How did everyone enjoy dyke night at the Del Mar Fairgrounds? Melissa was great, as always, and Abigail’s Attic was just fine.

Talk about dyke visibility. My wife’s favorite part of the evening was seeing the creeping alarm spread over the faces of the straight people as they realized they were surrounded by dykes. It felt like the first event of Pride 2006.

It’s going to be a great Pride this year. The Pride board got its… stuff… together, and came up with a second draft of how to handle youth at the festival.

Thanks go out to all who worked on making this rewrite happen. I’ve got to say, I really like the idea of safe zones for minors. The wife says this will make San Diego Pride a shining example for Prides nationwide.

This year, there are no storms raging around us. You young pups should relax and enjoy this Pride. They won’t always be this peaceful. I’ve been around for the last 25 Pride parades, and one thing is certain: There will always be another attack on the GLBT community.

For instance, in the early ’80s, there was AIDS. It’s hard to recall now how confused and scared everyone was back then. No one knew exactly how this disease worked – how it was transferred or who was at risk. People were dropping all around us, and no one was sure what to do. To make matters worse, several prominent community leaders were killed by the disease, leaving a vacuum that took several years to fill.

Factions formed and internal wars raged. Some of us thought the gay community should police itself and close the bathhouses and stop cruising each other in the park. Some thought that the government was responsible for finding a cure and that gay activities should be allowed to continue just as before. Some people thought HIV was the cause of AIDS, and others were equally sure that AIDS caused HIV. All of it was deadly serious.

The first parade with the giant rainbow flag and the call to throw money in it for AIDS support programs was kind of a turning point in the community. I could paint you a picture today of that scene, from memory – the way the crowd exploded with cheers and the rain of dollars that fell from the sky as we emptied our pockets. We learned to take care of ourselves that day.

In 1986 and again in 1988, our community was attacked by fascist forces, led by Lyndon LaRouche and his political action group PANIC (Prevent AIDS Now Initiative Committee) and their Propositions 64 and 69. They tried to convince Californians that people with AIDS should be quarantined for public safety.

Doctors argued that this action would cause people at risk to not come forward for testing and would spread the disease even faster. GLBT political groups had to pour large amounts of money and energy into beating these propositions. Everyone voted then. We had to.

What next?

Fundamentalists from a Fallbrook church were sicced on the GLBT community by their crazy pastor. The tamer ones just protested our events; the nuttier ones attacked our people.

Pride promoters that year had the bright idea to call them the “fundies.” They defined the fundies as people who fed on hate, and they plastered Hillcrest with “Don’t Feed the Fundies” flyers.

Tempers flared at that parade. The fundies brought bullhorns and nasty banners. The cops were out in force to break up any riots. Parade volunteers kept reminding us that responding with fists was just what the fundies wanted. By the end of the day, even the cops were on our side. Not long after that, cops started coming out of the closet and marching themselves.

You young dykes don’t need to feel like you’ve missed out. As long as politicians and preachers can gain power through homophobia, our community will always be a target. There will be plenty of opportunities to show your valor in the years to come. Rather, be like soldiers between wars: Enjoy the peace. Enjoy your Pride.