ADEM & Milk Board Elections This Month!
Thank you to everyone who attended our Club's emergency No Coup Virtual Rally on Wednesday! If you missed it, you can watch it here.
Register to vote in the ADEM elections here.
At our December General Membership Meeting, the Club voted to endorse the following candidates for California Democratic Party ADEM:
AD-17 ADEM (Self-Identified Female):
Christin Evans
Cherelle Jackson
Janelle Jolley
Nomvula O'Meara
Jackie Prager
Susan Solomon
Joy Zhan
AD-17 ADEM (Other Than Self-Identified Female):
Christopher Christensen
Corey Hallman
Jeffrey Kwong
Julian LaRosa
Vanessa Pimentel
Njon Sanders
William Shields
AD-19 ADEM (Self-Identified Female):
Sophia Andary
Brigitte Davila
Alondra Esquivel
Alida Fisher
Kalimah Salahuddin
Jasper Wilde
Kaylah Paige Williams
AD-19 ADEM (Other Than Self-Identified Female):
Brandon Harami
Gabriel Medina
Joshua Ochoa
Gilbert Williams
Alan Wong
Remember to mail out your ballot no later than Friday, January 22nd. (Postage is included.)
And if you missed December's General Meeting and ADEM candidate speeches, feel free to watch it here.
The Milk Club has kicked off our 2021 Executive Board nomination process. If you would like to nominate someone (or yourself) to any of our E-Board positions, feel free to click here and follow the instructions.
The positions up for nomination are as follows:
President or two Co-Presidents, Vice-President for Internal Affairs, Vice President for Political Affairs, Vice President of Events and Fundraising, Treasurer, Executive Board for Internal, Executive Board for Political, Executive Board for Outreach, Executive Board for Events and Fundraising (Seat #1), Executive Board for Events and Fundraising (Seat #2), Executive Board for Organizing, Correspondent, and Recorder.
Here are the candidates who have so far accepted their nominations:
Co-Presidents: Kaylah Williams & Edward Wright
VP Internal: Reid Coggins
VP Political: Jackie Thornhill
VP Events & Fundraising: Jeffrey Kwong
Treasurer: Jerry Fenske
E-Board Internal: Brad Chapin
E-Board Political: Lee Hepner
E-Board Outreach: Kurtis Wu
E-Board Events & Fundraising, Seat 1: Michael Rouppet
E-Board Events & Fundraising, Seat 2: Alvin Lee
E-Board Organizing: Nomvula O'Meara
Correspondent: Seamus McGeever
Recorder: Raya Steier
The Membership will be electing its new Executive Board on Tuesday, January 19th from 7-9pm. If you would like to attend, please register on Zoom here.
And please take our quick community outreach survey here so that the Milk Club can set its priorities for 2021.
And renew your membership for 2021 by clicking here before it lapses or expires next month!
The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
http://www.milkclub.org
Join or renew your Membership today!
http://www.milkclub.org/join
The Holigays Are Here Again!
The Milk Club has kicked off our 2021 Executive Board nomination process. If you would like to nominate someone (or yourself) to any of our E-Board positions, feel free to click here and follow the instructions.
The positions up for nomination are President or two Co-Presidents, Vice-President for Internal Affairs, Vice President for Political Affairs, Vice President of Events and Fundraising, Treasurer, Executive Board for Internal, Executive Board for Political, Executive Board for Outreach, Executive Board for Events and Fundraising (Seat #1), Executive Board for Events and Fundraising (Seat #2), Executive Board for Organizing, Correspondent, and Recorder.
Here are the candidates who have so far accepted their nominations:
And please take our quick community outreach survey here so that the Milk Club can set its priorities for 2021.
Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff must win in Georgia in order to save the U.S. Senate! (Photo is from The Guardian.)
Thank you to everyone who attended our Club's December General Meeting!
The Membership voted to officially endorse Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock for their respective U.S. Senate Seats in Georgia. Helping their campaigns may be our only chance to save the Senate from the clutches of Mitch McConnell and his nonstop obstructionism. So signup to phonebank with Knock for Democracy now.
The Membership also voted to endorse the following candidates for California Democratic Party ADEM:
AD-17 ADEM (Female-Identifying):
Christin Evans
Cherelle Jackson
Janelle Jolley
Nomvula O'Meara
Jackie Prager
Susan Solomon
Joy Zhan
AD-17 ADEM (Non-Female-Identifying):
Christopher Christensen
Corey Hallman
Jeffrey Kwong
Julian LaRosa
Vanessa Pimentel
Njon Sanders
William Shields
AD-19 ADEM (Female-Identifying):
Sophia Andary
Brigitte Davila
Alondra Esquivel
Alida Fisher
Kalimah Salahuddin
Jasper Wilde
Kaylah Paige Williams
AD-19 ADEM (Non-Female-Identifying):
Brandon Harami
Gabriel Medina
Joshua Ochoa
Gilbert Williams
Alan Wong
Please register to vote in the upcoming ADEM elections by clicking on this link: https://ademelections.com/?isCandidate=False. Afterwards, a ballot will be mailed to you.
Remember that the deadline to register to vote for ADEM delegates is January 11th, 2021. It's quick and easy!
And if you missed Tuesday's General Meeting and ADEM candidate speeches, feel free to watch it here.
This is how we sing Christmas carols, standing alongside the California Nurses Association as they fight for their rights as they work on the frontlines of this pandemic.
Besides our endorsements, the Membership voted to pass the following motions:
1) To reiterate our opposition to the installation of surveillance cameras in the Castro. (Read more about it in the BAR.)
2) To explicitly oppose the use of child slave labor in the harvesting of chocolate products by Mars and Nestle. (Please sign this petition.)
3) To support the inclusion of dedicated senior housing at the development at 730 Stanyan Street.
4) To oppose any expedited waivers that force nurses to be assigned more patients per shift, threatening their labor rights and the quality of care for patients. (Read more about it here.)
5) To allow for us to automatically endorse any ADEM candidates who came in 8th or lower if candidates our Club endorsed drop out. (This point is moot because only the endorsed candidates listed above passed our endorsement threshold.)
Tonight, let's give 2020 a big, socially-distanced French kiss goodbye!
Upcoming Georgia, ADEM, & Milk Board Elections
If Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff are both elected to the U.S. Senate from Georgia on January 5th, perhaps some of the damage done to this country can be repaired.
Mark your calendars for our December General Membership Meeting to be held Tuesday, December 15th at 7pm on Zoom.
Also, please remember that we will not hold a PAC Meeting on Tuesday, December 8th.
Here is our December General Membership Meeting agenda:
1) Updates from our PAC, an update on our 2020 Holigay Party, and an update on our community outreach priorities for 2021. (Please take our quick community outreach survey here.)
2) A discussion and official endorsement vote for ADEM candidates running in AD 17 and AD 19. If you are a candidate who would like to speak at our meeting, please email us at [email protected] so that we can add you to our ballot and our speaking schedule. Candidates will likely be given a couple of minutes each to speak about themselves. First come, first serve.
3) A brief discussion and vote on officially endorsing Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff for the two runoff U.S. Senate seats in Georgia and what the Club can do to help them win if we endorse them.
4) Our General Meeting marks the beginning of our 2021 election process for the Milk Club Executive Board. If you are interested in running for any of our Club's E-Board seats, or would like to nominate someone to run, please plan on attending. Potential 2021 candidates are welcome to receive nominations, or nominate themselves, and give brief speeches in favor of their candidacies. (You can learn more about all of the E-Board positions at the bottom of this page.)
5) New Business.
Also, please renew your Milk Club Membership today at milkclub.org/join for 2021. All Memberships expire in at the conclusion of our February 2021 General Membership Meeting, and only full-fledged voting Members can elect next year's Executive Board at the January General Meeting.
Please register here to vote in the upcoming ADEM elections. It is quick, easy, and critical to ensure progressive Democratic endorsements in the near future.
Article VI of the California Democratic Party Bylaws provides that Assembly District Election Meetings (ADEMS) be held in each of the 80 California Assembly Districts in January of each odd-numbered year to elect seven self-identified female Democratic candidates and seven other than self-identified female Democratic candidates to be Assembly District Delegates to represent the Assembly District in which they live.
These elections are open to all California Democrats. Delegates are responsible for planning and attending informational meetings throughout their respective regions and working with other delegates across California on statewide matters.
It is critical that all of us in the Milk Club register to vote and vote for progressive Democratic Delegates in Assembly Districts 17 and 19 to ensure that we endorse truly progressive state-level and federal representatives and ballot measures in 2022, worthy of Harvey Milk's legacy. Remember, these delegates could be pivotal if/when there are open seats in Congress or the State Assembly on the horizon
In order to register to vote in the 2021 ADEM elections, click here. The deadline to register to vote and receive a mail ballot is January 11th, 2021.
In order to apply as a candidate, register here. The deadline to apply is December 15th of this year, the same day as our December General Membership Meeting.
And please consider signing this petition holding the California Democratic Party to their commitment and allow Dreamers to run for ADEM.
Since everyone is in lockdown, you might as well make time for all of our Club's December events. It's not as if you have anything else better to do!
And if you missed our online vigil for Harvey Milk and George Moscone on the 42nd anniversary of their assassinations, you can watch it here.
Here is a list of all of the seats up at our January 2021 General Membership Meeting:
President or Co-Presidents: Shall be the principal executive officer(s) and spokesperson(s) of the Club. Shall carry out the Club's policies and be governed by the Club's bylaws. Shall do everything necessary to execute the policies of this organization as determined by the Membership. Shall appoint as many as five at-large Executive Board Members. Shall hold Executive Board Members accountable for their commitments to the Club. Shall appoint special committees as necessary to the functioning of the Club. Shall perform such other duties as are implicit in the title.
Vice President of Internal Affairs: Shall do everything necessary to assist the President/Co-Presidents in the performance of their duties. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the President/Co-Presidents or the absence or temporary disability of the President, this person shall exercise all powers of the President/Co-President. Shall function as the Club’s manager of internal operations. Shall prepare executive committee and general membership agendas, in consultation with the President or relevant Chairs. Shall secure all general membership meeting locations of the Club. Shall ensure that all committees meet as needed and report their activities at Executive Board Meetings. Shall be a chair of the Standing Committee on Membership. Shall supervise the activities of the Membership Committee. Shall serve as the Club’s parliamentarian and track proposed by-law amendments as needed. Shall perform such other duties as are implicit in the title.
Vice President of Political Affairs: Shall do everything necessary to assist the President/Co-Presidents in the performance of their political duties. Shall prepare the Political Action Committee agenda, in consultation with the President. Shall administer all Political Action Committee meetings. Shall secure all Political Action Committee meeting locations. Shall be responsible for the implementation and execution of the Club’s endorsement process and all political activities of the Club. Shall regularly report to the Executive Board on all races and ballot measures requiring the Club's endorsements. Shall serve as Chair of the Standing Committee on Political Action. Shall supervise the activities of the Political Action Committee. Shall design all endorsement questionnaires. Shall perform such other duties as are implicit in the title.
Vice President of Events & Fundraising: Shall do everything necessary to assist the President/Co-Presidents in the performance of their duties. Shall serve as Chair of the Standing Committee on Events & Fundraising. Shall be responsible for the planning and execution of the Club’s community and fundraising events, including but not limited to, the Club's Annual Gayla Fundraiser, Candlelight Vigil, Castro Street Fair, Pride Events, and Holigay Party. Shall perform such other duties as are implicit in the title.
Treasurer: Shall keep an accurate account of all Club funds, including all contributions received. Shall disburse Club funds as authorized by the Membership or the Executive Board. Shall present regular financial reports to the Executive Board. Shall collect, process, and deposit funds in a timely manner. Shall manage and maintain the Club’s banking and accounting records. Shall be responsible for the preparation and timely filing of all financial reports as required by law. Shall abide by the Fair Political Practices Commission and Federal Election Commission laws, regulations, and filing reports. Shall submit, in writing, an annual financial statement to the Club at the close of the fiscal year. Shall present a draft annual budget two months before the end of the fiscal year. Shall perform such other duties as are implicit in the title.
Executive Board for Internal: Shall work in collaboration with Vice-President of Internal Affairs and assist that person in their duties. Shall staff the sign-in table at all General Membership and Political Action Committee meetings. Shall serve on the Standing Committee on Membership. Shall perform such other duties as are implicit in the title.
Executive Board for Political: Shall work in collaboration with Vice-President of Political Affairs and assist that person in their duties. Shall be a standing member of the Political Action Committee. Shall perform such other duties as are implicit in the title.
Executive Board for Outreach: Shall work in collaboration with Vice-President of Events & Fundraising and assist that person in their duties. Shall be in charge of all community outreach activities of the Club, including visibility and participation in community functions. Shall perform such other duties as are implicit in the title.
Executive Board for Events & Fundraising (Seat #1): Shall work in collaboration with Vice-President of Events & Fundraising and assist that person in their duties. Shall be a member of the Standing Committee on Events. Shall perform such other duties as are implicit in the title.
Executive Board for Events & Fundraising (Seat #2): Shall work in collaboration with Vice-President of Events & Fundraising and assist that person in their duties. Shall be a member of the Standing Committee on Events. Shall perform such other duties as are implicit in the title.
Executive Board for Organizing: Shall work in collaboration with Vice-President of Political Affairs and assist that person in their duties. Shall be a standing member of the Political Action Committee. Shall perform such other duties as are implicit in the title.
Correspondent: Shall maintain all Club correspondences. Shall work in collaboration with Vice-President of Internal Affairs and assist that person in their duties. Shall be responsible for press releases, press-related events, and other social media. Shall draft and prepare letters on behalf of the Club. Shall staff the sign-in table at the General Membership and Political Action Committee meetings. Shall prepare, schedule, and send the Club’s online newsletter. Shall be a member of the Standing Committee on Communications; ● Shall perform such other duties as are implicit in the title.
Recorder: Shall record and maintain the minutes of General Membership and Executive Board meetings. Shall maintain all Membership, PAC, and Executive Board attendance lists. Shall work in collaboration with Vice-President of Internal Affairs and assist that person in their duties. Shall be responsible for ensuring the confidentiality and security of all records and membership lists. Shall email a copy of the minutes to each member of the Executive Board following each scheduled meeting and ensure that they are posted online. Shall maintain a list of all Club officers and update the Club's bylaws. Shall maintain chartering requirements with the San Francisco Democratic Central Committee each year. Shall be a member of the Standing Committees on Membership and Communications. Shall perform such other duties as are implicit in the title.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Stop the Shut Down of the Shelter-In-Place Hotels
Wednesday, December 9th | 3:30-7pm
Facebook Event Details Here
Zoom Details Here
SF DCCC's Holiday and Blue Victory Party
Wednesday, December 9th | 6-7:30pm
Facebook Event Details Here
Zoom Details Here
Milk General Membership Meeting: ADEM Endorsements
Tuesday, December 15th | 7-9pm
Facebook Event Details Here
Zoom Details Here
42: 2020 Milk-Moscone Vigil
In this April 1977 file photo, San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, left, and Mayor George Moscone are shown in the mayor's office during the signing of the city's gay rights bill. (Read more at NPR.)
On November 27th, 1978, Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were both murdered in cold blood by Dan White. So every year on this date, the Milk Club honors these men and the progressive movement they each created. Always remembering how their tragic and senseless deaths continually force us to fight for a queer-friendly, inclusive, and progressive future for all, in San Francisco and beyond.
During recent years, the Milk Club hosts an in-person, candlelight march in the Castro, ending at Harvey's old camera shop. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that simply was not an option this time.
According to Chris Arvin's presentation at Tuesday's General Membership Meeting, a strong majority of SF voters continues to agree with our Club's endorsements.
At our November General Meeting, the Membership voting to:
1) Officially oppose Ordinance 201265 which would penalize tenants $1,000 a day if they are accused of smoking tobacco or cannabis in their apartments. (Read more about this here.)
2) Officially support Ordinance 201185 which would require all new supportive housing that comes online and all current supportive housing to charge tenants no more than 30% of their income towards rent.
3) Hold an endorsement vote for ADEM candidates running in AD 17 and AD 19 at our December General Membership Meeting. (More on this below.)
4) Hold an endorsement vote for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock for the U.S. Senate in Georgia at our December General Membership Meeting.
5) Officially support AB 310 (The California State Public Bank Act) and the Federal Public Banking Act, sponsored by US Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
If you missed our meeting, you can view it here.
Article VI of the California Democratic Party Bylaws provides that Assembly District Election Meetings (ADEMS) be held in each of the 80 California Assembly Districts in January of each odd-numbered year to elect seven self-identified female Democratic candidates and seven other than self-identified female Democratic candidates to be Assembly District Delegates to represent the Assembly District in which they live.
These elections are open to all California Democrats. Delegates are responsible for planning and attending informational meetings throughout their respective regions and working with other delegates across California on statewide matters.
Therefore, it is critical that all of us in the Milk Club register to vote and vote for progressive Democratic Delegates in Assembly Districts 17 and 19 to ensure that we endorse truly progressive state-level and federal representatives and ballot measures in 2022, worthy of Harvey Milk's legacy. Remember, these delegates could be pivotal if/when there are open seats in Congress or the State Assembly on the horizon.
In order to register to vote in the 2021 ADEM elections, register here. The deadline to register for a vote by mail ballot is January 11, 2021.
In order to apply as a candidate, register here. The deadline to apply is December 15th.
Also, keep in mind that the Membership will vote to endorse a slate of ADEM candidates in AD 17 and AD 19 at our December General Meeting. Stay tuned for more details as we get a clearer picture on who is running.
A Queer Election: What Just Happened?
Bye bye, baby.
We in the Harvey Milk Club hope you are all rested by now because the 2020 elections have been one hell of a roller coaster!
And when all is said and done, the incumbent will be ejected from The White House one way or another. And our Club's endorsed presidential ticket, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, will soon be sworn into office and tasked will cleaning up the mess and healing our country's bloody wounds.
Our national nightmare is almost over. Hopefully.
Diana Ross in The Wiz singing "Brand New Day" after the melting of Evilene, the Wicked Witch of the West. Very fitting after these four long years.
Congratulations to District 1 Supervisor-elect Connie Chan!
Overall, November's election results have been mixed but mostly positive, especially at the local level. In fact, "Progressives are winning the Battle of San Francisco," according to 48 Hills.
Connie Chan's election to the Board of Supervisors certainly represents one of our progressive wins, despite sleazy, fly-by-night, fake tenant groups spending big bucks in District 1 to the contrary.
The Harvey Milk Club is proud of the grassroots (and mostly volunteer) support we offered Supervisor-elect Connie Chan, and we look forward to working with her at City Hall next year.
Join us at 7pm on Tuesday on Zoom as we discuss the November election results and what comes next.
We briefly discussed Connie Chan's win earlier, but what else happened on Election Day?
Join the Milk Club on Tuesday at 7pm as we discuss all of the election results (local, state, and federal) and what this election means for advancing our queer values in the not-so-distant future.
The Facebook Event details are here. And the Zoom details are here.
Our agenda includes:
1) Election results analysis, with a particular focus on local and state results with David Campos, Jane Kim, Joe Eskenazi and Chris Arvin.
2) Community Outreach efforts, including an open conversation on engaging in community service projects during off-election cycles.
3) Discussion on the upcoming 2021 E-Board elections.
4) Discussion for our Annual Harvey Milk Vigil for November 27th, which will be held virtually this year, due to COVID-19 concerns.
5) New Business.
Onward to 2021, queers! Onward:
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
SF Transgender Film Festival 2020 (Online)
Thursday, November 12th - Sunday, November 15th
Facebook Event Details Here
Film Festival Details Here
Milk Club November General Meeting: What Just Happened?
Tuesday, November 17th | 7-9pm
Facebook Event Details Here
Zoom Details Here
The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
http://www.milkclub.org
Join or renew your Membership today!
http://www.milkclub.org/join
Bye Bye Baby!!!
The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
http://www.milkclub.org
Join or renew your Membership today!
http://www.milkclub.org/join
Act Up! Fight Back!
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.”
There are no words to describe how saddened we are by the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Much like our Club’s namesake, Ruth came from humble beginnings. She was born to Jewish immigrant parents and grew up in New York during the Great Depression and came of age during World War II.
The gender discrimination Ms. Ginsburg faced throughout her professional career undoubtely shaped her political values and overall jurisprudence, much to the material benefit of the lives of millions of Americans during her service on the United States Supreme Court.
During Justice Ginsburg's tenure on the Court, she fought for Women's rights, LGBT rights, racial equality, voting rights, workers' rights and against discrimination, voter supression, gerrymandering, money in politics and unfettered capitalism. Some of the most rulings on LGBT rights she presided over include (but are not limited to):
Romer v. Evans (1996):
Voiding an amendment to the Colorado state constitution that prohibited laws protecting the rights of homosexuals.
Lawrence v. the State of Texas (2003):
Overturning anti-sodomy laws in 14 states.
Hollingsworth v. Perry (2013):
Legalizing same-sex marriage in Califonria.
United States v. Windsor (2013):
Overturning the Defense of Marriage Act.
Obergfell v. Hodges (2015):
Giving same-sex couples the right to marry in all 50 states.
Bostock v. Clayton County (2020):
Banning employees from being discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
As you can probably guess, the leadership of the Milk Club is deeply worried by who may replace RBG on the Court and the potential loss of all of our civil rights over the next few decades. But we must focus on this fight one step at a time.
The first step is to volunteer with us and turn out a solidly progressive vote in November 2020. We will show you how below.
Let's make Ruth proud.
The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
http://www.milkclub.org
Join or renew your Membership today!
http://www.milkclub.org/join
Our Dean Preston Event & Honoring Denise D'Anne
Register on Zoom here!
On Thursday at 6pm, please join the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, former CA State Senator Mark Leno, Jackie Fielder, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, former Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, SF DCCC Chair David Campos, CCSF Board of Trustees President Shanell Williams, and CCSF Trustee Tom Temprano for a fundraiser to support Supervisor Dean Preston's re-election campaign.
Please register in advance on Zoom here. Also, please consider signing up for a Dean Preston phonebank here.
A queer time will be had by all, especially when Dean Preston wins again this November.
Denise D'Anne's entry photo for Miss Tall Club from the 1970's. Photo: Geoffrey (Lucky) Scott.
As you may already know, Denise D'Anne, a former Co-President of the Milk Club, passed away on September 2nd. She was an early transgender activist and lifelong environmentalist and brought these value sets when she led this Club in 2010 with David Waggoner.
Denise D'Anne will be missed. So please plan to virtually attend our September General Membership Meeting this Tuesday, from 7-9pm, where we will discuss her life. Here is our full agenda:
1) Introduction & endorsement ballot description.
2) PAC Chair report.
3) Events & Fundraising report.
4) Presentations and Q&A with E-Board nominees Kurtis Wu for E-Board Outreach, Jasper Wilde for At-Large #1, and Joe Adkins for At-Large #2.
5) Reflections on the life on Denise D'Anne.
6) A discussion on Club civility.
7) New Business.
At our meeting, we will also virtually vote to endorse for Oakland City Council's At-Large Seat and for the SF Pride Board. (The PAC has given recommendations to Rebecca Kaplan for the Oakland City Council At-Large Seat and Laurence Berland and Tyler Breisacher for the SF Pride Board of Directors, so take that into consideration.)
We will also vote on electing the aforementioned Executive Board nominees.
If you knew Denise D'Anne and would like to talk about her life at our meeting, feel free to email us at [email protected] so that we can formally add you to our agenda.
The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
http://www.milkclub.org
Join or renew your Membership today!
http://www.milkclub.org/join