As The Center approaches its 36-year anniversary it is clear that some of its founders’ themes continue to repeat and resound, even in a world so rapidly changing that Twitter can’t capture it all quickly enough.

One of those historic themes – embracing change and continuing to widen the circle of those who will contribute their creativity, their leadership, their energy and their lives to the fight for justice and equality – continues to be evident and vibrantly alive today.

Every decade, a new generation seems to have its own period of incredible growth and success, followed by an inspiration for great change when the next cohort of leaders steps forward to join those still struggling toward freedom to guide the entire community into the future.

In San Diego, the years 1972-1976 were evidently as full of energy, activism and creativity as these post-Prop 8 years promise to be. In four short years an incredible band of “founders” created The San Diego LGBT Center, Dignity San Diego, MCC San Diego, The Imperial Court de San Diego, San Diego LGBT Pride, Stepping Stone and the San Diego Democratic Club. Three years later, GSDBA was also founded. Together these organizations and those who founded them formed the core around which our community has grown.

As I look through old photos and flyers, and talk to those founders, I hear themes still familiar today: a focus on reaching out to all in our community to ensure they are included; a focus on reaching out further to the communities of color; an explicit focus on faith communities and the restoration of love and compassion where fear has hijacked the faith agenda; a focus on volunteerism and service, and upon collaboration, with the belief that victory will require all of us working together.

Although each of those original organizations had a specific focus, knit together they provided our San Diego GLBT community’s foundation. Together they began to form a framework for equality activism and a safety net of services that have helped to give rise to many more – eventually leading to the amazing web of community organizations and efforts we have today.

Those initial activists energized others, who joined them and provided additional energy and determined force, a whole new ACT UP generation, and together they fought to force the changes that could save the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS.

And again, those who saw us through the Briggs initiative and the terrifying years of the “gay plague” gave way to a new generation that rose up to ensure the survival of our community through the long, dark years of backlash at the beginning of the millennium. This new generation of leaders kept us together through Proposition 22, the murder of Matthew Shepard and the increased attempts of the “conservative faith movement” to erase the humanity and rights of our community. They fought legal battles when others would strip us of our rights. They ran for office and gave us a voice in government. They increased our reach and our strength in almost every social and cultural aspect of life and politics.

What is perhaps most incredible is that each of these generations has continued to work alongside the next. Many of the visionaries and young activists of 36 years ago continue to be as committed, dedicated and as full of energy this year as they were in 1973! Many are in Washington and Maine even today! And they continue the fight alongside the many young leaders now emerging, whose incredible energy, hopefulness and determined vision of post-Proposition 8 San Diego will lead us into the next generation.

That is perhaps the signature inheritance they pass along, the essential DNA of GLBT San Diego: an incredible vision for a community that embraces change, embraces and welcomes new leadership and new generations without abandoning them, a shared love of justice and an ever-abiding willingness to serve the cause of equality with compassionate determination for a lifetime.

To all those tenacious fighters across the last 36 years – past, present and now emerging – thank you for your vision, your courage and your tenacity.