Twitter Trolls & Social Justice Goals
As many of you know, Brandon Harami, former chair of the San Francisco Berniecrats, was the victim of a homophobic trope on Twitter. Read more about it in the BAR here and judge for yourself.
The troll in this case is The Marina Times editor emeritus Susan Dyer Reynolds, who regularly levels attacks on progressive elected officials and activists in her columns and on social media.
Lately, her main target has been SF District Attorney Chesa Boudin. But Reynolds has also attacked SB 145, legislation passed by CA State Senator Scott Wiener. Which was the subject of her latest social media abuse.
The Milk Club responded to these attacks with a letter to Brian Calle, CEO and publisher of Street Media, co-signed by several other Democratic and Progressive Clubs. (Feel free to read our letter below.)
We hope and expect that The Marina Times will remove Reynolds from her position, and that this Twitter troll (with too much time on her hands, apparently) has learned her lesson about not playing into thoughtless homophobic and transphobic tropes. Especially in this day and age.
Dear Mr. Calle,
The executive boards of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, Alice B Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club, San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club, Latinx Young Democrats of San Francisco, San Francisco Berniecrats, Richmond District Democratic Club, and San Francisco Young Democrats hereby request that you revoke Susan Dyer Reynolds’ status as Editor Emeritus of the Marina Times, as well as her access to the Marina Times Twitter account.
On March 10, Ms. Reynolds publicly accused a gay man of being “fine with adult men dating underage boys.” In doing so, without any evidence to support the claim, she perpetuated one of the oldest tropes against gay men that has been invoked for centuries to smear, incarcerate, and kill members of the LGBTQ community.
When the Milk Club responded to Ms. Reynolds Tweet, asking her to retract the statement and publicly apologize, she doubled down, claiming that Senator Scott Wiener’s SB-145 legalized pedophilia, an assertion that has been declared categorically false by Reuters and other respected news outlets.
In light of the blatant homophobia Ms. Reynolds displayed, in conjunction with her unwillingness to apologize, we feel it is inappropriate for her to continue to retain the title of Editor Emeritus and control over the Twitter account of a local news outlet in our City.
When you purchased the Marina Times, you said that San Francisco is “special” to you. We also feel this is a special City, in no small part because it has been the center of LGBTQ activism in the US for decades, and a place where many queer people feel safe. When someone like Ms. Reynolds displays such blatant bigotry on behalf of a respected local institution, it detracts from what makes San Francisco unique, and hurts our community.
Therefore, we respectfully request a response to this letter detailing the actions you have taken to eliminate any association between Ms. Reynolds and the Marina Times.
Signed,
Alice B Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club
Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club
San Francisco Latinx Young Democrats
San Francisco Young Democrats
San Francisco Berniecrats
Richmond District Democratic Club
Thank you to everyone who attended last night's General Membership Meeting. (If you missed it, you can watch it here.)
The Membership voted unanimously for the following motions:
1) A motion to cosponsor the Harvey Milk Annual Celebration Day of Service — a pandemic relief/ recovery center with DPH and UCSF led by Stephen Torres of the Harvey Milk Day Planning Coalition — and to support the closure petition for Castro Street between 18th and 17th/ Market) from 9am - 5pm, both on May 22nd.
2) A motion to support the efforts and goals of CART SF, a community-based alternative to a police-driven response to homelessness in the City.
3) A motion to support the elimination of the filibuster in the US Senate, to collaborate with Fix Our Senate to advocate for the elimination of the filibuster, and to send a letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein asking her to advocate for ending the filibuster.
4) A motion to support AB 1400, "Guaranteed Health Care for All."
5) A motion to support AB 20, "Corporate-Free Elections Act."
6) A motion to support Assemblymember Alex Lee's (D-San Jose) proposal to impose a 1% annual tax on net household wealth of more than $50 million and an additional 0.5% on household wealth of more than $1 billion. (Read more about it in 48 Hills.)
7) A motion to support SB 331, "The Silence No More Act," which would protect workers against nondisclosure agreements and empower them to speak out about alleged acts of discrimination.
8) A motion to support the federal Protecting the Right to Organize Act," or PRO Act.
Also, the Membership elected Jupiter Peraza and Zahra Hajee to our Club's final two At-Large Executive Board Seats.
We need more seats at the table in public office.
This Saturday, join Janice Li, Alex Lee, and James Coleman as they share their experiences and advice on running — and winning — as young, queer progressives.
Buy your tickets through Act Blue here.
Joint Club Statement on The Removal of Susan Reynolds after Homophobic Remarks
Dear Mr. Calle,
The executive boards of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, Alice B Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club, San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club, Latinx Young Democrats of San Francisco, San Francisco Berniecrats, Richmond District Democratic Club, and San Francisco Young Democrats hereby request that you revoke Susan Dyer Reynolds’ status as Editor Emeritus of the Marina Times, as well as her access to the Marina Times Twitter account.
On March 10, Ms. Reynolds publicly accused a gay man of being “fine with adult men dating underage boys.” In doing so, without any evidence to support the claim, she perpetuated one of the oldest tropes against gay men that has been invoked for centuries to smear, incarcerate, and kill members of the LGBTQ community.
When the Milk Club responded to Ms. Reynolds Tweet, asking her to retract the statement and publicly apologize, she doubled down, claiming that Senator Scott Wiener’s SB-145 legalized pedophilia, an assertion that has been declared categorically false by Reuters and other respected news outlets.
In light of the blatant homophobia Ms. Reynolds displayed, in conjunction with her unwillingness to apologize, we feel it is inappropriate for her to continue to retain the title of Editor Emeritus and control over the Twitter account of a local news outlet in our City.
When you purchased the Marina Times, you said that San Francisco is “special” to you. We also feel this is a special City, in no small part because it has been the center of LGBTQ activism in the US for decades, and a place where many queer people feel safe. When someone like Ms. Reynolds displays such blatant bigotry on behalf of a respected local institution, it detracts from what makes San Francisco unique, and hurts our community.
Therefore, we respectfully request a response to this letter detailing the actions you have taken to eliminate any association between Ms. Reynolds and the Marina Times.
Signed,
Alice B Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club
Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club
San Francisco Latinx Young Democrats
San Francisco Young Democrats
San Francisco Berniecrats
Richmond District Democratic Club
Honoring Hoover Lee's Legacy
Photo provided by Rick Gerharter.
As you may have recently read in the Bay Area Reporter, San Franciscans have lost Hoover Lee, an irreplaceable queer, Asian community leader. Hoover was a founding member of the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance, the Association of Lesbian and Gay Asians, and the Asian and Pacific Islander Caucus of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club.
In addition to Hoover's overall activism, he was also a mentor to up-and-coming queer, Asian politicians in the City. Former SF Community College Trustee Lawrence Wong was quoted in the B.A.R. saying, "If there was ever to be a founding father of the gay Asian movement in San Francisco it would be Hoover Lee."
Hoover's passing at the age of 83 comes amid a spike in anti-Asian hate crimes across the country, including the Bay Area. So, one way to honor Hoover's legacy and combat this anti-Asian bigotry and violence is to re-establish the Asian and Pacific Islander Caucus of this Club!
Stay tuned for updates from us on this front. But if you are interested in learning more about our new caucus efforts, please contact Jeffrey Kwong, our V.P. of Events and Fundraising, at [email protected].
Thank you to everyone who attended our February General Membership Meeting. If you missed it, you can watch a recording of it here.
The General Membership voted on the following motions:
1) To support CA State Senator Connie M. Leyva's (D-Chino) CA SB 331, empowering victims of any type of workplace harassment or discrimination to speak out.
2) To support the Black Students Union of Lowell High School in its efforts to challenge Lowell's current admissions policy.
3) To support Mari Posa and Celestina Pearl in their efforts to join the Parental Advisory Board of the San Francisco School Board.
4) To support the California Nurses Association's CalCare campaign for single-payer healthcare in the state.
And the Membership voted to elect Joe Adkins, Jasper Wilde, and Luca Mineo-Marinello to the At-Large Executive Board!
Also, the Milk Club Co-Presidents nominated Jupiter Peraza and Zahra Hajee to serve as At-Large Board Members. This vote will take place at our March General Membership Meeting.
It is not too late to renew your Harvey Milk Club Membership at www.milkclub.org/join. Please stay with us in the fight this new year.
Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any questions.
And if you did not know, U.S. Representative (and QAnon fanatic) Marjorie Taylor Greene opposes The Equality Act. Her next door neighbor in the Capitol Building, Democratic Congresswoman Marie Newman, has something to say about that, a you will see below. (Keep in mind that Congresswoman Newman has a transgender daughter.)
Planting the right sort of flag at the U.S. Capitol these days.
The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
http://www.milkclub.org
Join or renew your Membership today!
http://www.milkclub.org/join
Vaccinations & Education
At our Meeting, the Membership voted to:
1) Support CA State Senator Connie M. Leyva's (D-Chino) Senate Bill 331, empowering victims of any type of workplace harassment or discrimination to speak out.
2) Support the Black Students Union of Lowell High School in its efforts to challenge Lowell's current admissions policy.
3) Support Mari Posa and Celestina Pearl in their efforts to join the Parental Advisory Board of the SF School Board.
4) Support the California Nurses Association's CalCare campaign for single-payer healthcare in the state.
The Co-Presidents also nominated Jupiter Peraza and Zahra Hajee to serve as At-Large Board Members. The Membership voted to elect Joe Adkins, Jasper Wilde, and Luca Mineo-Marinello to the At-Large Executive Board.
It is not too late to renew your Milk Club Membership at www.milkclub.org/join. Please stay with us in the fight this new year.
Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Longtime Milk Club Member Terrrie Frye has passed away. In this photo, she is wearing a shirt from the Hole In The Wall, her favorite SOMA bar.
Longtime Harvey Milk Club Member Terrrie Frye passed away at age 74 on February 4th at a Washington Hospital in Fremont. (Read more about Terrrie Frye's life in the BAR.)
Unfortunately, Terrrie had been ill for quite sometime and missed most of our meetings last year.
Granny Gear, as Terrrie was known by many of us, had deep roots in the Milk Club and did not tolerate bullshit easily throughout her decades of progressive activism, particularly on AIDS and cannabis rights related issues.
As SF DCCC Chair David Campos put it in the BAR, "She was a feisty, outspoken activist with a heart of gold."
Terrrie Frye will be missed.
A New Milk Board & Your Renewed Milk Membership
Milk Club Co-Presidents Edward Wright & Kaylah Williams.
Thank you to everyone who attended last Tuesday's General Meeting where the Membership elected its new Executive Board for 2021:
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
Immediate Past President: Kevin Bard
Also on Tuesday, Co-President Kaylah Williams nominated the following people to serve as At-Large Board Members: Joe Adkins, Jasper Wilde, and Luca Mineo-Marinello. The Membership will vote to confirm these nominees at our February General Membership Meeting, which is scheduled for Tuesday, February 16th at 7pm.
And stay tuned for more potential At-Large nominations from our new Co-Presidents. If you have questions, feel free to email Edward and Kaylah about this or any other topic at [email protected].
And if you missed our January General Meeting, feel free to watch it here.
The first action of the newly-elected Harvey Milk Club Executive Board was to sign on to a crucial letter with the Coalition on Homelessness, GLIDE, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, the SF Public Defender, the Taxpayers for Public Safety, and other advocates from across the City to call on the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to take immediate action to implement recommendations found to achieve transit, racial, and economic equity.
By signing this letter, we are asking the SFMTA to do the following:
1) Extend the moratorium on fare evasion citations until the shelter-in-place period is ended.
2) Make the Access Pass available to San Franciscans in poverty who live in public and supportive housing.
3) Clear and void all prior fare evasion tickets and vacate the associated debt for those who are living in poverty or who have signed up for an Access Pass or Muni Lifeline Pass.
4) End fare evasion tickets for people with low incomes.
5) Make Muni free for people who live in poverty.
Your new Executive Board is wasting no time this year standing up with our allies for progressive values when it comes to transit issues. Or any other issue, for that matter.
Is your Milk about to expire in 2021? Fix that by clicking here.
If you have not renewed your Milk Club Membership between December 1st, 2020 and now, then it will automatically be suspended or possibly expire at the end of our February 16th General Membership Meeting.
Do not let this happen to you! Renew now at www.milkclub.org/join and stay with us in the fight this new year.
Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Longtime Milk Club Member Terrrie Frye has passed away. In this photo, she is wearing a shirt from the Hole In The Wall, her favorite SOMA bar.
Longtime Harvey Milk Club Member Terrrie Frye passed away at age 74 on February 4th at a Washington Hospital in Fremont. (Read more about Terrrie Frye's life in the BAR.)
Unfortunately, Terrrie had been ill for quite sometime and missed most of our meetings last year.
Granny Gear, as Terrrie was known by many of us, had deep roots in the Milk Club and did not tolerate bullshit easily throughout her decades of progressive activism, particularly on AIDS and cannabis rights related issues.
As SF DCCC Chair David Campos put it in the BAR, "She was a feisty, outspoken activist with a heart of gold."
Terrrie Frye will be missed.
Remembering Ken Jones
San Francisco lost another incredible community activist this past week with Ken Jones, who passed away at age 70. (Read more here in the BAR.)
After serving three tours of duty in Vietnam with the U.S. Navy, Ken was stationed at Treasure Island for what would turn out to be a very consequential "relaxed shore duty."
Ken was a key organizer in what would become the AIDS Foundation, took part in the first AIDS bike ride, and served on the San Francisco Pride Board as its first black chair during the 80s.
Ken was also an ordained deacon who told the BAR in 2017, "God created me just like I am, healed, perfect, and whole."
(Portions of Ken's life and activism in San Francisco are chronicled in the book and miniseries When We Rise.)
Now, it is the Milk Club's turn to pick up his progressive torch and carry it forward into 2021 and beyond.
On Monday, Members of the Milk Club Board and the Castro community came together to put up a memorial for Ken Jones at the corner of 18th Street and Castro, otherwise known as "Hibernia Beach." Just days before, Bank of America had erected signs prohibiting the posting of any materials to the wrought iron fence, which became an impromptu memorial site for friends and neighbors throughout the AIDS crisis and is still used to memorialize our community's dearly departed.
By affixing a narrative of Hibernia Beach to the bank's exterior (see below), we also sought to remind Bank of America of the space's significance to the LGBTQ community. In the words of Tom Ammiano, we pulled some "nelly ninja shit.”
We stand ready if Bank of America ever needs another reminder.
Reporting on this needless controversy (including the history of this epicenter of the gay universe) can be found in Hoodline and 48 Hills.
The California Democratic Party has extended its deadline so that all ADEM ballots received by Wednesday, February 3rd WILL BE COUNTED!!!
Here is the Milk Club's list of endorsed candidates:
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
With regards to your ADEM ballot, please remember:
1) That our endorsed ADEM candidates for AD 17 are listed besides these numbers: 01, 02, 03, 09, 10, 12, 13, 17, 36, 37, 39, 40, 44, and 46.
2) That our endorsed ADEM candidates for AD 19 are listed besides these numbers: 02, 05, 06, 11, 13, 15, 16, 20, 22, 31, 33, and 40.
3) To vote for no more than 14 candidates. (If you vote for more, then your ballot will not be counted.)
4) To fill in your 10-digit voter ID code that comes with your ballot. (If you do not fill this in, then your ballot will not be counted.)
5) To send in your ballot using the envelope that came with your ballot. Postage is already provided.
Also, Co-President Kaylah Williams nominated the following people to serve as At-Large Board Members: Joe Adkins, Jasper Wilde, and Luca Mineo-Marinello. The Membership will vote on these nominees at our February General Membership Meeting. And if you missed our January Meeting, feel free to watch it here.
Also, take our quick community outreach survey here so that the Milk Club can set its priorities for 2021. And please renew your Membership for 2021 by clicking here before it lapses or expires in February!
Dr. King finally got his birthday wish. In fact, we all did.
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