Table of Contents
Dates
With Alice
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Alice January Membership Meeting
Monday, January 8, 2007
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
LGBT Community Center
1800 Market Street @ Octavia
Alice 2007 Board Elections
Democratic Party Forum with Assemblyman Mark Leno
Sunday, Jan. 14th
2:00PM
455 Golden Gate Avenue
For more information and details, see below
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January Co-Chairs' Report
The Pride of Leading Alice B. Toklas
by Scott Wiener, Alice Co-Chair
 
My, how time flies! It seems like just yesterday that the members of Alice B. Toklas honored me by electing me Club Co-Chair - just yesterday that my predecessor and friend, Rich Kowalewski, handed me the reigns of leadership of this great and proud organization. It was actually two years ago, but time has flown. And, it is now time for me to hand the reigns off to the next generation of leadership.
I cannot stress enough what an amazing experience it has been co-chairing Alice. Alice is a vibrant and energetic organization. Not only has it been in existence for almost 35 years, but it has continually changed to keep up with the times and to stay relevant. However, the one thing that hasn't changed is Alice's core: leadership. Leadership in the LGBT community. Leadership in the Democratic Party. Leadership in San Francisco.
Alice has an integrity that few organizations can match. Some people accuse the club of inconsistency on issues, because Alice doesn't always fall on one side or the other of the San Francisco culture wars. It drives some people nuts - both on the left and moderate sides - that Alice does things like endorse Robert Haaland and Sean Elsbernd for supervisor in the same election cycle. Or, wholeheartedly endorse Fiona Ma at the same time that the club endorses Chris Daly.
What the club's critics miss is that Alice is remarkably consistent in its support of strong and talented candidates for office, whether or not those candidates fit a particular ideological mold. Alice is a diverse club in a diverse city. Our endorsements, and also the makeup of our board, reflect that diversity of thought. This is a good thing, and it helps Alice build the political strength of our community.
The critics also miss that Alice has been remarkably consistent not just in our support of great candidates but also in our position on key issues, particularly civil rights, racial justice, and gender equity. Alice was an early and strong supporter of the Badlands boycott, understanding the critical need to make the Castro a welcoming place for our entire community. Alice went to the mat for Susan Leal and Kamala Harris, in the hope of electing these strong and talented women as Mayor and District Attorney respectively. We always have co-chairs and require that they not be of the same gender, thus ensuring that we develop female leaders. Alice's board is quite diverse - the 2007 board will be approximately 40% people of color.
Alice also has had a consistent core mission of electing LGBT leadership. Whether the candidate is Mark Leno, Susan Leal, Carole Migden, Bevan Dufty, Jose Cisneros, Heather Hiles, Lawrence Wong, Leslie Katz, David Campos, Laura Spanjian, Rafael Mandelman, Robert Haaland, or me, the club understands the importance of having LGBT people in office. As much as we love our straight allies, we need to have our own voice in government. Alice has always had that commitment, and I know that we'll continue on the same path.
These are the reasons why I am so proud of this club. And, I am particularly proud of the job that we've done over the past two years. We have:
Won key elections, including the elections of Treasurer Jose Cisneros, Assessor Phil Ting, and Supervisor Bevan Dufty and the defeat of the Governor's 2005 special election measures.
Helped get LGBT people appointed to key commissions, including Theresa Sparks and David Campos to the Police Commission, Alice board member Robert Haaland to the Board of Appeals, and Alice board member Owen Stephens to the Treasure Island Development Authority.
Consistently run great field and mail campaigns every election, mailing 25,000 slate cards, walking 30-40 precincts, tabling, and running newspaper ads each election.
Diversified our board, although work certainly remains on that front.
Been active in the community we serve, ranging from our support of And Castro for All to our support of immigrants when they were under attack.
Built alliances to fight the key civil rights battles of our time, including the battles for a woman's right to choose and workers' right to organize.
Created a solid financial footing for the club - eliminating the club's debt and leaving it with cash in the bank.
Built a terrific bench for the club's leadership - recruiting talented future leaders, including numerous young people, so that the club will remain vibrant and well-organized in the future.
So, as I end my term as co-chair, I am very pleased with where the club is and where it is heading. I am also proud of the relationships that I've built, particularly my friendships with the two women with whom I co-chaired the club: Laura Spanjian and Rebecca Prozan. Laura and Rebecca exemplify the best of Alice and of our community. They are absolutely committed to the LGBT community, to progressive values, to San Francisco, and to the Democratic Party. They have taught me a lot about leadership and about how to get things done. I'm honored to have been able to work so closely with them.
Of course, I won't be going far. I will still be a member of the Alice board and will continue to work hard to ensure that the club thrives. I will also be working closely with Alice in my role as Chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party. I look forward to many more years of building this great organization.
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Reese's World: Perspectives from the Editor
Taking the Long Way Home
by Reese Aaron Isbell, M.P.P.
Every Christmas, I spend the holidays with my family back home in Missouri. This year things were different, as my parents had purchased a new home further out in the suburbs of Kansas City than our usual suburban home. As strange as that seemed for me before I got there, it still felt like home even without being in our old one where we was raised. The family being together made it home indeed.
And instead of rushing off to the airport to catch a quick flight back home to our City by the Bay, I decided to enjoy myself and relax with a train ride across the country. You see, the thing about trains is that they get you where you want to go, even all the way across a continent, and there ain’t no pressure to rush anywhere. You get there when you get there.
And I love that about trains. They’re slow and ol-fashioned and that is just alright with me. Because oftentimes, the trip itself is the point. And what a trip it’s been. This particular train ride takes you right through the heart of the Rocky Mountains, where one side is a valley down below the track, t’other side is a rocky cliff above, and many a tunnel is traveled through.
There were a few delays here and there, due to snow and ice on the tracks, and a stop now and then for people to get off and on. And the train does indeed move quite slow. My schedule isn’t on the time we thought it might be. But we’ll get there when we get there. And in the meantime I’m writing this here column and reading a good book and drinking bottomless cups of coffee. Oh, and did I mention the lovely views outside my window? Yeah, the trip itself is the point, not just trying to get to my destination all quicklike. The trip is actually a trip, not just a means to get somewhere.
Life is a lot like a trainride. We all try and plan to get somewhere as quick as possible—whether it’s to grow up cuz we don’t want to be a kid no more, or at least turn 21 so we can play outside, or maybe it’s to get done with school so we can start living our life, and maybe it’s just to keep on going to the next destination we’ve set up for ourself—more school, a better career, a different job, a person to settled down with, a shot at an award of some sort, what have you. And we’s always in a big hurry to get to that destination we’ve put in our own head.
Yet, there are delays and obstacles and troubles along the way, when all we really want is to get there now and that’ll make us happy, surely, that’ll make us happy when we get there. But it would seem that everytime we get to a destination of our choosing, the joy is fleeting and we’re more than likely ready for a new and exciting destination that we can’t wait to get to. Such is life in the fastlane.
So sometimes, it’s good to slow things down and recognize that life itself isn’t necessarily about getting to somewhere, but actually enjoying and finding comfort in the trip itself. That don’t mean that getting to that location ain’t gonna do us no good. It’s just to say that life is full of destinations and hopes and dreams. It’s also full of trials and tribulations and travels that make those destinations all the more sweet and joyous upon arrival.
When we in the LGBT community fight for the day that we are truly free and equal and accepted as we are, without reservations or concerns, we want to obviously get to that day as quickly as possible because we cannot wait til that day comes. And that’s alright. But if that’s all we live for, without finding the joy in the day we are in now, then we may never find joy and we may be breaking ourselves down with what-could-have-beens and what-might-bes. It’s not to say that we won’t get to that day, and it’s not to say that we shouldn’t fight for that day; it’s to say that there’s a long way to get there with many trials and tribulations and joys and dreams and hopes and love, lotsa love, along the way. And if we stop to recognize that all of that, all of those things along the way, are part of the joy we can enjoy now and feel now and be now, then the trip itself ain’t so bad afterall. The trip itself is what life is, with a destination before us and a past behind us that shaped us and molded us and gave us the strength to get where we are now and where we’re going to be soon.
It’s like the trainride. There may be delays and obstacles, no doubt. But we will get to the destination. Oh yes, we will get to the destination we’ve set up for ourselves. Because the tracks are laid out in front, the train’s not going back, and even if it takes a little while longer to get there, it’s gonna get there, no doubt. So, even though we like things rushed and quick and easy, part of life is recognizing that getting there isn’t just to get there itself, but finding the joys in the trip itself and knowing that the destination will be eventually reached—those are what make life full and the destination itself all the more fulfilling.
Reese Aaron Isbell, M.P.P.
Editor
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On the Mark with Assemblyman Mark Leno
by Assemblyman Mark Leno
Dear Alice Friends,
I want to welcome you all to a Democratic Party Forum this Sunday, Jan. 14th at 2:00PM
Please join me and Alice friends for a spirited and exciting afternoon this Sunday in support of the Democratic Party.
I've assembled and endorsed a diverse team of candidates representing the many different communities throughout the 13th Assembly District for election to the California Democratic Central Committee. This unified team will take our progressive San Francisco Values to the Democratic Convention this April in San Diego.
I encourages you to attend and vote for all 12 of my endorsed candidates:
A Unified, Gender-Balanced, Community-Representative Team
of Assembly District13
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| Six Women |
Six Men
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| London Breed
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Jeff Anderson, Alice Board Member
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| Kamala Harris, District Attorney
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Alec Bash
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| Jennifer Longley |
Dan Enrique Bernal, Alice Board Member
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| Hyrda Mendoza, Board of Education Member |
David Chiu
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| Eva Royale |
Toye Moses
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| Leah Shahum |
Michael Sweet
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WHEN: Sunday, January 14th, 2007.
Registration and Voting begin at 2:00PM
Official Program begins promptly at 3:00PM. Arrive no later than 2:45PM (doors close at 3:00PM). (You do not have to stay for the program in order to vote starting at 2:00PM)
WHERE: The State Building Auditorium, Basement Level, 455 Golden Gate Avenue (between Polk and Larkin)
WHY: Get involved in our Democratic Party and support me and our 12 endorsed candidates who will send a unified message of securing marriage-equality, a clean environment, clean government, access to quality health care and education, and social and economic justice for all, to the state Democratic Convention and beyond.
HOW: Any registered Democrat in the 13th Assembly District (who was registered for the November 2006 General Election) can vote. (Exceptions are made for persons who turned 18 or were naturalized as citizens after the close of that registration - those persons can register on-site and participate.)
For more information, please contact Alice Board Member Nathan Purkiss
Yours,
Mark Leno
Assemblyman, District 13
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A Greater Voice for San Francisco
by Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nearly 20 years ago, when I first ran for the honor of representing our beautiful city of San Francisco in the United States Congress, I promised that I would be "a voice that will be heard" for San Francisco. I have proudly voiced the concerns and priorities that faced our city in Congress. And now, as Speaker of the House, together we have an opportunity to be a voice for a New Direction for all Americans, not just the privileged few.
Over the last two decades, we have stood hand-in-hand to face the challenges confronting our beloved city and country. We have raised our voices to protect the rights of our workers, and fought against AIDS. We have challenged human rights abuses around the world and here at home. We have advocated for women, children and families, and our precious environment. We have stood to protect our civil liberties and to promote peace. We have made great strides here in San Francisco, and now we will have the opportunity to share our successes with the rest of the country and make real progress in a Democratic Congress.
In November, the American people demanded change, standing up and calling for a New Direction for all Americans. Democrats are committed to addressing the real priorities of the American people, beginning with the crucial issue of raising the minimum wage. San Francisco has led the way in this effort, giving hard-working people the raise they deserve with a minimum wage that far exceeds the national level. It is long past time the rest of the county catch up. And under a Democratic Congress, it will, because we believe in a fair economy that rewards work, not just wealth.
The priorities of a Democratic Congress are the priorities of San Francisco. I have long said that the beauty of San Francisco is our diversity; we respect and take pride in our differences - the beauty is in the mix. But San Franciscans are united in our belief in an open government that operates in the public interest, not for the special interests. That is why on the first day of the Democratic Congress, we passed a comprehensive rules package, breaking the link between lobbyists and legislation. As San Franciscans, also we believe we must not burden our future generations with mountains of debt; we must make our nation safer and our economy fairer; and we must make health care more accessible and higher education more affordable.
Nowhere is a New Direction needed more than in the war in Iraq. The strategy of "stay the course" has not worked. We must not continue on this catastrophic path that has not made our country safer, has not honored our commitment to our troops, and has not brought stability to the region. It is long past time for a New Direction that will allow us to bring our troops home safely and soon.
San Francisco has always been a leader on the issues of significance in our country. As Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to serve you as well as the nation, and I will ensure that your voice rings loud and clear in the halls of Congress for a New Direction for America that embodies the best our beautiful city has to offer.
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Alice
Membership Form
Alice B Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
1800 Market Street PMB#18
San Francisco, CA 94102
Tel: 415-707-2010
www.alicebtoklas.org
Alice Reports Editor: Reese Aaron Isbell, M.P.P.
Month of January: Membership Meeting, January 8
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
__$100 Supporter
__$250 Sponsor
__$500 Champion
__$20 Special Needs
__Other
__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:
Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
1800 Market Street, PMB#18
San Francisco, CA 94102
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