More than 150 people gathered for the inaugural LGBT Community Coalition Breakfast, held at 7:30 a.m., Friday, July 18, in auditorium of The Center. The breakfast, co-hosted by City Councilmember Toni Atkins and The Center, was the first of what is to become a monthly meeting meant to bring together leaders and members of all communities in San Diego. Speakers included Atkins, longtime community activist Nicole Murray-Ramirez, Rev. George Walker Smith, a retired pastor and founder of the legendary Catfish Club, and Chula Vista City Councilmember and Latino Unity Coalition founder Luis Natividad.

“I want to tell you how impressed I am to see so many community leaders, [such] a cross-section,” said Atkins. “It’s really a tribute to who we are today in the city of San Diego that so many people turned out to join us.

“Perhaps now more than ever, with momentum pushing us forward, I think it’s the perfect time for our diverse communities to band together,” Atkins added; “to plot a new strategy to take us to the next level, which is full and equal rights for all citizens. I’m hopeful that as our diverse community continues to grow in visibility and acceptance, we can begin to better come together and unite as an even stronger force in politics, culture, education, religion, athletics — all facets of society. These monthly breakfasts will allow us to delve into issues of importance on a broader level and invite the broader community to join us.… There’s much that we can learn from other communities and much that they can gain from getting to know us better.…”

Atkins went on to introduce Murray-Ramirez, who had first suggested organizing a regular GLBT community coalition meeting.

“Our GLBT community has become a constituency with movers and shakers that can no longer be ignored,” Murray-Ramirez told those assembled. “We are a constituency that can and will make a difference in truly making this America’s Finest City.”

Murray-Ramirez pointed out that, while the GLBT community has much to celebrate this Pride weekend, it is also necessary to prepare for the mounting right-wing backlash against last month’s Supreme Court decision to repeal sodomy laws nationwide, including a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage.

“Let us not forget that there are now 37 states that have banned gay marriage and it only takes 38 states to pass a constitutional amendment,” Murray-Ramirez said. “Closer to home, let us not forget who has led the recall against our governor — anti-gay, anti-affirmative action and anti-abortion right-wing leaders. We must also be concerned when three members of our progressive city council have been put under investigation and suspicion. Let our community be loyal in its support of our allies on the city council in their best of times and worst of times.…

“Our fight for full equality depends on community coalitions,” Murray-Ramirez continued. “Our golden state is fast turning brown, and we must reach out and support other communities and their issues.”

“This is a great day,” began Rev. Smith. “The strength of San Diego has to be in its diversity, and when I say diversity, I don’t mean just one or two ethnic groups, but all of the folks in this county. San Diego has improved in many ways, but it still has a long ways to go.”

Smith explained the beginnings of the Catfish club. What began as a few friends meeting to have fish for lunch in the late ’60s soon grew into a regular meeting of the CF (Colored Folks) Club. The meetings became so popular and attracted people from so many different communities that the group was renamed the Catfish Club. In recent years, the Catfish Club has become a highly respected public forum, at times feared for its potential political power.

“We have evolved into a non-partisan public forum,” said Smith. “If there is anything going on, economically, politically, socially, educationally, we are there to take it on, no matter who it hurts, as long as we know we are speaking the truth. That’s what I want my good friends here to build up.”

Smith went on to discuss some of the qualities that helped make the Catfish Club so successful for so long, including consistency, organization and a sense of ownership.

“You have to have courage,” he continued. “Most people respect the Catfish Club because they don’t want us to attack them.… Please join with others, the Catfish Club, the [Asian rights groups], the [Latino Unity Coalition]. We can do far more together than we can do separately. All of us are in the same boat.… Any politician that doesn’t pay attention to the gay and lesbian community is stupid. There is power in togetherness.”

Atkins next introduced Natividad, noting that when she went to work for then-councilmember Chris Kehoe at City Hall 10 years ago, Natividad was one of the first people to walk in and welcome everybody in the office with open arms — at a time when no one was certain how to respond to having an open lesbian in office.

Natividad described how he established the Latino Unity Breakfast after becoming familiar with the Catfish Club and noticing that, although there were many luncheons and dinners being held, there wasn’t a consistent meeting for the Latino community. He also emphasized the necessity of continually bringing young people into community organizations and coalitions in order to teach them to carry on their work in the future.

“Get the young people involved, because we’re losing them; we’re losing the young people,” he cautioned.

“When we have fun together, when we hit issues we have to work hard on, on which we don’t always agree, we’ve established a relationship, a foundation from which we can work,” Atkins concluded. “I think today has been a good lesson in how we can … do that.”

The LGBT Community Coalition Breakfast will be held every third Friday of the month in the auditorium of The Center at 3909 Center Street in Hillcrest. The cost is $6 per person and includes breakfast, a panel presentation, question and answer session, and open networking. For more information, call AJ Davis-DeFeo at (619) 692-2077, ext. 212.