Introducing Felicia Flames

Today I want to tell you about Felicia Alvarado Elizondo, known too as Felicia Flames, a transgender Latina who makes a difference in this world every single day. Felicia is a US Navy Viet Nam Veteran, and lgbt activist, and a living history book.  She was involved in the 1966 Gene Compton's Cafeteria Riot and can give you details of that and so much more of our local lgbt history.  In the interest of full disclosure, I need to add one more thing,  Felicia is my friend.  

 

Some of you who read this might already know Felicia, or at least know of her.  She has been doing things that make a difference for her entire life.  Felicia is a performer, and you may have enjoyed one of her performances.  Perhaps you have been at a march or rally she has organized.  Another of the things she does that I really like is she makes AIDS Quilt panels. 

Everyone is talking right now about the announcement that came from the US Supreme Court on Wednesday.  The day before, Felicia said "I am very fortunate that I was able to get married in 1975 without nobody telling me that I couldn't do it. It just came natural after my sex change. I'm hoping it comes thru for the Gay and Lesbian Community. It is long overdue."

This week Felicia isn't just thinking about her gay and lesbian friends.  She'll be up front with the trans community for several events including the Trans March tonight (6:15pm is the start time in Dolores Park).  I'm sure we'll see her in many other places this week as she continues to make a difference!

I Will, I Do, We Did

Profiling different Bay Area LGBT heroes this week, I wasn't sure yesterday whether or not to write about Molly McKay then or now.  As you know, I wrote about Gavin Newsom first but Molly has been a huge part of the whole Marriage Equality fight and she is a hero of mine on so many levels.  Today therefore is her day here.

When I first met Molly McKay, her partner was a woman.  The documentary "I Will, I Do, We Did" was shot at the height of the landmark same-sex marriages that took place in February 2004 and Molly and her then partner are at the center of it.  The two would later separate, but that did not slow down Molly's determination to see marriage equality become a reality.

 

I have been an activist of some sort all my life, but it was Molly McKay's energy and confidence that made me care so much about marriage equality too.  I have to admit, yesterday morning as I heard the announcement, the first thing I did was look for Molly's face.  It was a bit hard to see with the tears flowing from my eyes, but I know she was smiling!

 

Thank you Molly for making a difference.  Thank you too for showing that there is more than one way to love, because you now are married to a man, I think it gives an excellent example of how there are many sides to us all!  Thanks Molly, and happy Pride!

Very proud of Jason

Having just written here about Jason Galisatus back in April, you would think I could not possibly have anything else to say.  Wrong!  Jason is like that battery powered bunny - he keeps going and going and going.  By his example and leadership, so many good things are happening, and I am certain he will see more and more good from him.

 

This being LGBT Pride week here in San Francisco, as I mentioned yesterday, I thought I would write about some people who are making a difference for the lgbt community and starting with Jason just seems so natural.  He will be leading the Bay Area Youth Summit (BAYS) contingent in Sunday's parade/  BAYS is an organization, founded by Jason,  that seeks to empower LGBT and allied youth to decide to make the difference in their communities by taking a leading role in the fight against bullying and it is the only completely youth-led LGBT organization in the world.

Jason has worked with San Francisco Mayors Ed Lee and Gavin Newsom as the LGBT Community Liaison. This year he was named Best LGBT youth activist for the Bar Area Reporter's 2013 Readers Choice Awards.  He is just at home with senior citizens though.  If you want to see Jason interact with veteran gays, take a look at Coming Out in the 1960s by clicking HERE.  Of course that will only give you another tiny glimpse of him.  There really is a lot to see.

One of the things I keep noticing is that Jason is as humble as he is dedicated.  In a very short time he has done a lot and nothing will keep him from continuing to make a difference in our world.

One Year Ago

One year ago was one of the hardest days of my life. It was the day my dear friend Brother Richard Jonathan passed away. It was a day I will always remember because he was a man I will always remember. 

I first knew of Richard Cardarelli (that was his secular name)because of his ministry and his activism. He was on the east coast and I on the west. We got to know each other through letters (later email) and phone calls and through an internet group that I founded many years ago. Eventually, when Ricky (that's what I always called him) moved to San Francisco, we would finally meet face to face and spend many years marching and praying and being part of candlelight vigils and rallies and generally working with each other toward the same goal of equality.

Brother Richard Jonathan was always an inspiration. I remember when he made his life profession the spirited address he made. I remember those nights standing with him in San Francisco's Castro district. I remember the Dignity events and the masses at San Damiano and holding picket signs on the steps of City Hall. He didn't just inspire me, he touched the lives of hundreds, perhaps thousands of people in his lifetime. Brother Richard Jonathan was someone who certainly made a difference in this world.

As my mother lay in bed fighting lung cancer this past spring, I thought of his fight against the same disease last year. Just as I prayed for Mom, I prayed also for Ricky - we all did, but on June 22, 2012, the lung cancer won and our dear sweet Richard Jonathan was born to eternal life.

I will carry so many memories of Brother Richard Jonathan with me. It might be difficult to pick one thing that made the biggest impact, but I will always be glad that he came my way.

One Christmas a few years ago I received a card from him with a quote from German Dominican monk Meister Eckhart. Those words really speak to my greatest memory or Richard Jonathan: "We are all meant to be mothers of God. What good is it to me if this eternal birth of the Divine Son takes place unceasingly but does not take place within myself? And what good is it to me if Mary is full of grace, but I am not also full of grace? What good is it to me for the Creator to give birth to his Son if I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture? This, then, is the fullness of time: When the Son of Man is begotten in us.”

Rest in peace dear Ricky. Thanks for coming our way.

Harry Pottash Fights AIDS in Zambia

From time to time I have been fortunate to meet wonderful people who are making a difference in this world.  Harry Pottash is the latest such wonderful person.  He told me he was going to be part of Bike Zambia and I was intrigued and wanted to know more. 

 

First a little background.  Originally inhabited by Khoisan peoples, Zambia later became a British colony and since 1964 has been an independent nation.   Zambia is one of Africa's poorest countries and has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS infection with more than 1 in 7 adults living with HIV/AIDS and one in six children are orphans. One of the greatest ways to change things in Zambia (or anywhere) is through education and awareness and Bike Zambia is not just a fundraising activity, but also a powerful awareness tool that riders say  is also a personally life-changing experience for each of them. 

 

Last June 34 cyclists raised over $150,000 which provided contributions to four different beneficiary organizations.  In just a few days they will be doing it once again and Harry Pottash will be among them.  It's too late for you to head around the world and join up with them (think about that though for next year), but it is certainly not to late to sponsor Harry in his efforts! Click HERE to donate or to just find out more. 

 

As I write this, Harry has raised $5,126 of his $7,000 goal.  So close!  I know we can all get behind him and make this happen!

Dan keeps on going

Over the years of writing this, Daniel Choi has gotten more space than anyone or anything else. During his courageous fight to repeal Don't Ask/Don't Tell, I talked a lot about Dan's activities and I have also updated from time to time about his other tireless efforts on behalf of equality.

Back in March of this year, Outright Libertarians announced that Dan was joining the LGBT caucus of the Libertarian Party as an honorary board member. Dan has also been keeping quite busy with speaking engagements.

Among his future endeavors is Dan Choi House, a home he is creating for LGBT Youth kicked out of their homes after coming out.

Dan does not slow down and continues to be not only my friend, but one of my heroes.

Not Yet

Watching the decisions of the United States Supreme Court this morning and wondering if today would be the day they rule on two separate  cases they are deciding on same-sex marriage.  Sometime this month.  Sometime, but not yet.  Today was not the day.

It's a simple matter of equality - simple justice, many would argue.  So, what's taking them so long?  On top of that, many organizations having been making predictions.  The justices will likely do this or might do that.  I'm not sure what good this kind of forecasting does, but I think it just makes everyone more anxious.

Earlier this month, a Pew Research Center poll found 51 percent saying gay marriage should be legal and 72 percent saying it is “inevitable.” Last month a Gallup poll found that 53 percent of Americans favor legalized gay marriage.  The Supreme Court Justices do not decide though on popular opinion.  They have to stick to the law and they way they interpret it.

And so we wait.  Hopefully justice will come soon.