This Sunday, June 22, one of the local GLBT community’s most dedicated activists, Dr. Al Best, will be honored at the sixth annual Community Tribute Banquet.

In 1979, Best was the first openly gay candidate to run for public office in San Diego — at a time where this already conservative military town was decidedly not ready for an avowed gay man in public office. After receiving multiple death threats, losing his job and facing considerable hostility, Best lost the election, but he paved the way for later candidates who won.

A co-founder of Stepping Stone, former member of the city’s Medical Marijuana Task Force, past president of Something Special Food Pantry, the first openly gay person appointed to the San Diego Equal Opportunity Commission and former member of the Congressional Crime Task Force — just to name a few — Best has accomplished much. He was also the first openly gay person sworn to serve on the Civil Service Commission. Two years later, he was elected president of the national Civil Service Commission by accolade.

“He has been involved in the community for a long time, he’s made real sacrifices — he actually lost his job when he came out as an openly gay candidate for the city council,” said noted community activist, philanthropist and past Community Tribute honoree, Ben Dillingham. “He was threatened … his life was in danger. He’s been involved in practically every gay organization in the city in either a leadership role, on the board of directors or as a volunteer or as a fundraiser. There are very few causes he hasn’t actively participated in.

“He’s a real old-line hero in the non-depreciated sense of that term,” added Dillingham. “He’s a person that I think everyone in our community owes a huge debt to and should look up to, admire and respect.”

According to longtime community activist Nicole Murray-Ramirez, Best doesn’t limit himself to issues concerning only the GLBT community, but is a strong believer in coalition building. “Al got it,” Murray-Ramirez remarked. “He’s living proof of a person who not only talks the talk, but walks the walk when it comes to people of color issues, feminist issues, women’s health issues and issues that are outside of the gay and lesbian community — be it unions, the right to work, women’s wages, etc. He’s always been that way. He’s one of our community’s pioneers.”

Community Tribute honorees are chosen by the event’s board of governors and must have at least 20 years of activism in the GLBT community. Past honorees include Ben Dillingham, Dr. Bill Beck, Chris Shaw, Rick Ford and Mrs. Alma Rosa Vasic of F-Street Corporation.

“Important contributions are many times forgotten or dismissed and people try to rewrite history, said Murray-Ramirez. “How can we forget those who paved the way and their contribution to the election process and the gay empowerment of our community? But a lot of people have forgotten. A lot of people think Chris [Kehoe] was the first openly gay candidate.… It’s sad that our community forgets those people. I think it’s important that we remember those who started our first AIDS organizations, who started our first centers. It’s a role that Al is still involved in as a senior citizen — he hasn’t given up. It’s the responsibility of us older activists to teach and bring a person along so they know how to contact a city council person, how to lobby a congressperson.… I think Al, in his own way, does that a lot.

The entire community is invited to attend the Community Tribute Banquet to thank Best for his many years of devotion and hard work. The banquet will be held at the U.S. Grant Hotel, 326 Broadway, downtown. Cocktails will be served at 6:00 p.m. and dinner at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $65 and proceeds will benefit the Ben F. Dillingham III Community Grant of the Imperial Court de San Diego. For tickets or further information, call (619) 692-1967.