To all of our many thousands of visitors here for this year’s San Diego LGBT Pride, welcome to America’s Finest City. We hope you enjoy your time in our city and hope you party safe. Don’t drive under the influence and watch over each other. Oh yes, and don’t forget to spend lots of money, especially at your gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses who you will find advertising in this publication, such as the official San Diego LGBT Pride guide, the GSDBA Directory, the HillQuest Urban Guide and other GLBT publications… thank you.

I’ve been blessed to have lived in San Diego now for more than 40 years, blessed to have witnessed and been a part of the growth of my GLBT community and my Latino community, as well as the city that I love.

In the early 1970s, attorney Tom Homann, Jess Jessop and I went to the police department to get a permit to hold our first Pride parade. The police officials laughed at us and said that no way would homosexuals ever be permitted to march down Broadway.

After Homann and the American Civil Liberties Union threatened to sue, we were granted our parade permit. During the 1970s, you see, “homosexual acts” were against the law. Police raided what few gay bars we had (all owned by straights.) Gay couples were actually arrested for kissing and for dancing with each other. The lewd conduct charges were usually dropped. We had about four organizations: The Center, (which was actually an answering machine at Jessop’s apartment), Dignity for the gay Catholics, the Metropolitan Community Church and the Imperial Court.

Our first gay publications were the San Diego Sun and the Pacific Coast Times. And, yes, I wrote for them. Our mayor refused to meet with homosexuals, though his chief of staff was a closeted gay man.

About 400 brave people showed up for our first parade in downtown San Diego, but to us organizers it was like a thousand people had showed up.

The Imperial Court helped raise the majority of the money to produce the parade and rally with benefits held at our bars. What I will never forget is those who showed up wearing paper bags over their face. This was taken from the then-popular “Gong Show” and a character named The Unknown Comic, who wore a paper bag over his face. Some wrote “unknown gay” on their paper bags and, yes, some were in the military.

There were a few drag queens but most were dressed as their gender except our proud and brave bull dykes. I, of course, was dressed in a long, emerald-green gown I had bought at JC Penney, wore my empress crown and waved my gloved hand like I was the real Miss San Diego or Miss Cinco de Mayo.

We marched down Broadway and up Fifth Avenue, and, trust me, there were but a handful of gays out on the streets cheering us on – the crowd was mostly straight military people yelling at us or shocked shoppers.

Many have said how brave I was, but the real brave ones were those who risked their jobs and family by marching and being out. Yes, brave also were those who marched wearing those paper bags.

When we arrived at Balboa Park, we held a rally on a stage that was the size of about three pool tables put together. I was one of the speakers, and I spoke about how we had to become more united and like a family. I criticized those bars that would discriminate against lesbians, blacks (they had to produce three picture IDs) and some of the straight bar owners who gave nothing back to our community and did nothing while police raided their bars and arrested gay people. The only ones in those early years who gave 100 percent of their support were Mr. and Mrs. Lou Arko and one hell of a feisty woman named Babe. Needless to say, my speech (though getting a standing ovation) helped solidify my “controversial” reputation.

Now, decades later, I have lived to see lesbian Toni Atkins become the acting mayor of San Diego, Tracy Jarman become the first fire chief from our community, Bonnie Dumanis, a member of our community, get elected district attorney, state Senator Christine Kehoe be the first woman from San Diego to become Assembly speaker pro-tem, Steve Padilla become the mayor of Chula Vista, Frank Tierney became an elected Coronado City Council member, David Rubin elected as a Superior Court judge, the governor appoint Ted Weathers as San Diego’s first openly gay judge and Jess Durfee, the first openly gay man elected chair of the San Diego Democratic Party.

I’ve lived to see Gloria Johnson and Jeri Dilno inducted into the San Diego Women’s Hall of Fame, and to see transsexual Julia Legaspi appointed to two city commissions. I’ve seen Aaron Borovoy elected president of a mainstream Jewish temple and have seen our Greater San Diego Business Association become the first “gay chamber of commerce” in the U.S., signing an agreement with the Small Business Administration during the Clinton administration.

All of these outstanding GLBT citizens… As for me, the queen with the big crown waving away at our first parade, well, I don’t do drag too much anymore (got too fat and can only fit into muumuus). I have to use a cane sometimes, but now I’m chair of the chief of police’s advisory board and chair of San Diego’s Human Relations Commission. Not bad for an old, ex-street queen. Yes, while God has blessed me to see our community grown – from The Center’s beginnings as an answering machine to the huge building it is today and seeing our “gay power” and influence grow in this city – my heart aches for the many we have lost along the way.

So, as always, during Pride weekend I will take time to think about Jess Jessop, Tom Homann, John Ciaccio, Brad Truax, Barbara Crusberg, Albert Bell, Queen Eddie, Marilyn, Neil Good, Drew Mattison, Corrine Mackey, Jim Cua, Ron Umbaugh, Clint Johnson, Jim Nolan, John McCusker and so many, many more…. Let us never forget our history, our pioneers and activists who helped build this great homosexual community of ours. As I’ve always said, “A community that forgets where it came from does not know where it is going.”

Happy Pride, everyone!

On Thursday, July 27, GLBT Vote 2006 chair Bob Lehman and I will be attending a luncheon with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in Rancho Santa Fe. I will give you a full report in my next column.

And, no, I have not as of yet endorsed any candidate for governor. GLBT Vote 2006 endorsed Schwarzenegger in the Republican primary and Phil Angelides in the Democratic primary.

Now almost everyone parties late into the night, and then they all get hungry, so here are my late-dining tips.

Brians’ American Eatery, open 24 hours Friday and Saturday (1451 Washington St.)

Asian Bistro, open until 3:00 a.m. (414 University Ave.)

Saigon on Fifth, open until 1:00 a.m. (3900 Fifth Ave.)

One of our Pride parade grand marshals this year is the founder of the Metropolitan Community Church, the Rev. Troy Perry, who is one of our GLBT movement’s true pioneers and historic leaders.

His fight for GLBT equality is legendary. Go up and introduce yourself to him, as he is super-friendly, and thank him for his decades of leadership and sacrifice. He is one of our movement’s best speakers, so be sure to attend the Spirit of Stonewall rally on Friday night.

I am proud to have called Troy my friend and brother for decades, and I congratulate him on this honor, which he so richly deserves.

There have been some recent robberies and attacks around some of our bars, so be careful out there. Walk together, not alone. Heck, carry pepper spray (available at ACE Hardware in Hillcrest) and report all, if any, hate crimes.

San Diego is a safe city. We have a great police chief, William Lansdowne, and a great mayor, Jerry Sanders. But like any city, there are those who will prey on our community, especially during Pride weekend. Just a word to the wise – once again, watch over each other. Thanks.