I hope you all have a great, happy and healthy New Year. For me, 2005 was a very down and depressing year of health problems. I hope 2006 will be better, and that you all have a year that will bring you nothing but the best.

Not since 1959 has the eight-day Jewish holiday Hanukkah started on Christmas Day. Hanukkah marks the Greeks’ destruction of the second Jewish temple in Jerusalem. In my eyes, the Jewish people have been the most persecuted religious community in history.

In the United States, the Jewish community has always been in the forefront of the civil rights movement for all citizens. There are many Jewish members in our GLBT movement, leadership and community. This holiday is truly a Jewish family event, and I want to thank two special friends in my life for teaching me through the years about the Jewish religion: the president-elect of Temple Emanu-El, Aaron Borovoy, and City Commissioner Bruce Abrams…. Happy Hanukkah!

The city of San Diego’s Human Relations Commission is made up of prominent leaders in the people of color communities and various religious communities (including Muslim and Jewish). I am currently the elected vice-chair of this commission, and arranged our annual holiday dinner to take place at Baja Betty’s (compliments of Chris Shaw and his outstanding staff). I invited Mayor Jerry Sanders to stop by, and he did. He thanked some of our city’s diversity leaders for their hard work, and also thanked our commission’s staff. In his usual down-to-earth style, Mayor Sanders stayed awhile at Baja Betty’s, socializing with owners Chris Shaw and Doug Snyder, and with many of their customers. Also in attendance was the mayor’s handsome executive director of communications, Fred Sainz.

Jay Murley’s recent letter to the editor in the Gay & Lesbian Times attacking The Center – and in many ways our lesbian community – was way off base, especially when questioning if gay men should continue to financially support our Center.

Mr. Murley, let me give you a history of our GLBT community and our movement: When it began in the 1960s, almost everything was controlled by gay men. Lesbians were lucky to even be elected secretaries in our organizations. When AIDS hit in the 1980s and took so many of our male leaders, lesbians stepped forward to lead and to help take care of their gay brothers, when many would not. If anything, lesbians in these last decades have taken their rightful place in our movement and in our organizations. Some of our lesbian sisters are our best and most effective leaders.

Isn’t it interesting that there are less scandals with female leaders and public officials than there are with men? As for our Center, it serves all of our community. The Center’s new director of development is an outstanding and very qualified African-American lesbian, and we should all support her efforts instead of refusing to financially support The Center.

Mr. Murley, I found your statements very disturbing and sad, because I know you’re not alone in your anti-lesbian bias.

Popular community activist, businessman and former Marine sergeant Bob Lehman’s birthday was celebrated by approximately 16 friends during a private dinner at the Palm Restaurant last week. The private room was decorated with Marine Corps colors, and the birthday cake featured the Marine Corps seal.

Bob Lehman was the first openly gay person appointed to the County Veterans Board (by the Board of Supervisors) and is currently serving on the San Diego district attorney’s Citizen’s Advisory Board. Bob and his partner, Tom Felkner, have homes in Chicago and San Diego.

The dinner included a jumbo 3-lb. Nova Scotia lobster, New York strip steak and salmon! Sgt. Bob was honored with awards from Congressmember Susan Davis, state Senator Chris Kehoe, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and Deputy Mayor Toni Atkins. Dec. 20 was declared “Bob Lehman Day” in the city of San Diego.

The city of Chula Vista recently held a holiday festival that included a rabbi, a Native American ritual and even a “Hawaiian prayer to the gods.” But when the Jesus Christ Dancers (8 to 10 year-old girls) were about to dance, an official said they could not perform unless they turned their T-shirts inside out, which brought many of them to tears – and thus they did not perform.

A huge outcry from the citizens of this city brought forth an official apology from Mayor Steve Padilla, as well as a full-page ad in the San Diego Union-Tribune and even an offer to the dancers to perform at City Hall. Mayor Padilla has gone on record saying he and the council did not support barring the dancers.

This year, the mayor’s office also sponsored a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, where a Jewish menorah was also lit. This is another example of an ongoing attack on Christmas, but some are still criticizing Mayor Padilla and questioning the sincerity of his apology. The mayor is a good, decent and honest public servant, and has done the right thing in this situation. People should move on.

With Sheena Easton, En Vogue, June and Bonnie Pointer, and other stars live on stage, this coming Friday’s (Dec. 30) Resolution: The Party is the talk of the town. It’s all taking place under the stars on Fifth Avenue – a huge block party with a stage and a dance floor. Tickets are selling quickly, so get yours today or buy them at the door. This will be the party of the year, so don’t miss it! For more information, phone (619) 501-7094 or visit www.stephergroup.com.