate to their fatty problems, one would have to be blind and deaf not to know that these two are raving homos! Now that the Copley family has sold the San Diego Union-Tribune, many are wondering if David will finally come out of his closet. Maybe we should ask his boyfriend, whom many say is very controlling and has taken over David’s mind.

The San Diego Union-Tribune and the San Diego GLBT community have had a stormy relationship. David has remained silent and never lifted a finger in support of GLBT civil rights. In fact, around 1975, Jess Jessop and I organized one of our community’s first major demonstrations at the May Company at Fashion Valley and ended up right in front of the Copley headquarters. In the 1970s, The Imperial Court de San Diego and our gay bars raised thousands of dollars for the Union-Tribune’s Children’s Show Fund. Attorney All Smithson and I delivered the check to the editor and they printed the first positive story on the gay community. During the early years of AIDS, the Union-Tribune ran some very inflammatory articles and editorials and cartoons that did harm. In the last decade, the Union-Tribune editorial board has, in my opinion, become more fair and balanced when it comes to our community.

Civil rights icon Dr. Marjorie J. Hill of New York will be the keynote speaker at the first annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast, set for Friday, May 22, at the Embarcadero Holiday Inn. Dr. Hill is recognized as one of our country’s outstanding orators and has been a leader in the fight for equality for all Americans for well over three decades. This event follows in the tradition of San Diego’s annual Martin Luther King All People’s Breakfast and the Cesar Chavez Commemorative Breakfast. Tickets are only $25 and tables are $350. Co-sponsor tables are $500 with sponsorships available from $1,000 and up. Call 619-692-2077, ext. 204 for more information.

People of Color San Diego Conference at The Center: May 9

Following last years’ summits on the East Coast and Southwest region, the Black/Brown West Coast Summit is set for Saturday, April 4 at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. I will be one of the keynote speakers, as I was in Philadelphia and Dallas. Coming up on May 9 is the People of Color San Diego Conference at The Center. For more information on these two conferences, call Carolina Ramos at 619-692-2077.

Bravo to San Diego Pride. Take a deserved bow. You made history for being the first GLBT contingent in the history of one of San Diego’s oldest parades, the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. I am proud to be Latino (Mexican-American) and other GLBT Americans are proud of their ethnic backgrounds, whether they are Italian, German, Chinese or Irish. San Diego Pride’s GLBT contingent was colorful and full of pride. Dr. Philip Princetta, board chair of San Diego Pride said it best: “Marching in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade was a historic landmark for our community, as we have done with both the King and Chavez parades. San Diego Pride is honoring its commitment to being LGBT into every corner of the world beginning right here at home in San Diego. During the St. Patrick’s Day Parade we were all Irish.” Right on Dr. Phil.

The 6th annual Children’s Easter Egg Hunt at the Trolley Park in University Height is getting some major support from almost every council office in City Hall. The event is spearheaded by Councilmember Todd Gloria with major assistance from Councilmember Carl DeMaio. These two men and their outstanding staffs have gotten their fellow councilmembers and staff involved in collecting Easter baskets. Last year about 500 children showed up. So this year, we need everyone’s help. For more information on how you can help, call 619-254-6372.

L. Stuart Milk will be the guest of honor at a special reception in San Diego on Monday, April 20. Stuart is the openly gay nephew of Harvey Milk and a gay activist in his own right. Stuart will be in San Diego for the world premiere of Dear Harvey at the Diversionary Theatre. Stuart Milk will be honored at a special reception (location to be announced) to benefit the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force. For further information, call 619-692-1967.

Mark your calendar for Friday, May 1, when The Live and Let Live Alano Club will present it’s second annual Alano Club Benefit dinner and show. The benefit will include outstanding cuisine by Creative Catering and live great entertainment with Benedetti and Svoboda. Every year, The Center’s ballroom is turned into a beautiful and fabulous “Ritz-Carlton” like ballroom by the talented artists at Botanica. Our recovering community is changing and saving lives every day and the Alano Club has been doing so for almost three decades. I was honored to organize and chair the Alano Club’s first dinner, and its been great to see it grow every year. Tickets are only $50. For more information, call 619-298-8008 or visit www.lllac.org.

CORRECTION: We erroneously printed "The San Diego Union-Tribune and The San Diego LGBT Community Center have had a stormy relationship" instead of the text above. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused.