More than 26 cities in 20 states held events to celebrate Harvey Milk Day. I was honored to join Stuart Milk, of the Harvey B. Milk Foundation, on what we dubbed “the Milk Rainbow Tour” of California, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and Palm Springs. So fasten your seatbelts and here we go…!

About 1,000 people made the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast the biggest such event in the state. Mayor Sanders and Lisa Sanders did another great job as emcees. Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo of Uganda and 7th grader Natalie Jones received well-deserved standing ovations from the huge crowd. Keynote Speakers Col. Stewart Bornhoft and Naval Petty Officer Joseph Rocha had their audience in the palm of their hands with their riveting speeches. Stuart Milk was warmly welcomed back to San Diego and reminded many of us of his uncle in his speech and passion. Great job to presenters Robert Gleason (co-chair), Stampp Corbin, Bruce Abrams, Lorena Gonzalez, Rabbi Laurie Coskey and Rev. Dan Koeshall. The Hilton by the Bay was a much better location than last year and so was the breakfast! Among the guests at my table were Congressmember Susan Davis, Supervisor Ron Roberts, Sheriff Bill Gore, Police Chief Bill Landsdowne, former Port Commissioner Laurie Black, Jim Ginelli, businessman Sherman Mendoza, Rick Ford, Nick Moede, Joseph Rocha, A.J. Turner and Stuart Milk. San Diego has the distinction of being the first city in the state to hold a Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast (2009) and is the first municipal body (Human Relations Commission, 2007) to officially endorse Sen. Leno’s legislation to make Milk Day (May 22) official.

A very big thank you to the hard working San Diego LGBT Center’s staff and volunteers, who helped make this event so successful. Dr. Delores Jacobs, Jeffrey Wergeles, Amber Cyphers Stevens and Carlos Marquez…and of course my “Dream Team,” the San Diego Milk Committee.

Milk Day events were also held at the Center and at Rich’s nightclub.

After the breakfast, Stuart Milk, Mike Colby (assistant to the mayor of Boston) and I headed to the airport for a short plane trip (I love Virgin Airlines) to San Francisco. Upon arriving at the City by the Bay, we were whisked to the legendary Palace Hotel and quickly changed to attend a reception with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. She was impressive as usual (being second in line to the president, she was surrounded by her own Secret Service detail). It was nice to see and talk with Ambassador James Hormel again and so many of my longtime GLBT political and activist friends. Early next morning (Harvey Milk Day), Stuart and I headed to the Harvey Milk Elementary School for a children’s pancake breakfast, and I had a wonderful talk with principal Christina Velasco and of course a fun time with Mayor Gavin Newsom and his beautiful baby daughter. We then stopped by Harvey Milk’s old camera store and viewed the new beautiful bronze plaque. Then it was time for the Harvey Milk Diversity Brunch of San Francisco. It was my honor to have been asked to be one of the keynote speakers, along with Stuart Milk, Sen. Mark Leno and Supervisor Bevan Dufty (who sits in Harvey’s seat at City Hall and is running for mayor).

Among other speakers and VIPs at the brunch were City Treasurer José Cisneros, Anne Kronenberg (Harvey Milk’s old campaign manager), Milk’s longtime old friends Dan Nicoletta and Frank Robinson (a speech writer), Donna Sachet, T.J. Istvan, Nathan Page and my favorite columnist Matthew Bajko of the Bay Area Reporter. Then we were off to the airport once again…

When Stuart, Mike and I arrived, we were immediately taken by our driver to the estate of TV stars Sharon and Kelly Osborne (what a mansion!) These two were not only the most gracious hosts ever but beautiful, sexy and simply gorgeous, and we fell in love with them. I had a great time and met so many wonderful people. Then we were taken to our hotels, and let me say: The Petit Ermitage in West Hollywood is fit for a queen!

We freshened up; then it was off to Madame Tussaud’s in Hollywood for the official Los Angeles Milk Day celebration.

It was great to see the Rev. Troy Perry, Speaker of the Assembly John Pérez, Academy award winner Dustin Lance Black, Scott Hall, founder of the Gay American Heroes Foundation and popular state Assemblymember and future congressmember (2012) Anthony Portantino. It was fun being interviewed on the “Red Carpet,” and as usual the legendary gagwriter Bruce Vilanch and comedienne Christine O’Leary were outstanding emcees.

A big bravo to producers Brad Levine, Michael Wegman and everyone at B. Levine Productions on a “class-A” event.

The next morning we woke up early to drive to the desert…

It was a short drive, and we soon arrived at a spectacular old Las Palmas estate with super host Gary D. Soto (just love him) and Kit Marshall. The brunch was delicious, and it was great to see Geoff Kors, Equality California’s hard-working executive director and Sen. Mark Leno again, as they also were part of the “2010 Milk Rainbow Tour” flying all over California.

All these events benefit Equality California and the Harvey B. Milk Foundation. It was also nice to have a talk with California’s next congressmember Mayor Steve Pougnet of Palm Springs.

Actually, the Milk Day holiday celebrations began in our state capitol, with an event at the California Museum that included a special reading by San Diego’s award-winning playwright Patricia Loughrey, who read her play Dear Harvey, which is headed to Broadway! I flew in for the event and then flew out again, and thus is the story of the 2010 Harvey Milk Rainbow Tour!!!

Mark your calendar for Thursday, July 15, for a special event kicking off our San Diego Pride celebrations…a reception with Stuart Milk (2010 Grand Marshal) and the honoring of four San Diego citizens with the prestigious Harvey B. Milk Foundation. More information to follow!

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