Well I’m off to Denver but I’ll be back this Sunday night for the world premiere of Dear Harvey at the Divisionary Theatre. I hear that some actor, between 60 and 80-years-old, has been cast as me in the play, hmmm.

One of San Diego’s most popular bartenders, Charlie Gaffey, from Caliph, Loft and Shooters, will be celebrating his birthday at the True North Tavern, formerly Shooters, this Sunday, April 19, from 1 to 3 p.m. The event will also be a fund-raiser for Charlie, who is fighting cancer. You’re all invited. For more information, call 619-807-7324.

April 20 is the official Day of Remembrance or Yom Hashoah for all those millions of Jewish men, women and children killed in the Holocaust. What I continue to find so disturbing is that there are some people who say the Holocaust never happened. A recent poll found that at least 15 percent of those surveyed believe the Holocaust didn’t happen. We must always remember and talk about the Holocaust and educate people about it. Remember, thousands of homosexuals and gypsies were also killed.

On Easter Sunday, I got up at 5:30 a.m. to join my good friends Big Mike and Julia Legaspie for the annual Sunrise Service at Balboa Park with a full choir, orchestra and the beautiful Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Major San Diego churches and the Ecumenical Council of San Diego sponsored this beautiful event. La Jolla Presbyterian Church hosted, and Rev. Paul Cunningham gave the most wonderful sermon. After the service, Mike, Julia and I were interviewed live on KUSI Channel 9, and I wished all San Diegans a Happy Easter and Passover.

A big thank you to Councilmembers Todd Gloria, Carl DeMaio and Kevin Faulconer who, between them, donated more than 250 children’s Easter egg baskets. Their support helped make this years’ annual Easter Egg Hunt at Trolley Barn Park a huge success. A big thank you to The San Diego LGBT Community Center, Family Matters, Ben Dillingham, Rick Ford, Robert Gleason, Sarah, Redwing Bar and Grill, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the leather community, San Diego Rodeo Association, Wal-Mart – which donated 100 baskets, La La and Chris Merkley Mortuary, California Bank and Trust, the Greater San Diego Business Association, Bourbon St., Lei Lounge, Heavenly Delights Music and Nick Moede of Rich’s for his donation of Easter baskets. A big thank you also to Emperor Chris and Empress Selena Diamond, along with Jim Ginelli, Jane Schmoll and Carolina Ramos of The Center and all the volunteers.

Almost 600 children from 1-12 years showed up. It was just a wonderful afternoon. Councilmembers Gloria and DeMaio gave out Padre Skybox city skybox seat tickets to six lucky winners. When I launched our first hunt, seven years ago, we only had about 50 children. Now we have more than 500! Thank you.

I have always been a strong advocate for gun control. I am sick and tired of all these mass killings. Our churches, schools and homes are not safe anywhere in America. About 90 percent of guns used in the recent gang violence in Mexico are from the U.S. The first major step we must do is stop these “gun shows” where anyone can, and does, purchase a gun. But the cold hard fact is that the National Rifle Association has bought the votes of many of our congressmembers and senators by giving them hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions. Please support gun control.

In 1961, “homosexuality” was illegal in California as well as in the nation. In fact, lesbians and gay men were sent to mental hospitals just because they were homosexual. You could not own a bar if you were gay in 1961 and police harassment and brutality against homosexuals was commonplace. It was in this ugly environment that World War II veteran and proud gay Latino, Jose Julio Sarria, borrowed a suit and became the first openly gay candidate to run for public office in 1961. Sarria paved the way for Harvey Milk to win his office seat 16 years later. Thus it’s very symbolic and right that Jose will receive the first annual Harvey Milk Civil Rights Award of San Diego at the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast on May 22. More than 500 tickets have already been sold. So get your tickets and tables today. For more information, call 619-692-2077, ext. 204.

Almost 400 people showed up at The Center for the sixth annual Transgender Day of Empowerment, sponsored by the California Endowment and Family Health Centers of San Diego. This year’s event was about “honoring the 40th anniversary of Stonewall.” Councilmember Todd Gloria was in attendance and spoke. Thanks to organizers Tracie O’Brien, Connor Maddox, Jelecia King, Jennifer Miller, Paola Gonzalez and the entire host committee for a job well done. I was very honored to be this years’ keynote speaker, and it was good to see so many people come out and support our transgender community.

The world premiere of the play Dear Harvey will open this week at the Diversionary Theatre before it hits San Francisco, Hollywood and New York. Milk’s openly gay nephew Stuart Milk is flying in for the event. Dear Harvey will play in San Diego for a limited engagement. So get your tickets today. Congratulations to fabulous playwright Patricia Loughrey, director Dan Kirsch and the entire cast. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 619-220-6830.