A big welcome to all of our out-of-town visitors here for Pride 2005…. Enjoy our beautiful city, play safe, and spend a lot of money… then go home!

In every poll before and after our recent election, when it’s one-on-one between Donna Frye and Jerry Sanders, Sanders wins comfortably. But this will be a close election, and Donna Frye still has a fighting chance.

In the results of this past Tuesday’s election, if you put both leading Republican candidates together (Sanders and Francis), it’s a majority over Democrat Frye.

Sanders is building a coalition of different communities to win, including the GLBT community. Sanders has also been endorsed by some key Democratic leaders: the very respected former senator Lucy Killea and former county supervisor Leon Williams (the first African-American City Council member).

While Frye may receive major GLBT votes in the Nov. 8 election, Jerry Sanders will definitely get GLBT votes as well. In fact, Sanders’ GLBT campaign contributions reached about $15,000, while Frye’s reached about $10,000.

Donna Frye has been endorsed by the Gay & Lesbian Times, the San Diego Democratic Club and state Senator Christine Kehoe.

Jerry Sanders has been endorsed by GLBT Vote 2005, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and openly gay Coronado City Councilmember Frank Tierney.

By the way, Donna’s “makeover” looks great…. Another major GLBT fund-raiser for Jerry Sanders is already being planned. I predict a bright political future for my friend Steve Francis… I think his wonderful wife, Gayle Francis, should also run for office.

For the first time in well over a decade, the city of San Diego will not be issuing the annual “Pride Day” official proclamation.

I was at the City Council meeting when our Pride proclamation (item 31) was removed from the official docket.

This would have been a historic proclamation, as it would be the first time, and the only time (in my lifetime), that it would be signed by a mayor who is a member of the GLBT community.

The bottom line is that the proclamation was removed over the current controversy over convicted child molesters serving as Pride supervisors.

I do feel that the Pride board has handled this issue badly…. I am upset that the Pride board has known about this controversy since July 2, yet did not consult with GLBT community leaders and activists.

Now some leaders are talking about a community meeting after Pride calling for a vote of “no confidence” on the current Pride board.

My phone has been ringing off the hook over this controversy, with public officials and others saying they will not participate in this year’s parade because of the Pride board refusing to ask the convicted child molesters to step down as Pride supervisors. (Their pictures have been spread across the news media.)

In all due respect to the Pride board of directors… this event… this parade, festival and rally belongs to our entire community… you are caretakers for us.

KUSI News stated about Toni Atkins that “history was made” when she was voted as our city’s first “mayor pro-tem.” This past Monday, City Commissioner Julia Legaspi and I went down to City Hall to witness “history” once again, as Toni Atkins was voted the acting mayor of the seventh largest city in the nation.

That she is a lesbian was hardly mentioned; she was put in this position because she was the most qualified, and is the council member possessing the leadership to guide our city until November’s general election. Soon Toni will be moving into the mayor of San Diego’s official office….

I have been blessed to have witnessed the first openly gay candidate for office (Al Best), the election of the first Latino council member, police chief and now city attorney (Mike Aguirre)…. I have witnessed the election of the first lesbian council member, state Assembly member and state senator (Chris Kehoe)… the election of the first openly lesbian district attorney in the entire U.S.A. (Bonnie Dumanis), and now I am living in a time where our mayor is from our own community…. While I knew that some day we would have a GLBT mayor, I never thought it would be in my lifetime…. For us in San Diego, 2005 Pride = Deputy Mayor Toni Atkins.

You’re all invited to celebrate our new mayor Toni Atkins’ birthday next Monday, Aug. 1 (her real birthday), from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Martinis Above Fourth (3940 Fourth Ave.). It’s going to be a fun birthday bash and a celebration of our new deputy mayor…. It’s all a benefit for the Toni Atkins Lesbian Health Fund (suggested donation is $25, but you can give $100, $200, $500, etc.!).

Your hosts are Dr. Delores Jacobs, Dr. Pat Washington and little old chubby me…. This evening will include food and great entertainment. For information, phone (619) 692-1967.

Pioneering civil rights activist Robin Tyler has called for another March on Washington for 2008 (Robin and the late Harvey Milk called for the first march in 1979). The respected Robin Tyler’s call for another march has received mostly non-supportive reactions from our national GLBT organizations in Washington, D.C.

As the only GLBT activist to be elected to the national executive board of all four of our marches on Washington, I’ve received countless calls about my opinion on Robin’s proposal. I’ve talked to Robin and I agree with what she is currently doing… hearing from the GLBT community at large (including Middle America!). Remember that Robin has issued a “call” for a march in 2008. Now she awaits the response, dialogue, voices and opinions of GLBT America.

We have spent billions of dollars for spaceships to the moon, Mars, etc. It has cost us lives and billions of wasted government money. A study of meteorites chipped off the surface of Mars tells us that this planet has been frozen for 4 billion years, and never has had the warm, wet conditions that could have given rise to life, yet we have spent countless millions on Mars… and now are continuing to spend billions on space travel… all while seniors and children go without health care… research and services for AIDS, cancer, etc. gets cut back. Just what are our nation’s priorities?

This past Monday I had lunch with our popular state Senator Chris Kehoe (at Bertrand at Mr. A’s) and Dr. Bill Beck (2005 Champion of Pride honoree). While most of our almost two-hour meeting was “off the record,” I can say that Chris is, as usual, working hard in our state capital, and has taken on some leadership roles…. Word is that some Republicans are looking for a strong candidate to run against her when her first term is up…. Chris is making sure San Diego is getting our fair share of state money. Keep up the great job, Senator Kehoe!

Many in our community are discussing the start of a San Diego chapter of the infamous Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence…. Now let me make it perfectly clear that I truly respect the thousands of dollars they have raised for charity, and that I at times dress as a nun at “Fabulous Bingo” at Bourbon Street (we have raised over $15,000 for the AIDS Food Bank just by passing the hat every week). But I share the concern of many over the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’s public news-media actions – on Easter they nailed a “gay Christ” on the cross, and have done other outrageous, anti-Catholic media demonstrations. After all, this is San Diego not San Francisco.

I will be having a dialogue about these concerns, which I share with many others, and I will keep you posted.