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Table of Contents
August Co-Chairs' Report 
Although the 2008 SF DCCC chair's race is history, valuable lessons remain that will help Alice refocus its energies. We view the aftermath of the DCCC race as an opportunity to explore some basics: accountability; values; commitment to shared goals; and positive redress. First, Alice salutes the integrity and principled leadership of Scott Wiener during his tenure as chair of the DCCC. Scott's abilities have long been noteworthy within Alice. They became recognized by all parts of the political spectrum during our campaign to re-elect Scott as DCCC chair. As Chair, Scott took the Party to new levels and achieved outstanding results. Scott would be the first to recognize that he didn't achieve these feats alone. The members of the DCCC deserve our respect and tremendous thanks for their hard work in creating an efficient, healthy organization and for strengthening the Party at the local level. In the end, Scott did not have the votes to carry the election. However, it should not be lost on anyone that this LGBT community leader showed enough city-wide strength and support to come within two votes of defeating the sitting President of the Board of Supervisors. Alice also recognizes that the DCCC members who voted to reelect Scott did so under threat of being “taken out.” Alice will not forget the independence, forthrightness and integrity of these individuals. We are a club committed to organizing, campaigning for and supporting effective leaders who both share our core democratic principles and are willing to stand up for them. To these people we say, know that Alice is, and will be, there for you. We ask that you reach out to Alice for whatever assistance you may need. Promises of support were made to Alice and to Scott by DCCC members who, ultimately, did not vote for his reelection. We intend to hold these individuals accountable. For Alice, accountability does not mean retaliation or revenge. As Alice enters its endorsement process for the November 2008 races and for elections to come, we will ask all candidates, including those presently serving on the DCCC, for information about the positions they have taken and their support of LGBT persons and Democrats. Certainly, we will ask those who are members of the DCCC, and did not support Scott’s reelection, why they chose not to do so. We will expect principled and rational responses. But this is only one of a series of questions that will help Alice form an opinion of each candidate and her/his qualifications for, and ability to effectively hold, elected office. Alice is an organization of Democrats. Our allegiance is to the Democratic Party and our passion is fielding the strongest and most viable candidates who share our values, particularly those who are members of the LGBT community. No single race will lead Alice to violate this mandate. Alice will continue to stand with the Party. We will give Aaron Peskin, the new Chair of the Central Committee, the support he needs to strengthen the Party as a whole and build upon the Committee’s achievements. Alice has worked with the DCCC, and will continue doing so, as joint participants in the California Democratic Party voter registration “bounty” program. Through participation in this program, Alice has registered voters and, by doing so, assisted the DCCC in raising funds. We will continue to work with the DCCC in this regard. Alice will also take a greater role at the DCCC by forming a committee that will regularly attend and participate in the SF DCCC monthly meetings. As a result, at least one Alice co-chair and several Alice members will be present at each DCCC meeting. As Alice co-chairs, we are extremely proud of Scott, and those members and allies who worked in support of his reelection. We are also extraordinarily proud of our club. We took on a campaign that did not yield a win, but which has provided us with the opportunity to assess who we are and what we believe in—as individuals as well as an organization. We have seen that we are a strong club and that we have values that we will stand by. The SF DCCC chair race has fortified Alice. Watch what we achieve. Julius Turman and Susan Christian Alice B. Toklas Co-Chairs Reese's World: Perspectives from the Editor
Editor P.S. After 5 years in this position, I am retiring my service as the Newsletter Editor for Alice at the end of this year. It's been a terrific 5 years and I really appreciate the support and encouragement given to me over the years from the membership. I have appreciated the room given to me to grow, try new things, strike out on my own, and give voice to my own thoughts and issues. It has been an honor to organize Alice's monthly voice and it is not without much emotion in stepping aside. But it is time to allow others to take on this unique endeavor. I still plan to be part of our Alice work together in a new capacity in the next year, so you'll still see me around. And I will be working with the new newsletter editor, upon appointment in the new year, to assist them on continuing Alice's outreach. In the upcoming months until the new year's editor's appointment, I will have some more final words and thoughts to share with you before I go. As always, thank you for the opportunity, love, and support. Current needs of the No on 8 Campaign from staffer Hannah Johnson: We need volunteers all day every Tuesday-Sunday from 9am to 10pm. We have phone banks Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 6:30-9:30, Saturday from 10-2 and Sunday from 5-9. We need volunteers for face to face recruiting Tuesdays in the Castro from 6-9, Thursdays at the Gym from 7am to 10am, and Sunday at Dolores Park from 11am to 2pm and 3pm to 6pm. All volunteer shifts start with a full training. Call Jeffrey at 530-329-3051 for location details (at a variety of locations in the Castro, Mission, and Embarcadero) and to help with phone calls, data entry, and materials prep at our Head Quarters during the day. Our main headquarters is located at 2278 Market (Market and Noe near Cafe Flore) Office needs: Copy machine, printers, desks, tables, chairs, refrigerator, microwave, food and water for volunteers. We're hiring-- full time Field Organizers needed. 6 days a week 12+ hours a day. Send resume and cover letter to hannah@eqca.org. Housing needed-- We have organizers coming in from all over the state who need a place to stay through the election. We aren't picky, we just need a bed and access to a bathroom and kitchen. We are at work all day so you won't even know we're there. Alice In, and Making, the News From the Editor: Throughout the remainder of this edition of the newsletter are articles and commentaries in which Alice made the news this past month. Alice continues at the forefront of the LGBT political movement in the San Francisco Bay Area and will continue to demonstrate, empower, and motivate. Look for further developments throughout the next few months as Alice puts forward its endorsements for the November 2008 election. Alice membership will vote on the club's endorsements for November at Alice's regularly scheduled September meeting: September 8.
Alice Op-Ed: Inclusive ENDA Needs Our Action From the Editor: This Op-Ed from Alice Co-Chairs Julius Turman and Susan Christian, as well as Supervisor Tom Ammiano and fellow Alice Board Member John Newsome, appeared in the Bay Area Reporter on July 17, 2008. The Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, And Castro For All, and both of San Francisco's LGBT supervisors will join with many other LGBT leaders and groups in the decision to forgo this year's Human Rights Campaign dinner in San Francisco, scheduled for July 26. We encourage all others in the LGBT community and our allies to forgo HRC's gala event this year, due to HRC's ongoing refusal to advocate for federal legislation that protects all Americans from discrimination based on gender identity and expression - as well as sexual orientation. At the end of the last century, the LGBT community arrived at a consensus: that the full membership of the LGBT community would be honored and embraced, regardless of differences among us, be they based upon race, class, gender, gender identity and expression, or other factors. What was once called a "gay" community in the past, now self-defines, and is known internationally, as the LGBT community. United, the LGBT community works diligently to ensure that all LGBT community members are protected from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression. It is especially important that our leading civil rights institutions, like HRC, uphold our shared commitment to diversity and inclusion and lead our movement in a responsible and forward-looking manner. Unfortunately, last fall HRC betrayed its own legacy and values, and betrayed the LGBT community, when the organization's leadership reversed its long-standing commitment to inclusive legislation by suddenly advocating passage of a federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act that deliberately excluded gender identity and expression protections. This was done even though significant progress in passing inclusive legislation had been made at the state and local level while the non-inclusive ENDA had no hope of becoming law. This cynical move left millions of Americans more vulnerable to gender discrimination in employment by implying that although discrimination based on sexual orientation was unacceptable, bias and intolerance based on gender identity or expression were negotiable. Even worse, HRC's leadership made its decision in secret, breaching its collaboration with every other national LGBT organization, including PFLAG, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the Stonewall Democrats, the National Center for Transgender Equality, the Transgender Law Center, Equality California, and over 350 other national, state, and local LGBT organizations. No notice had been given to any of these organizations that additional lobbying and education were needed to secure a fully-inclusive ENDA. Since that time, HRC has made little effort to reverse course on this issue. HRC's president, Joe Solmonese, now asserts that his prior statements about HRC's unwavering commitment to inclusion were simply "misstatements." In fact, to this day, HRC remains uncommitted to introduction of an inclusive employment non-discrimination bill - even though Congress must introduce an entirely new bill during its next session in January 2009. HRC stated recently, in a letter to Alice, that the non-inclusive bill was a "floor, not a ceiling," and "was just one step on the way to our goal." But an inclusive employment bill is the "floor" of our civil rights struggle. At the national level, LGBT people still don't have protections from housing discrimination. LGBT people still can't serve openly in the military. LGBT people still can't marry our partners, or even protect our families in some of the most basic ways. We long ago abandoned hope of enacting a comprehensive Civil Rights Act that would prevent discrimination in employment, housing, and other areas simultaneously. We've already made painful, incremental trade-offs in order to have one bill passed at a time. At the very least, we should ensure that everyone in our community is covered when we do introduce legislation. We are deeply committed to inclusion within our community, and call upon other LGBT organizations to uphold this commitment as well. While we have supported HRC in the past and look forward to doing so in the future, in light of the above we cannot in good conscience support this year's HRC gala fundraiser and, regrettably, feel compelled to ask our fellow San Franciscans also to forgo the HRC gala this year - until such time as HRC reaffirms its commitment to inclusion, especially with respect to introduction and passage of an inclusive employment non-discrimination bill. Particularly at this point in time, it is important that we support LGBT organizations working actively, on all of our behalf, against non-discrimination and for full equality - and especially those organizations working for passage of an inclusive ENDA. Instead of attending this year's HRC event, we respectfully ask that you consider investing in an explicitly trans inclusive organization, such as the Transgender Law Center, or any of the 350-plus other local, state, and national organizations working toward a fully-inclusive ENDA (listed at http://www.unitedENDA.org). Please also consider contributing directly to the No on 8 campaign to defeat the November ballot initiative, which, if successful, would permanently prevent marriage equality (http://www.equalityforall.com). Working with integrity, in genuine solidarity, we will achieve the basic rights we all deserve. Alice Op-Ed: Scott Wiener Remains the Best Choice to Lead S.F. Democrats From the Editor: This Op-Ed from Alice Co-Chairs Julius Turman and Susan Christian appeared in the San Francisco Examiner on July 23, 2008, the day of the vote for Chair of the Democratic County Central Committee. For the last two years, Scott Wiener has served admirably and ably as the Chair of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC), the Democratic Party's umbrella and chief organizing body in San Francisco. The position of chair is central to maintaining, building, and growing the City's Democratic Party. In that short time, Scott has succeeded in a litany of initiatives. He has steered the party towards fiscal stability through effective fundraising and responsible spending. During 2007 alone, an electoral off-year, the party registered over 12,000 voters. The DCCC has dramatically increased the party's visibility and created a year-round presence in the City by hiring a full-time field organizer. In addition, Scott has supported the passage of many progressive resolutions that encourage state, local, and national government to action. The Democratic Party has also been out front in promoting San Francisco values in the 2008 elections. In short, Scott has been a tremendous force for party building as DCCC chair. We respect Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin and trust that he has the best interests of San Francisco and the Democratic Party at heart. Yet, we have concerns about his possible ascension to the helm of the DCCC. Electing a person who not only serves as a Supervisor, but as President of the Board, to also lead the Democratic Party apparatus would aggregate too much power and discretion in one person. Board President Peskin has stated that he would like the DCCC to become more of a policy-making body, and issue more resolutions. Tilting the DCCC's focus in this direction would likely detract from the DCCC's core mission of party-building. Supervisor Peskin presently has significant, time-consuming duties as Board President. Will he have the time to do the work of party organizing? If not, whom will he deputize? And if it will be necessary for Supervisor Peskin to deputize someone to do the demanding work that Scott has been doing for the last two years, why not re-elect Scott? Scott - a progressive Democrat who does not always agree with the board majority or the mayor- has been an independent, harmonizing leader. This simple fact enables Scott to be extremely effective at building a consensus that benefits the entire City and the Democratic Party. This is as it should be. The party should not be controlled by any one faction to be used as blunt force instrument against any other. Threats such as those issued by Supervisor Daly that he will "make it his business" to "take out" DCCC members who vote for Scott should not become the order of the day. Instead, the DCCC should be a body that seeks resolution to intra-party disputes for the sake of our common values and principles as Democrats. The DCCC has been a powerful organizing force and source of empowerment for those who do not already hold electoral office. DCCC elections are a training ground for our future political leaders, and its meetings and initiatives are an opportunity for all San Francisco Democrats to have a voice in the party and in our city's governance. In the final assessment, if effective, progressive, and independent leadership and management are what's needed to unite our City, restore and improve our communities, and live up to true San Francisco values, Scott is the person for the job. The first meeting of the DCCC (Democratic County Central Committee) for the new term was held on July 23, 2008. Consistent with Alice's policy of holding our elected officials, and those whom we have endorsed, accountable for their actions in office, we are reporting the individual votes for chair.
Thank You to Alice from Scott Wiener For the past two years, I have had the honor of serving as Chair of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee. I am proud of the work that the DCCC did during that time, including registering 15,000 voters, keeping the DCCC financially strong, hiring terrific field organizers, consistently mailing out quality voter guides, and making the DCCC more relevant to San Francisco. I want to thank the members of the DCCC and our staff for making this strong performance possible. Two weeks ago, the newly elected DCCC decided to elect Supervisor Aaron Peskin as Chair. The vote was very close, 18-16, and very intense. The month and a half between the June 3 primary, when my colleagues and I were elected or reelected to the DCCC, and the July 23 Chair election was one of the most intense time periods of my life. I learned an awful lot about people, politics, and myself. I believe that I am a stronger person for this experience. I also learned a lot about Alice B. Toklas. Alice has always been my political home. Its members and its leaders are an amazing group of people. But, never before have I personally experienced the full power and force of Alice as I experienced it around the Chair race. I cannot say enough about the strength, leadership, and wisdom of our co-chairs, Julius Turman and Susan Christian. They fought for me as if their own names were on the ballot. And, they did it for the right reason -- out of dedication to the goals and vision of Alice B. Toklas. They always kept Alice's interests front and center. Julius and Susan are tremendous leaders, and we should all be grateful to them for the work that they do. I am extremely grateful, as well, to the Alice B. Toklas board and membership, which rallied strongly to support me. Alice members made many phone calls to DCCC members to encourage them to support me, and many Alice members went to the DCCC Chair election to speak on my behalf during public comment. I was deeply moved by the show of support by the club. It left me feeling great about the strength and vibrancy of the LGBT community in San Francisco. Finally, I want to thank the DCCC for giving me the opportunity to lead the San Francisco Democratic Party. The DCCC took a chance on me two years ago, and for that I am grateful. Thank you as well to each of the 16 DCCC members who stood with me on July 23. Your steadfast support, even under intense pressure and lobbying, meant the world to me. I extend sincere congratulations to Supervisor Peskin for his victory. He will be a strong Chair, and I will always be available as a resource to him. I was particularly happy to see that Supervisor Peskin put together a diverse and talented leadership team. I am confident that the DCCC will continue to build on the successes that we achieved over the past two years. This is a critical year for Democrats and for the LGBT community. We must elect Barack Obama and defeat Prop 8, in addition to passing the high-speed rail bond and the San Francisco General Hospital bond and defeating the parental notification measure. I know that the San Francisco Democratic Party will play a significant role in each of these efforts. And, I will be standing there with you to achieve each of these goals and many others. This Jewish kid from New Jersey doesn't go away just because of one setback. I will continue to work for a better San Francisco, a more robust Democratic Party, and a stronger LGBT community. Thank you, Alice B. Toklas, for standing with me and for your amazing leadership. Alice B Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
Month of August: Membership Meeting, August 11 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
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