“In 1974, I was 7 years old, and was at Clairmont Christian Elementary School,” says Bair of where she was 30 years ago. “But a few year later, now that was the time. Because I met my partner — and we are still together today.”

Few people can say they have known their life partner since before they wore a training bra, but Champion of Pride Award recipient Marci Bair says that’s the way it was. And this year, they will celebrate their 20th anniversary, along with their two children.

The only person who is allowed to talk back to the president of Family Matters is likely to be her children. Bair, who has been instrumental in taking the family advocates group from 300 members in 1998 to more than 750 today, says she works to help support this resource for GLBT parents and their children because she is, well, a selfish person.

“I can spend all the time I want with Family Matters because any event I plan, I can take my partner and my kids to,” says Bair. “A lot of people spend their time in an organization volunteering and it takes away from their time with their family.”

For Bair, being a part of Family Matters allows her to make the point clearly: Her family matters — both to herself and to the community.

“Being honored for doing what I am doing — which I don’t think is very extraordinary, by the way,” says Bair, “I am very proud of that. It is really great to be honored for doing something that I love, something I do for all families.”

Education is a big part of any definition of “family values”, but when you are educating about the value of the family, things seem just a little more important.

“Close-minded people who don’t think rationally really upset me,” says Bair. “Whether it is because they grew up in a certain area or way or because they belong to a certain political party and just can’t see outside of that, that upsets me. Hearing [President] Bush say we don’t make good family and good parents inspires me, really. I mean, my relationship is no different than my sister’s, and we make just as good or better parents as they do.”

And don’t get Bair started on “gay adoption.”

“Adoption laws that are too stringent or anti-gay, that would rather allow kids to sit in orphanages rather than place them in good homes, makes absolutely no sense whatsoever,” explains Bair. “These kids need our help.”

As the founder of a well-established business networking group that operates weekly through the Greater San Diego Business Association (GSDBA), Bair also volunteers for activities such as co-chairing the annual golf tournament and serving on the finance committee for GSDBA’s annual gay marketing exposition. “I have the volunteer gene,” says Bair.

In addition, Bair heads up the Parent Advisory Council for the South Bay YMCA, where she acts as a liaison between parents and the YMCA staff. Blair also founded an organization called Senior Solutions that provides referral networks of physicians, housing agencies and legal and financial professionals to help the senior population. Bair is a financial planner and owner of Bair Financial Group.

But family is Bair’s main focus. Family matters.

“I like to see the good in people,” says Bair. “Families are like the wholesome side of our community – raising children and doing activities that are very family-oriented. That kind of family connection is so great for me.”

Family Matters, the organization to which Bair devotes most of her volunteer time, is organized to do just that.

“Family Matters helps bring moms and dads together to become the best we can be,” says Bair. “One great thing about both moms and dads being in the same groups is that the kids have access to members of the same sex in adult roles, like uncles and aunts. Interestingly, it seems like a lot of gay dads have daughters and a lot of lesbian moms have sons, so this is a great way for the kids to have access to discussions they want to have with adults of the same sex.”

It seems like a much larger percentage of the GLBT community is going to have to start rehearsing the birds-and-bees-and-birds-and-birds-and-bees-and-bees talk.

According to a Human Rights Campaign Report on “The Cost of Marriage Inequality to Children and Their Same Sex Parents” released in April of this year, same-sex couples are raising children in 96 percent of the counties nationwide. Further, one out of three lesbian couples and one out of five gay male couples is raising children.

According to the 2000 Census, San Diego County ranks 10th in the country for same-sex parent households with children, with 1,900 reported families. Los Angeles County ranks first, with nearly 9,000 reported families. Most would consider these numbers understated.

For Bair, then, her work has really just begun. And maybe it it’s not as selfish as she thinks.