Let’s start off our new year safe and happy. Watch over your friends and don’t let anyone drink and drive.

The cold hard facts are that we have been living in a state of war since 9/11, and we all know that our country will be subjected to another attack. It’s just a matter of time. The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that San Diego was one of five possible cities to experience a future terrorist attack. We live in a county that has one of the biggest military installations in the western hemisphere. I don’t know about you, but I feel that our government is more concerned about the rights of terrorists than taking this war seriously. The Fort Hood situation could have been averted but political correctness got in the way. These terrorists don’t care if they bomb and kill innocent children and women. They are the worst types of terrorists as they are religious fanatics and believe their acts will get them to heaven. They should also all be tried in military courts. I say if we have to water torture some of these terrorists, so be it. Whatever it takes once we have proof that they are indeed terrorists and have been involved in a plot to do us harm.

Recently, I attended a health conference and all reports and surveys pointed to an increase in people barebacking and not using condoms. In fact many young people just ignore using a condom and if you go on Craigslist, you will see ads for men wanting to get together and plainly state that they’re into barebacking. Why have I brought this up? We’ll a young 19-year-old friend of mine recently became HIV-positive, and he is of course distraught, and when we talked about his situation, he told me he hadn’t used a condom in four years! A word to the wise for 2010, please use a condom.

I’m sure you have all noticed the billboards and bus stop advertising that in the last five years have become very eye catching, especially those anti-drugs and HIV/AIDS ads. Well Mankind Video, the adult business had some bus stop advertising that featured drag queens, trannies and butch guys that were taken down five days before the ad campaign was to end. The ads were only in Hillcrest and were up for almost two months. They were colorful but in good taste (Have you seen the girlie strip club billboards?). It seems that there were complaints about the lifestyles portrayed by the models and some citizens were offended. So the city’s transit service took all six ads down. Why would butch guys in Levis and leather and drag queens offend people in Hillcrest? Just put on any TV show, and I’ll show you crossing the line. This was all about censorship and anti-gay people, period.

You would think that it had hosted gay events before but the fact is that on Jan. 26 the infamous Playboy Mansion will host its first gay event, the ninth annual WeHo Awards. It will be a dinner awards show event with tickets going for $250. Proceeds will benefit a nonprofit organization. Yes, Anthony Cortez is the producer and, yes, it’s really happening.

Award winning playwright Patricia Loughrey is indeed the pride of San Diego. Her play Dear Harvey was and is a hit and has received high critical acclaim. Dear Harvey has been nominated for numerous prestigious honors and awards. And now Dear Harvey is being considered as one of only ten plays to perform at the Kennedy Center in our nation’s capital. The play first premiered at the Diversionary Theater and Milk’s nephew Stuart Milk flew in for the event. The San Diego State University student production was almost sold out at every performance, and it is this cast that could go to Washington, D.C. Oh, by the way, the young actor Anthony Simone, who plays me, has also been nominated for an acting award. Hmm, congratulations to Patricia and the entire Dear Harvey cast!

Plans are being made not only in California but in cities across the globe to celebrate Harvey Milk’s birthday on May 22. In San Diego the second annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast of San Diego County (last year a 1,000 people attended) will be held on Friday, May 21 at the Hilton by the Bay in Downtown. I am proud to say that Stuart Milk has asked me to get involved with the week long celebration to be held in San Francisco, and also a San Diego committee has been formed to plan events for May 22.

For more exciting, breaking news, gossip, politics and all the gay news that’s fit to print including Editor at Large Nicole Murray-Ramirez’s People Opinions & Politics, Associate Editor Aaron Heier’s Two Cents, Stephen Whitburn’s Politics Tracker, Stampp Corbin’s The Oracle and much more daily news and happenings, visit www.GLTNewsNow.com. Mark us in your favorites and stay informed daily!