Finally, after decades and decades of waiting, I got a call from the Gallop Poll and was asked about Obama, the economy, Republicans and Democrats. One of the questions even asked if I was single, married or in a domestic partnership!

As I’ve often stated, the golden state is turning brown. This past weekend I was one of several keynote speakers including popular State Assemblymember John Perez at the West Coast Black/Brown Summit. I have also spoken at the East Coast and Midwest conferences, and I am scheduled for the Chicago, Boston and North Carolina conferences. There is tension at times between the black and Latino communities because Latinos or Asian Pacific Islanders are moving into formerly black neighborhoods and districts. District 4 is now more Latino than black and some Latino leaders say we will be running a serious Latino candidate once Councilmember Tony Young’s term ends. Two seats on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will soon be Latino. We haven’t had a person of color on that board since Leon Williams. Not long ago, I was in Sacramento for a conference and one of the workshops was entitled The Elephant in the room: Latino and Black Tension. As the Golden State continues to turn more brown every day, we Latinos must continue to be sensitive to our black brothers and sisters.

I’m sick of the cheap shots aimed at our hard-working mayor for finally taking his full salary. San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders has devoted his life to public service, including the American Red Cross and United Way. I’ve been to Sanders’ home. Trust me; some of our elected officials have mansions compared to his average home. Sanders is trying to put one of his daughters through college. Sanders also followed through with his first campaign pledge of taking lower pay. Now in his second term, and in a bad economy, Sanders is taking the money he has earned. By the way, Sanders receives one of the lowest salaries of any major American city mayor.

Foundations across America have lost money with some having to close their doors for good. The San Diego Human Dignity Foundation, which serves the San Diego GLBT community, has also taken a hit. Most of the foundation’s funds were affected including the Nicole Murray-Ramirez Civil Rights Fund. A full report will be coming out soon and will show damages from 20 to 40 percent. The SDHDF’s annual gala is coming Saturday, May 16, and I urge your support. The Foundation’s Executive Director Tony Freeman is one of our community’s most respected leaders and Councilmembers Carl DeMaio and Todd Gloria are honorary co-chairs of the foundation’s gala.

For more information about the SDHDF gala, call 619-291-3383 or visit www.mylgbtfoundation.org.

San Diego County Sheriff Chief Bill Kolender, 73-years young, is retiring. For many of us, it’s the end of an era. Many communities owe a lot to Bill Kolender. Bill not only walked the talk when it came to “diversity” but opened doors to women, people of color and the GLBT community. I’ve worked with Kolender since the 1970s, and his door was always open for dialogue and education. Always tough but a gentleman, Bill believed everyone should have a chance to be a police officer or sheriff and that all citizens should be respected. Thank you, Bill. As the history of San Diego continues to be written, Bill Kolender will be among its most respected and loved leaders and citizens. I urge the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to appoint the greatly respected and hard working Lieutenant Bill Gore to fill Kolender’s vacancy.

More than 30,000 gay men will not be stopped by our screwed-up economy from invading the infamous Palm Springs White Party. The first party was held 20 years ago at the Marquis Hotel and was initially a party for friends of ex-New Yorker Jeffrey Sanker. Sanker had worked at such clubs as Studio 54, Limelight, and the Palladium back east. The Marquis was the only hotel at that time that welcomed gays. In those early years, a very conservative Republican mayor condemned the White Party and his daughter even picketed the event. Later, in 1991, former Palm Springs Mayor Sony Bono made it clear that the city did not want those crazy college kids coming in for spring break but he sure welcomed the gay boys with all their money and nice manners. At this year’s White Party, Mr. Sanker will receive a key to the city and an official proclamation. Mr. Sanker and friends will leave millions of dollars to the local desert cities. This year’s headliner is the vampy Lady Gaga. Past entertainers have included Jennifer Lopez and a cast of hot Latino dancers. This year, even the Los Angeles Times picked the party as its best weekend event. Happy 20th anniversary, Jeffrey!

Six years ago, I was watching the annual White House Easter Egg Roll and I thought why don’t we have a children’s Easter egg hunt? I called my good friend Linda Childers, a proud grandmother, and the Imperial Court de San Diego, and the rest is history. Last year, 500 kids showed up at the Annual Children’s Easter Egg Hunt. This year, The San Diego LGBT Center, its Family Matters program and Imperial Court de San Diego are busy organizing the event with friends, organizations and businesses. I will list them next week. For this years’ event, we need boy-and-girl Easter baskets. You can get them cheap at Rite-Aid and Walgreens. They can be dropped off at The Center. All parents and children ages 1-12 are invited to this Sunday’s Easter egg hunt. Councilmembers Gloria and DeMaio have donated six tickets for the city box to the Padres game that will be raffled off for children at the Easter Egg Hunt.

The Annual Children’s Easter Egg Hunt will be held at the Trolley Barn Park in University Heights. For more information, call 619-540-9015 or 619- 692-1967.

Camp Courage is an outstanding two-day event that brings together GLBT activists, friends and allies and gives them the tools to become better and more effective activists. Los Angeles and Fresno have hosted these trainings with great results and now one is coming to San Diego. Everyone is welcome. For more information, e-mail our community’s favorite activist, Sara Beth Brooks at sarabrooks@gmail.com.

San Diego businessperson and civic leader Bob Lawrence has recently become very ill. His wife, San Diego icon, Port Commissioner Laurie Black is holding up as, best as she can under the situation. Let’s all keep Bob, Laurie and their family in our prayers and thoughts, especially during this Passover and Easter.