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Conversations with Nicole
Published Thursday, 15-Oct-2009 in issue 1138
What’s a week” the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Bill passes Congress, President Obama addresses the annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner, the National Equality March is a major success and Governor Schwarzenegger signs the Harvey Milk Day bill. And, oh yes, I got to party with Lady Gaga!
Last week will be one I will never forget. The National Equality March was the fifth march on Washington since 1979, and I pray the last. All I can do is hope and pray that President Obama will keep his commitments he made before 3,000 people at the annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner. I’ve been going to Washington, D.C. since the 1960s and know it like the back of my hands. I hate those “taxi zones” which, going from place to place, cost me around $350. (Thank you Andrew of the National Gay Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) for some rides.) I stayed at two hotels, the Westin close to the March headquarters and the Marriott Renaissance close to the Capital. Young D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty is a good friend of the gay community, and we promise to do lunch the next time he is in San Diego. I was so busy that for the first time that I didn’t go to check out the D.C. nightlife, but I did attend a National Stonewall Democrats welcome reception at the Halo Lounge. I had a nice time with owner Babak Movahedi who is rumored to be a possible candidate for the Miami City Council. Among official National Equality March events during the week were a NGLTF activist training workshop, a Trans building caucus, Impact Youth events, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) lobbying training, ecumenical prayer service at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, a Student Campus Conference, wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns, an adoption workshop, a milk and cookies reception for GLBT families, an HIV/AIDS rally and vigil , a marriage-equality network mixer, a Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League youth dance and, plus for me, countless meetings and interviews. As usual, I didn’t follow my doctor’s orders and marched the whole route (around noon a rainbow hit the sky and we all looked up in wonder at the beautiful sign). A majority of the marchers were GLBT teens, youth, students and parents with their children. Honestly, it’s sad to say, but the marchers were almost 95 percent white in a city that is about 80 percent African American. But the Rally was the most diverse in the history of our five marches. “Sex and the City” star and out lesbian Cynthia Nixon was wonderful, down to earth and a great speaker. I had to laugh when I saw tennis icon Martina Navratilova back stage. I’m sorry to say, but she is a very difficult and has a very bad attitude. I almost choked her at the 1993 and 2000 marches (yet her pals Melissa Etheridge and Ellen Degeneres were the complete opposite). Needless to say, Martina wasn’t invited to speak at this March. I got some San Diegans VIP/backstage passes including Toni Atkin’s nephew. Ben Gomez had a blast. After catching my breath and the order of speakers, I gave my speech (C-SPAN covered the entire rally). Joseph Rocha, in full uniform, joined me on stage. New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (and its future mayor) and I talked politics. Judy Shepard moved the crowd as she did in 2000. The night before I, along with the Imperial Court of New York and the International Court System hosted a gala event in honor of the 40th anniversary of Stonewall at the beautiful Renaissance hotel. I was honored to present Rev. Troy Perry, Cleve Jones, Lt. Dan Choi, Russell Royball, David Mixner, Rea Carey, Earl Fowlkes, Judy Shepard and Marsha Botzer the 2009 International Jose Julio Sarria Civil Rights Award. And, of course, the media and the audience went crazy when Lady Gaga showed up for her award. I proclaimed her “Supreme Diva oft eh Americas.” This event raised big bucks for the Matthew Shepard Foundation. While in the Capital building, I bumped into San Diego icon Father Joe and businessman Steve Francis (a future mayoral candidate?). They were both doing “God’s work” for the homeless. I could write a book about my week in our nation’s capital, but for all the details, background and gossip, check out GLTNewsNow.com where my full report will be available this weekend.
My hotel room phone rang early in the morning in Washington, D.C., and on the line was Stuart Milk calling from Florida to tell me that California First Lady Maria Shriver had called him to tell him that her husband Governor Schwarzenegger was signing Senator Mark Leno’s bill making May 22, Harvey Milk Day in California. I almost fell out of bed. Stuart wanted me to tank San Diego for the important role our city and the GLBT community played in the effort. San Diego’s Human Relation’s Commission became the first municipal body in the state to officially endorse Senator Leno’s effort more than two years ago. The San Diego City Council (thank you Todd Gloria) took the HRC’s recommendation and also voted unanimously in support. When I came to the San Diego LGBT Community Center, Delores Jacobs and Robert Gleason supported my call for the establishment of the now annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast of San Diego County. More than 1,000 people from all walks of life attended. Diversionary Theatre presented the world premiere of the play Dear Harvey. San Diego GLBT activists and the Gay & Lesbian Times led campaigns urging the governor to sign Leno’s bill. Equality California took a leadership role throughout the state. City Councilmember Gloria’s office found the Harvey Milk Memorial Bench, which I dedicated in the early 1980s in Balboa Park. Our Sen. Christine Kehoe was a sponsor of the bill. The 2009 Harvey Milk Leadership Award was presented to the organizers of the post No on 8 march, which drew 25,000 San Diegans downtown. The honors were presented at the annual Nicky Awards. Stuart Milk is carrying on the civil rights legacy of his uncle. He even went to the White House to accept our nation’s highest honor, The Medal of Freedom from President Obama on behalf of Harvey. Stuart and I were almost gitty on the phone with happiness. Stuart said, “This will save lives of GLBT children.” For the first time in California, public schools will hear about the life of Harvey Milk. God bless you Mark Leno, Stuart Milk and thank you San Diego.
During the weekend of the National Equality March, there was one San Diegan who received a lot of media attention. In fact, CNN camera crews followed U.S. Navy veteran Joseph Rocha almost the entire weekend and presented a major news story on this quite but courageous 25-year-old young Latino gay man. Dressed in his uniform, this University of San Diego political science major along with Lt. Dan Choi of New York became the unofficial poster boys against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” More than 600 publications across the county including the Washington Post carried Rocha’s commentary. Joseph Rocha was articulate, intelligent and represented the GLBT community with outstanding dignity. This brilliant student has already worked in the offices of Congressmember Susan Davis and San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty. He has been an out activist since he got discharged in 2007. I know that one day he will follow Kehoe, Atkins, Dumanis, Weathers, DeMaio, Padilla, Tierney, Rubin, Gloria into public office. By the way, catch Joseph Rocha’s column on GLTNewsNow.com.
A day after the National Equality March, the Washington, D.C. headquarters of the HRC was defaced by graffiti, which read “quite leaving queers behind!” There is a lot of anger aimed at the HRC within the GLBT community, especially among “queer activists.” Many are still upset over the “ENDA controversy,” the HRC endorsing republicans etc. As many of you know, I am a past HRC National Board member, and while I’ve always been a strong HRC supporter, I have, at times, publicly disagreed with them on issues. But the HRC has done outstanding work and has made a big difference in our fight for equality. The HRC symbol is only second to the rainbow when it comes to a GLBT identity symbol. We need HRC, Victory Fund, and NGLTF. Our movement also needs Queer Nation, Radical Fairies and Act-Up. Let’s agree to disagree but not turn on each other.
I have been friends with Congressmember Barney Frank for decades and respect him and believe he is one of the most brilliant members of Congress in our nation’s history. But it is sad when the most powerful democrat in Washington, D.C., Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, not only endorses the March but welcomes its leaders to his D.C. office (and Reid is a straight Mormon man) and, Frank, our gay Congressmember knocks the March. What’s wrong with both of these pictures?
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