Thanks for all the calls and comments concerning my not turning in a column last week.… High blood pressure almost gave me a stroke, so I had to stay in bed and rest.… A very special thank you to Dr. Pat Washington and her Maggie, Carolina Ramos and her Michelle, Dr. Pierce Rivet, Jess San Roque and Maria.… Thank you for taking care of me and watching over me.… God bless you all.

I’ve been writing a column for over three decades now (1973 in the San Diego Sun).… I’ve learned to give it out and take it, but the recent letter by Dennis E. Mayer was over the top.… Mr. Mayer, my father died of Alzheimers and so your wish that I might have it may come true. You stated you were “closeted for a long time.” So how dare you question my activism in those early years of AIDS in the 1980s? No, Mr. Mayer, I was not “too busy servicing sailors in the 1980s” (it was more like the 1960s and ’70s).…

When AIDS first hit San Diego, I founded our first client service AIDS organization to feed clothe and shelter our AIDS patients… and, yes, arrange burial for many. Going to funerals and memorials became a way of life for me and many others.… I co-founded our first AIDS people of color organization, and for your information, I got out of drag for two years when I was appointed to the Regional AIDS Task Force and elected chairman of the first People of Color AIDS committee. I had to fight and threaten, with a picket, the then local Catholic Bishop to say a mass for those who had AIDS or had died of AIDS. I organized the first AIDS demonstrations for more government funding, including a march to and protest at City Hall, which attracted almost 4,000 people.… I have served on local, state and national AIDS boards and was honored at the French Embassy in Washington, DC, for my activism. I was included in the book AIDS and Americans Who Cared.… I brought the AIDS Quilt to San Diego and raised the $10,000 needed to make it happen.… I continue to be involved in this struggle here and also in Tijuana, Mexico, where, in the 1980s I arranged with the help of Mayor O’Connor and Ben Dillingham to provide “body bags” for those who had died of AIDS, because the government in Tijuana at that time would not provide them. Yes, I use the word “I,” but it was always “we” because I could never have done it alone.… So many have helped and given of themselves.

I could go on and on with my AIDS activism in the 1980s but will not, Mr. Mayer, because you obviously don’t know me, or my and our community’s history with AIDS.… You may hope I get Alzheimers and insult my early AIDS activism… I am not perfect and have made many mistakes in my more than 34 years of being an activist… but I stand by my opinion of “Angels in America,” as I also remember loving, caring lesbians, AIDS fundraising that came mainly from bars, drag queens, the adult industry, the leather community, etc.… I saw none of this highlighted in “Angels in America.”

As I’ve said so many times, “A community that forgets where it came from does not really know where it’s going.”… As I was very happy to see the beautiful 25th anniversary GSDBA 2004 Business Directory for our community, I was saddened to see no mention, picture or anything of the founder and first president of the GSDBA, the late Ron Umbaugh (founder/owner of the Crypt), who was a great man with a beautiful, caring heart who died of AIDS. I feel the 25th anniversary directory should have listed all the past GSDBA presidents and executive directors. They should always be acknowledged and appreciated.… I urge the GSDBA to also name a special business award in the memory of your founder, Ron Umbaugh, to be given out annually.… This year’s directory is outstanding. Bravo to Alternative Strategies (William Lopez) and Missing Ink Printing and Graphics (Cathy Paddock).

I remember attending the first GSDBA luncheon at the then-basement ballroom of the San Diego Hotel in 1979. The guest speaker was city council candidate Al Best! I have the highest respect for the GSDBA and the important, positive role it plays in our community and city. I am proud to have arranged the first ever in the nation accord between a gay Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Administration (SBA) with then-GSDBA president Brian Garrity and their board.… So a sincere congratulations to everyone in the GSDBA, especially its current executive director, Joyce Marieb (I just love her)!

Recently the attorney general of California, the popular Bill Lockyer, was in San Diego and held a meeting with city leaders. Dr. Pat Washington and I attended the meeting and, while I liked a lot of what I heard (especially that he is the first attorney general to walk a picket line… in support of the supermarket workers), I was disappointed to hear Bill’s negative comments on our past governor and our current lieutenant governor.… Let us move forward and build this Democratic Party and family.

Attorney General Lockyer will be running for governor, and I believe he will most definitely be a strong candidate. As a Latino and a gay man, I admire and respect his long, productive record (over two decades) when it comes to equality and the civil rights of all Californians.… By the way, the word is that “Governor Arnold” may not run for re-election in 2006.

William Lansdowne, our 35th Chief of the San Diego Police Department, held his first meeting with his GLBT Advisory Board, and I felt it was very productive and a solid beginning to what I believe will be an outstanding and close relationship between our GLBT community and the police chief. Many issues were discussed and we informed the chief how pleased we were with the reappointment of his assistant, Sgt. Mark Dallezotte (Hey chief, isn’t it time to promote the ever hardworking Sgt. Dallezotte?).

Big Mike and I attended the annual “State of the City of San Diego Address,” given by Mayor Dick Murphy recently, and it was great to see the event chaired by our Deputy Mayor Toni Atkins. I found Mayor Murphy’s address a solid, down to earth, no smoke and mirrors speech.… We have the lowest crime rate of any of the top ten cities in the U.S. It was good to hear that Mayor Murphy has made an agreement with the Marines and Navy concerning their fire helicopters, that the ballpark has brought $1 billion in economy growth for our downtown, and the plans for reducing traffic congestion. We gave Mayor Murphy his biggest applause when he vowed to refuse to spend any taxpayers’ money on a sports stadium. Mayor Dick Murphy’s main promise was to “keep San Diego a special place” for all of us.… Right on, Dick!

Linda Childers and I started of the weekend celebration by attending the annual San Diego Multicultural Festival at the King Promenade downtown.… Monday morning I woke up at 6:00 a.m. to get ready for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King All People’s Breakfast (I joined The Center’s table, thank you A.J., Delores and Robert). It was a great event with inspiring speakers.… That night Russell Roybal and I attended our Ebony Pride’s GLBT King celebration at our Center.… It was a great event, with fabulous soul food.

The 20th anniversary celebration of the Live and Let Live Alano Club is coming up next Saturday, Jan. 31, and it’s looking like a fabulous night.… Special dinner keynote speaker will be Supervisor Bevan Dufty of San Francisco (who hold’s Harvey Milk’s seat and has been predicted by many to be the first gay mayor of San Francisco). The 20th anniversary honorees are: Deputy Mayor Toni Atkins, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and businesswoman Carla Coshow. I urge your support of this event as the Alano Club for over two decades has changed and yes saved lives in our GLBT community.… They have never asked our community for financial support or ever held such an event.… It is so important that we support our “recovery community” and stop sweeping our drug and alcohol problems under the rug. Tickets for the Jan. 31 event are $95 and $135, call (619) 813-2787 or (619) 691-7967 for more information and let us all always show appreciation for the Alano Club and Stepping Stone for their decades of always being there for our community.

The annual “Prince and Princess Royale Ball” of the Imperial Court set for Saturday, Feb. 7, at The Center has already sold over 300 tickets! There are five candidates in the running to succeed popular current reigning Prince Royale Angel and Princess Royale Satin. It will be a fun, regal and entertaining night that the entire community is invited to attend but get your tickets today as this will definitely be a sold out event.… For tickets or further information phone co-chairs Linda Childers at (619) 654-1235 or Richard Britton at (619) 254-3425.

They are calling it “Seven Days of Decadence” and looking at their line up it’s going to be a wild, erotic fun party week leading to Bourbon Street’s 17th annual Mardi Gras celebration: Fat Tuesday! So mark your calendar from Feb. 18 to Feb. 24 as every night will be special… from a first ever official Falcon Studios night of models, etc. to huge bodybuilders from Colt Studios Night to the Chi Chi LaRue Revue night with a special hot show featuring her nastiest boys.…

And get those wild costumes ready for their King and Queen of Mardi Gras Costume Contest with $1,000 in cold hard cash to the winners plus $1,000 in prizes. There will also be special guest DJ Bryan Pfeifer making his Bourbon Street debut… and part of the proceeds of this “Seven Days of Decadence” will benefit the Ben F. Dillingham Community Grant.… For further information, phone (619) 291-4043.

I believe our GLBT community should support those who support us… and Delta Air Lines has a long record of supporting our community from Lesbian Healthcare Organizations to numerous annual Pride events to the HRC fighting for our rights and countless AIDS causes.… I urge you to fly the skies with Delta Air Lines.

This coming Saturday night, Jan. 24, will be the finals of the Best Bulge and Butt weekly contests held at Club Montage… with over $2,500 in cash and prizes to the winners.… It all starts at 10:00 p.m. and all past winners and runner ups can enter.… See you this Saturday night at Club Montage.