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Table of Contents
November
Co-Chairs' Report
We were delighted to be joined by Assemblyman Mark Leno, Treasurer Jose Cisneros, District Attorney Kamala Harris, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Assessor Mabel Teng, San Francisco Supervisors Bevan Dufty, Fiona Ma, and Aaron Peskin, San Mateo Supervisor Mike Nevin, Community College Board Trustee Natalie Berg, PUC General Manager Susan Leal, and Supervisor candidates Miguel Bustos and Robert Haaland.
On Saturday, October 30th at 1:00 p.m., the Alice B. Toklas and Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Clubs and the California Democratic Party will hold a Halloween "Get Out the LGBT Vote Rally" at Harvey Milk Plaza. There will be ghouls there to remind you of how scary the world can be when Republicans hold and abuse power. And there will be LGBT and other elected officials there to remind you how peaceful and free the world can be when Democrats rule! Send an email to info@alicebtoklas.org if you can help with the rally or work at a voter information table in the Castro the weekend of October 30-31 or leave a voice message at 415-707-2010. On Election Tuesday, November 2nd, there will be numerous election night parties around town. Senator Barbara Boxer will host an election night watch party in the Ballroom at the San Francisco Marriott Hotel, 55 Fourth Street @ Mission, beginning at 8:00 p.m. There will no doubt be a celebration in the Castro when John Kerry is declared to be the President-Elect! Check the Alice website at www.alicebtoklas.org as Election Day approaches for more information on election night parties. As you read this column, we will be only a few days away from a Presidential election of the utmost historical significance. When Sen. Hillary Clinton was in San Francisco on October 15th, she reminded everyone that Americans will have no excuses if George W. Bush is reelected. She noted that four years ago people could say that Bush is a "compassionate conservative" but now we know that he is neither! Four years ago people could say that Bush is a "unifier, not a divider" but now we know that he uses wedge issues for the sole purpose of dividing our nation for his own political advantage. Four years ago people could argue that there is no real difference between the two major parties and did not worry about casting a protest vote for Ralph Nader, but now everyone knows the differences are real and protest votes can have very damaging consequences! We were moved when Hillary Clinton spoke of protecting our democracy and fighting in every precinct for a fair election. Sen. Clinton stated that while she wants John Kerry to win the White House and she wants a Democratic Senate and a Democratic House, even more she wants fair elections to restore faith in our democracy. Sen. Clinton criticized George Bush for being so willing to undermine democracy for political purposes and noted that his support of efforts to intimidate voters in battleground states denies him credibility to argue for democracy elsewhere in the world. Senator Clinton also encouraged those of us who live in blue states, such as California and New York, to continue to work hard every day for the Kerry-Edwards ticket, because the popular vote does matter! She argued persuasively that an electoral vote majority is not enough at this time in history and that John Kerry will be a stronger and more effective President if also wins the popular vote by 5 million, 10 million, or even 15 million votes and that should be our goal! We agree. So let's keep working until the polls close on November 2nd … and then we can celebrate our hard work! Laura Spanjian & Rich Kowalewski Reese's
World: Perspectives from the Editor
Have you ever witnessed such an effort for an election before? I mean, I'm relatively young, but I've been working elections and reading history of elections and I have never in my life experienced the level of attention and excitement and motivation from my fellow people as I do now. I have friends who I have literally begged to vote in previous years, now begging me to help them make sure they're registered. I read newspaper stories every day about the record numbers of new registrations around the country. I note the strength in numbers and ability to speak out by individuals who are normally oh-so-quiet about such political matters. I see a movement to take back our country afoot. This truly is the election of our lifetime. And we are showing that we do truly have the power of grassroots activism. The media and the pundits and the government in Washington and around the country decided long ago that this was either a oh-so-close race or that Bush was going to win handily. Remember the doubt we felt in September? Remember the worry we felt a year ago when Bush was high in the polls? Remember how we were constantly told that it was useless to fight back? We've been here before. With his father's incumbency we were told that it was impossible to challenge him in 1992, as he was at 90% poll ratings. We prevailed. In 1998 we were told that Clinton needed to resign, that Democrats were going to lose big, and that we should just move on. We came roaring back. In 2000, we were told more than a year before the election that Bush was going to win, and win strongly, and that Gore was not a strong candidate. Regardless of the legal shenanigans, we all know that we strongly won that election, we won the popular vote, and Gore showed that he was more up to the fight than the media wanted us to see. And now we're here again. The media and the pundits and the government officials and all those mouths of negativity continually tell us that our elections are no longer relevant, that the polls tell us what's what, that simply feed us tired campaign lines instead of giving us hard news, that allow our democracy to be whittled down to sound byte form. But we know better. In our hearts, we are seeing the election of our lifetime and we are giddy with excitement. The masses are not allowing the media and the pundits and the government officials and the sound bytes tell them what to do. The masses are registering to vote. We are more involved and motivated than ever. We are showing a grassroots movement in all its glory, without the help of anyone but ourselves. We are going for the gold and no negativity or poll numbers or sound bytes are going to stop us. And we know we are about to win the big prize. Regardless of what the polls may say from day to day, or from what the media tells us, or what shenanigans go on, we know. So as I pack my bags to swing back home to Missouri for this crucial election, I reflect. I know that the media and the pundits have now written off the swing state of Missouri into the Bush column. But I take heart in what I know. I know that this is no normal election. I know that Missouri is not a lost cause. And I hearken back to my hometown president, Harry S Truman, who had his own media-infused-negativity way back when. In fact, not only was he believed to be a lost cause, but the media went to print on election night with its infamous incorrect headline. You see, I come from a place where grassroots activism and the power of the people have been proven time and time again to be the true symbol of democracy. When the media and the pundits and so forth tell us what's what, we give 'em hell! We get on that train and ride around the country and barnstorm like never before, and we give 'em hell! This is what I see now. This is why Kerry is about to win more strongly than the media will allow us to believe. This is why we all believe more than ever in the power of democracy. So, I'm almost finished packing. Tomorrow, and through election day, I will be doing the necessary GOTV work in the land of Truman to swing my swing state the Democratic way. Just as so many others are doing around the country. And I know that you, dear reader, are doing the same wherever you are physically at this time. So, now that you've finished my column and this newsletter, get back out there! Get Out The Vote (GOTV) like never before. And do so with a smile on your face, with love of your work and home and family, with pride in grassroots empowerment, and with the knowledge that this election of our lifetime is taking us all back home to a country we know in our hearts. We are on the road to victory! So get back out there and GOTV! Reese Aaron Isbell, M.P.P. P.S. You can follow along on my Missouri GOTV trip via my weblog:
www.reesesworld.com. I
also want to thank Alice for my Volunteer of the Year award. As
I am wont to say in my Missouri drawl, "Awful nice." Campaign
Connection - GET OUT THE VOTE Our local endorsed candidates need your fingertips for dialing and your legs for walking to get out their message. So, pick your favorite candidate below and get out there. And in addition to your individual candidate support, Alice will be in its traditional place at Castro and 18th the last two weekends in October to distribute Alice literature and educate voters about all of our candidates and endorsed propositions. To help with tabling, please contact Tom Runge at 415-861-7914. ALICE ENDORSED CANDIDATES AND VOLUNTEER INFORMATION SAN FRANCISCO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS District 1: Lillian Sing District 3: Aaron Peskin
Heather Hiles
Natalie Berg
Community
News In addition to facing discrimination throughout their daily lives, transgender people face a host of barriers to basic medical care that can have a devastating impact on their health. Insurance companies, for example, often exempt people from care for cancer or other serious ailments if the cancer can theoretically be linked to sex re-assignment surgeries. In response to this serious problem, Assemblyman Mark Leno, Chair
of the California State Assembly Select Committee on LGBT Families,
will hold a hearing to explore ways to expand and improve healthcare
quality and access for transgender people. Alice Endorsements - November 2004
Alice B Toklas LGBT Democratic Club General Membership Meeting 2nd Monday of each month You can now join online www.alicebtoklas.org/abt/joinonline.asp, or fill out the application below Membership Application Yes, I want to join the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club! __$35 Regular __I am renewing my membership __I will be a new member __I am a registered Democrat Name ______________________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________ City ____________________________________State: ______Zip: _____________ Phone: Day __________________________Eve: _____________________________ Email: _________________________________________ Please send checks payable to “Alice B. Toklas
LGBT Democratic Club” and mail to: |
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Thank
you for making the 2004 Alice Awards Reception a smashing success!
All in attendance seemed to enjoy the conversation and extraordinary
wine tasting at Vino Venue. 
Congratulations
again to this year's deserving honorees: Jim Rivaldo (Lifetime Achievement),
County Clerk Nancy Alfaro and the Staff of the County Clerk's Office
(Unsung Heroes); Kate Kendell of the National Center for Lesbian
Rights (Community Service);
Theresa Sparks (Leadership); and Reese Aaron Isbell and Owen Stephens
(Volunteers of the Year)!
As
I'm writing this, I am packing my bags. I'm leaving San Francisco
for my home state of Missouri. About a month ago, I had an epiphany.
I realized that I needed to go home and work this election like
none other. And apparently I'm not the only one. I read in the news
everyday about another person who's picked up stakes and returned
home or moved to another state or is constantly traveling around
the country to work this election.