Recent polls show that Americans want to put a stop to Bush and his policies. Well, you have a chance to change the direction our country is going in, so please, please register to vote. Thanks.

I could not believe that exercise guru Richard Simmons was on “FOX News” the other day (in a bright red suit and tie) talking about how he wants to campaign for and focus more on overweight children, and that he had even talked to President Bush and other national leaders about the issue. He was acting so serious I almost didn’t recognize this usually flaming queen!

Hey, Richard, while I agree that this is also a health issue, what about coming out and helping our – and your – community’s GLBT homeless youth? What about sponsoring an AIDS Walk in some major city or donating some of the millions you’ve made “exercising with the oldies” to some GLBT social service organization?

Richard Simmons, you’re the only one in this entire world who does not accept the fact that you’re one big homo! And I know for sure, because you used to come down to San Diego and stay at the Westgate Hotel, and you had an affair with my ex-partner of three years.

So the next time I see you on “FOX News,” I hope it will be because you’re sponsoring some GLBT youth cause or a benefit for AIDS. So wake up and smell the coffee, girlfriend, everyone already knows – you’re the Liberace of the 21st century!

When I got a call from someone who works at the House of Blues that singer Buju Banton, who advocates killing gays, would be performing at 4th & B, I immediately called our Center, but no one was in because they had just finished producing AIDS Walk the day before and had been up since between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m.

A member of The Center’s board finally called me and said The Center could not respond or lead a demonstration because, and I quote, “We just finished doing AIDS Walk and we have to focus on our Gala dinner.”

Needless to say, I got very upset with this attitude, but I moved on and called Bob Lehman and Tom Felkner of the Stonewall Citizens Patrol and American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER), who quickly agreed to sponsor the demonstration. These two outstanding young men and their organization deserve almost all of the credit for the demonstration’s success.

I then spent the next 48 hours making calls to organizations and activists to get the word out. Special thanks to San Diego Democratic Club president Stephen Whitburn, Papa Tony, Johnathan Hale of Pix and City Commissioner Bruce Abrams.

City Councilmember Toni Atkins called, immediately committed to attending the demonstration and gave us much support, as did her staff. By then, Dr. Delores Jacobs of The Center called me and said the board member who talked to me misrepresented The Center. She then not only offered The Center’s full support but also public policy director Sean Wherley’s time and expertise.

Soon thereafter, different organizations became co-sponsors, including the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in Washington, D.C. As chair of our city’s Human Rights Commission, I am proud to say the commission also took a stand and became a co-sponsor of the demonstration, which drew close to 100 people, both gay and straight.

To those people, I say thank you so much for giving our community a voice and saying no to hate.

The media coverage was outstanding, and Councilmember Atkins, Stephen Whitburn and Bob Lehman gave inspiring speeches.

A special thanks to civil rights leader the Rev. Art Cribbs for his attendance and for speaking to the media, and to Joe Kocurek from Assemblymember Lori Saldaña’s office. The San Diego Police Department should also be recognized for keeping the peace and for arresting an anti-gay heckler who threw a bike toward Councilmember Atkins.

The GLBT community has supported 4th & B and House of Blues, but for these two venues to sponsor a singer calling for gays to be “shot in the head” only two months after the horrific beatings of gay men during San Diego LGBT Pride weekend is unconscionable.

Other nightclubs across the U.S. and in Europe cancelled Buju Banton’s concerts when they learned about his hate music. I join the current boycott of 4th & B and House of Blues and call upon our community to send them a message.

The growing incidents of violent robberies and attacks upon gay men in the North Park and Hillcrest areas must be stopped.

This past Sunday morning, another gay man was robbed and beaten so badly he has to have reconstructive surgery on his face. I will be meeting with the chief of police this week and will discuss this issue, among others.

The attackers are usually black men (16 to 19 years old) or Latino men (23 to 28 years old).

Stop walking alone at night, and bars need to cut off people who are drinking too much.

Also, I am working with Councilmember Toni Atkins’ office concerning the fact that there are many burnt-out street lights around many of our gay bars and businesses, and she is making it a priority to get them back on.

Bob Lehman of the Stonewall Citizens Patrol informed me they may begin organizing and patrolling within the next few months or so.

Thank you for all your calls and concern, and know that I am doing all I can to address this increase in crimes and attacks against our community.

Our community’s monthly Community Coalition Breakfast at The Center, which takes place this month on Friday, Oct. 20, and begins at 7:30 a.m., will feature speakers who are top officials in the office of our popular Mayor Jerry Sanders. These officials will include press secretary Fred Sainz, deputy press secretary George Biagi and Jeff Gattas, the mayor’s representative to the City Council – three outstanding citizens of San Diego and role models for our youth. I hope to see you all there.

I recently received a beautiful invitation from Christie’s Place to attend their 10th anniversary gala.

In all due respect to the hard-working people at Christie’s Place, I was very upset to read that Irene and Doug Milton were the founders of Christie’s Place. What happened to co-founder Maria Galleta (who is still alive and living in San Diego)? After all, Maria and her husband had their names on the original lease, and they at times used their personal savings to pay the rent. Maria was at Christie’s Place for those hard, non-paying first two years. She even sold tamales and held yard sales to help keep the place going.

Yes, Irene and Doug are heroes and angels, too, but so is Maria Galleta, and to not acknowledge her is very sad indeed.

As for AIDS Walk, why do we keep forgetting the first three AIDS Walks (on Pacific Highway) that we called “Walks for Life,” as well as the co-founder, Susan Jester, and the two directors, Gary Rees and Albert Bell (both who later died of AIDS)?

I want to so very much thank “The Bridge” weekly radio show (Sundays from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. on AM 1360 KLSD) for acknowledging the first three years of Walks for Life.

Let’s not rewrite our community’s history and write out people who made a difference, especially in those dark, early years of AIDS. Thank you.

For a long time now, America’s teens have been using the slang phrase “that’s so gay” to mean that’s so awful, low, uncool, stupid, etc. Ben Cartwright, the student director of San Diego State University’s LGBT Resource Center spoke about this at the recent Scouting for All rally.

I have also heard straight youth use this term. This slang has caught on across the country, and now our GLBT youth constantly hear the word “gay” used as a negative term.

Coming up this Sunday, Oct. 15, from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight at the beautiful Lei Lounge will be the ever-popular Pix’s fourth anniversary celebration and handsome Johnathan Hale’s 36th birthday bash. There should be eye candy for all, including the evening’s special guest, gorgeous superstar Kristine W.! Hope to see you all there. It should be a blast.

Do you want to get away from it all and relax aboard a cruise ship? I’m betting the answer to that is yes! Well, unbelievable ports of call are waiting for you to discover them, and the best part is there are special discounts to help cure your wanderlust! If you book a cruise between Oct. 19 and Oct. 25 with Cruise Planners, you will receive great specials. Call Barb Shulman, adventure specialist, at (619) 548-1289 or visit her Web site, www.barbbookscruises.com.

COLT model Adam Champ will be appearing at Pleasures & Treasures on Saturday, Oct. 21, from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. for a meet and greet, and to autograph pictures. He will then be appearing later for two shows at the San Diego Eagle, at 10:00 p.m. and 12:00 midnight. Stop by Pleasures & Treasures, located at 2228 University Ave., and meet this hunk of a man!