Next month is the all-important primary election. I urge you to educate yourself on all the candidates and ballot propositions…and drag your friends and family to the polls!

Mayor Jerry Sanders’ fight to prevent the removal of the beautiful Mt. Soledad Cross atop Mt. Soledad is to be commended and supported. The mayor asking the president to declare the site a national park is the right way to go. Mt. Soledad has been a federally registered national war memorial for more than 50 years!

Voters in San Diego have voted twice in overwhelming numbers to keep the cross, and have had support from many prominent Jewish leaders. I urge our Councilmember Toni Atkins to support Mayor Sanders and those trying to save the cross, as she has not voted in its favor.

In a recent meeting with Police Chief William Lansdowne, he once again made it very clear that his department welcomes qualified gays and lesbians to apply to the San Diego Police Department. For the last decade, the SDPD has put out the welcome mat to the gay community to join our city’s police force. Under Police Chief Lansdowne and due to his outreach to the people of color and GLBT communities, he has become one of the most respected and popular police chiefs in our city’s history.

Gays and lesbians interested in becoming police officers can contact Lt. Margaret Schaufelberger at (619) 692-4859.

Our war against AIDS continues, and now it’s going on its 25th year. I remember back in 1981 when I heard rumors of a “gay cancer” while I was in New York for a national political board meeting. I remember that it took President Ronald Regan almost six years into the AIDS crisis to even say the word AIDS for the first time.

While there has been some progress and improvement, the fight goes on. But here are some interesting facts. In 1995, Americans regarded HIV/AIDS as the nation’s most urgent health problem. Today, only 17 percent rank it as a top concern. Thirty-seven percent of Americans still think they can get AIDS from kissing! Sixteen percent still believe toilet seats can spread AIDS. Sixty-three percent of African-Americans now say they personally know someone who has died of AIDS or who is living with HIV.

Yes, 2006… 25 years of AIDS and still we have a long way to go. Please continue to support all of our AIDS agencies. As it was in the 1980s, it is still true today: Silence = Death.

I recently attended a reception for City Councilmember Donna Frye’s re-election at the home of City Commissioner Bruce Abrams. I urge her re-election, as she is an important, independent voice on our council.

Council District 2 probably has the second largest GLBT population in San Diego. I strongly urge the re-election of Councilmember Kevin Faulconer, who is a strong ally of Mayor Sanders’ attempt to turn our city around. Recently elected, Councilmember Faulconer is already a hardworking and dedicated public official.

The Stepping Stone board of directors’ recent appointment of Marc D’Hondt as the new executive director of the organization is not only an outstanding choice, it is also the right choice. D’Hondt has “big heels” to fill in replacing past executive director Cheryl Houk, but he is up to the task, as Houk was one of his main mentors. D’Hondt has set many goals and changes for Stepping Stone, and is the man who can take this outstanding organization to the next level. I urge our community to support D’Hondt and Stepping Stone as it saves and changes lives every day in our recovery community.

The city of San Francisco will be honoring gay pioneer Jose Sarria next week with an official ceremony unveiling a street named after the first openly gay candidate to run for public office in the U.S. I have been honored by San Francisco city officials to be one of the speakers at the dedication. There will be many people flying into San Francisco for this historic event, which will include a special reception after the street unveiling at 11:00 a.m. A San Diego delegation will also be attending.

I’ve just returned from Phoenix, which is the fifth largest city in the U.S. It was 104 degrees! I was picked up at the airport by Mr. Western States Leather and was taken to my hotel, the beautiful Sheraton Crescent Hotel. They made sure I had great accommodations, but don’t order any food in this hotel because it tasted like it came from a school cafeteria.

Phoenix has a large GLBT community, with over 50 gay bars and very big rodeo, leather and women’s communities. Arizona has elected openly gay mayors and state officials (including Republicans). City Councilmember Tom Simplot is not only a very intelligent gay man, but is handsome as well. In my speech, I reminded Arizona’s GLBT community of their great victory in stopping Anita Bryant from coming to California in the 1970s by making sure her rally in Tucson was much smaller than she predicted – and the one outside that was against her was comprised of over 1,000 people. I was one of the speakers at this anti-Bryant rally in the 1970s, and also found the GLBT community to be just as united as it is today.

Two of my favorite U.S. senators are from Arizona: the late Barry Goldwater and currently John McCain.

We in California have so many Arizonans visiting during the summer that they’re called “zonies.”

There are all kinds of rumors about Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano and her, ah, lifestyle, but I won’t go into details about some private conversations I had with some political leaders. By the way, some gays are even organizing a bus trip to our upcoming San Diego Pride.

Contrary to an invitation some of you received for a reception held for a gubernatorial candidate, I have not officially endorsed a candidate for governor, but I will soon after I finish up some meetings. And, yes, the rumors are true: I may endorse the re-election of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.