Our New Milk E-Board!
In addition, the following people were elected to serve on the 2022 Milk Club Executive Board:
And finally, the following people were nominated by the President to serve on the 2022 Executive Board At-Large:
Seat 1: Sophia Andary
The At-Large nominations will be voted on for approval at the February General Membership Meeting.
Our Upcoming Board Elections
Here is the Milk Club's full list of endorsements for the election on February 15th:
State Assembly Member, District 17: David Campos
Measure A (Recalling School Board Member Alison Collins): no position
Measure B (Recalling School Board Member Gabriela Lopez): No
Measure C (Recalling School Board Member Faauuga Moliga): No
SF Assessor-Recorder: Joaquin Torres
Join the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club for our January General Membership Meeting at 7pm on Tuesday.
The Membership will elect our new 2022 Executive Board. And with up to four local elections in 2022, it is a critical time for our Club. So be sure to attend and make your voice heard in deciding our new leadership team.
You can view all our board nominees at www.milkclub.org/board. If you would like to nominate someone, email their name, email address, and the specific board position to [email protected].
The Milk Club will also be joined by Jane Kim, the incoming State Director for the California Working Families Party, to learn more about WFP and their launch throughout the Bay Area and California.
Don't miss it on Zoom at bit.ly/milkmeeting.
This is a remote-only meeting and will take place exclusively on Zoom. We have moved our meeting entirely online due to the surge of the Omicron variant and hope to be together again in-person soon.
Thank you to everyone who attended last night's "Back to HIV" January PAC Meeting with Dr. Monica Gandhi. If you missed it, you can watch it here.
The PAC also voted to support the following:
1) A motion that the Milk Club sponsor an upcoming action at City Hall urging the Mayor, the Board of Supervisors, and the Department of Public Health to make HIV a priority in SF. (Stay tuned for more details.)
2) A motion to oppose any budget supplemental to increase police staffing, and any efforts to criminalize drug users; and to support the expedition of a service linkage center and safe consumption site, and related hiring of mental health professionals.
3) A motion to support non-police responses to 911 calls about mental health emergencies, and allowing dispatchers to contact alternative responses.
Nominations to our 2022 Milk Club Executive Board
All of the nominees listed below have accepted their nominations. (Nominations have been updated daily here.)
President or Co-Presidents
Edward Wright (he/him)
Vice President of Membership
Raya Steier (they/them)
Vice President of Political Action
1) Reid Coggins (he/him)
2) Nomvula O’Meara (she/they)
Vice President of Events and Fundraising
Jeffrey Kwong (he/him)
Vice President of Communications
Melissa Hernandez (she/they)
Treasurer
Jerry Fenske (he/him)
Membership Officer, Seat #1
1) Alvin Lee (he/they)
2) JConr B Ortega (we/our/us)
Membership Officer, Seat #2
Akeylah Hernandez (they/them)
Political Action Officer, Seat #1
Jackie Thornhill (she/her)
Political Action Officer, Seat #2
Zahra Hajee (she/her)
Events and Fundraising Officer, Seat #1
Katherine Usher (she/her)
Events and Fundraising Officer, Seat #2
Michael Rouppet (he/him)
Communications Officer
Seamus McGeever (he/him)
Recorder
Kurtis Wu (he/him)
Your Milk Club Membership will lapse or totally expire on Tuesday, February 15th. So renew now!
2022 is a brand new year. Got Milk?
Now is the time to renew your Club Membership. If not, it will automatically be suspended or possibly expire entirely at the conclusion of our February 15th 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.
And remember that your dues will cover you all the way into February 2023!
Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any questions.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Milk January General Membership Meeting:
Executive Board Election
Tuesday, January 18th I 7-9pm
Zoom Event Details here.
Facebook Event Details here.
Milk Club HIV Caucus Meeting
Friday, January 21st I 3-4pm
Zoom Events Details here.
To Your Queer Mental Health, and Elders
Saturday, January 22nd I 11am-1pm
Zoom Events Details here.
Facebook Event Details here.
The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
http://www.milkclub.org
Join or renew your Membership today!
http://www.milkclub.org/join
Executive Board Elections
Thank you to everyone who attended our joint General Membership and Political Action Committee meeting last month.
Our Members voted to:
1) Endorse Joaquín Torres for San Francisco Assessor-Recorder.
2) Oppose the recall of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin.
3) Take no position on the recall of Board of Education Commissioner Alison Collins. (No position on Measure A.)
4) Oppose the recall of Board of Education President Gabriela López. (No on Measure B.)
5) Oppose the recall of Board of Education Vice President Faauuga Moliga. (No on Measure C.)
6) Amend our Club's bylaws to make changes to our Executive Board and committee structure.
Nominations to our 2022 Milk Club Executive Board are now open!
To nominate someone for the 2022 Executive Board, email the candidate's name, email address, and seat of your nominee to [email protected].
Remember that Members of the Milk Club may nominate themselves for board seats.
All of the nominees listed below have accepted their nominations. (Nominations are updated daily here.)
President or Co-Presidents
Edward Wright (he/him)
Vice President of Membership
Raya Steier (they/them)
Vice President of Political Action
Reid Coggins (he/him)
Vice President of Events and Fundraising
Jeffrey Kwong (he/him)
Vice President of Communications
Melissa Hernandez (she/they)
Treasurer
Jerry Fenske (he/him)
Membership Officer, Seat #1
1) Alvin Lee (he/they)
2) JConr B Ortega (we/our/us)
Membership Officer, Seat #2
Akeylah Hernandez (they/them)
Political Action Officer, Seat #1
Jackie Thornhill (she/her)
Political Action Officer, Seat #2
Zahra Hajee (she/her)
Events and Fundraising Officer, Seat #1
Katherine Usher (she/her)
Events and Fundraising Officer, Seat #2
Michael Rouppet (he/him)
Communications Officer
Seamus McGeever (he/him)
Recorder
Kurtis Wu (he/him)
Your Milk Club Membership will lapse or totally expire on Tuesday, February 15th. So renew now!
2022 is a brand new year. Got Milk?
Now is the time to renew your Club Membership. If not, it will automatically be suspended or possibly expire entirely at the conclusion of our February 15th 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.
And remember that your dues will cover you all the way into February 2023!
Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any questions.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Milk January General Membership Meeting:
Executive Board Elections
Tuesday, January 18th I 7-9pm
(Stay Tuned for Details.)
Milk Club HIV Caucus Meeting
Friday, January 21st I 3-4pm
Zoom Events Details here.
The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
http://www.milkclub.org
Join or renew your Membership today!
http://www.milkclub.org/join
December PAC & General Membership Meeting
Our members voted to:
Also, nominations to the Milk Executive Board for 2022 are now open. If you would like to make a nomination, please email us at pr[email protected]. Once accepted, the nominations are posted daily to https://www.milkclub.org/eboard_2021.
WE'RE HERE TO RECRUIT YOU!
The Milk Club is unapologetically progressive and proudly queer. Since 1976, we build power with and for all of the “Us’s” — San Francisco’s most vulnerable communities — to be free from scarcity, oppression, and machine politics.
Also, if you join or renew your Membership today, it will cover ALL OF 2022!
Get involved: www.milkclub.org
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @harveymilkclub
Our Milk-Moscone Vigil
The Membership voted:
1) To support the Local 39 strike against Kaiser Permanente and to support the actions organized by Kaiser workers across the state.
2) To support the Milk Club becoming an affiliate of Healthy California Now, a statewide coalition that is dedicated to establishing a single-payer, Medicare-For-All system across the state.
3) To oppose the exclusion of Bernal Heights, Bayview and Visitation Valley from the soon-to-be redrawn Assembly District 17.
4) To support Supervisor Dean Preston's Emergency Housing Acquisition Program.
5) To support Supervisor Rafael Mandelman's proposal to allow new bars to operate in the Castro District.
6) To support suspending the cannabis tax for another year.
7) To support holding an endorsement vote for SF Assessor-Recorder at our December General Meeting.
8) To support holding an endorsement vote for the recall elections for SF District Attorney Chesa Boudin and School Board Members Alison Collins Gabriela Lopez, Faauuga Moliga, and Alison Collins at our December General Meeting.
9) To support holding a vote for a bylaw change restructuring the Milk Club Executive Board at our December General Meeting.
10) And the Membership voted to officially endorse Alex Lee for AD 25.
Photo: Bob McLeod / 1977 S.F. Examiner, during the signing of the City's Gay Rights Ordinance.
The Milk Club is unapologetically progressive and proudly queer. Since 1976, we have built power with and for all of the “Us’s” — San Francisco’s most vulnerable communities — in order to be free from scarcity, oppression, and machine politics.
Please join or renew your Harvey Milk Club Membership by clicking here. Stay with us in the fight!
Also, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any questions regarding your Membership.
And stay involved by going to our website: www.milkclub.org. And join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by searching for our handle @harveymilkclub.
Coming Out for David Campos!
Thank you to everyone who attended last month's General Membership Meeting. (If you missed it, you can watch it here.)
At our Meeting, the Membership voted:
1) To support the Harvey Milk Plaza renovation project. (Unanimous.)
2) To support an ordinance sponsored by Supervisor Hillary Ronen and Supervisor Shamann Walton to ensure access to paid time off for domestic workers and the campaign behind it. (Unanimous.)
3) To hold an endorsement vote at our November General Meeting for all candidates running for CA Assembly in District 25. (Unanimous.)
Also, as you probably have already heard, the Membership voted to officially endorse David Campos for CA Assembly District 17!
We are proud to endorse David Campos for Assembly! Whether you judge the candidates by their track record, their platform, their depth of experience, or the communities they represent, David Campos is an easy choice for AD 17 at the Milk Club.
David Campos is someone who doesn't just follow public opinion, he leads it and has done so for decades. Queers deserve a proven progressive in Sacramento. And the LGBTQ community, immigrants, and the Latinx folks deserve to be seen, heard, and represented.
So for all of these reasons, mark your calendars for David Campos's upcoming campaign events. The details are below:
And thank you to everyone who attended and sponsored our 2021 Gayla! And a special thank you to everyone who volunteered, especially Jeffrey Phillips, Jonathan Griffin, Paul Aguilar, Tiffany, Confetti Canon (www.confetticanondj.com), J. Elizabeth Portraiture (www.jelizabethportraiture.com), Danny Nicoletta, Jeff May, Sydney Simpson, Edgar Rodriguez, and Congregation Sherith Israel.
Here are some photos:
Vice Chair of the California Democratic Party David Campos & former Ohio State Senator Nina Turner.
VP of Events & Fundraising Jeffrey Kwong & CA Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez.
Jeff May & Milk Club Co-President Kaylah Williams.
Milk Club Co-President Edward Wright & Milk Club Board Member Joe Adkins.
Former Milk Club Presidents Stephany Ashley, SF Democratic Party Chair Honey Mahogany, Laura Thomas, Kevin Bard, DCCC Member Peter Gallotta, CCSF Trustee Tom Temprano, and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman.
David Campos, Supervisor Connie Chan, and former Milk Club President Peter Gallotta.
Photo: Bob McLeod / 1977 S.F. Examiner, during the signing of the City's Gay Rights Ordinance.
The Milk Club is unapologetically progressive and proudly queer. Since 1976, we have built power with and for all of the “Us’s” — San Francisco’s most vulnerable communities — in order to be free from scarcity, oppression, and machine politics.
Please join or renew your Harvey Milk Club Membership by clicking here. Stay with us in the fight!
Also, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any questions regarding your Membership.
And stay involved by going to our website: www.milkclub.org. And join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by searching for our handle @harveymilkclub.
The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
http://www.milkclub.org
Join or renew your Membership today!
http://www.milkclub.org/join
Remembering Sally Gearhart at Tuesday's Meeting
Our City and Community has lost a legendary activist with the passing of educator and legend Sally Miller Gearhart on July 14th.
Sally was a prominent activist in San Francisco during the 70’s and 80’s. She was also a tenured professor of women's and genders studies at SF State, one of the first in the country. And, of course, Sally served as an early and vocal ally to our Club's namesake Supervisor Harvey Milk. They both worked hand-in-hand in defeating Prop. 6, also known as the Briggs Initiative, which would have barred lesbian and gay people from being teachers, if passed.
Sally was featured prominently in the “Life and Times of Harvey Milk” an acclaimed documentary about Harvey Milk's life and political forays, as well as in the ABC mini series “When We Rise”.
Sally will be missed.
The Membership voted:
1) To retroactively allow PAC Meetings on Zoom to count as qualifying meetings for new Members to vote in the Club.
2) To officially recognize the HIV Caucus.
3) To allow the Milk Club to join with the San Francisco Budget Justice Coalition.
4) To hold an endorsement vote on the recall election of Governor Gavin Newsom at our August General Membership Meeting.
The Membership also ratified a bylaw amendment regulating how the Executive Board holds votes.
Also, our meeting was adjourned in honor of the late Sally Gearhart.
The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
http://www.milkclub.org
Join or renew your Membership today!
http://www.milkclub.org/join
Pop Up Elections
Milk Club endorsed Janani Ramachandran, our candidate for a special election for the East Bay's 18th Assembly District seat, has advanced to the August 31st runoff. Please get involved here.
The Harvey Milk Club is thrilled that Janani Ramachandran has advanced to an August 31st runoff for CA's 18th Assembly District. Read more about where the race stands here and get involved to ensure Janani's victory next month!
The bad news is that the California Democratic Party called a last-minute endorsement vote at 5:10 PM on Friday, July 2nd, and then held a vote on Monday. All of this during the 4th of July three-day weekend!
Because the vote was rushed without due process and fairness to both sides, delegates did not have time to consider vital issues including voter fraud, conflicts of interest, and forgery. And a black delegate who was traveling during the holiday weekend was not allowed to vote.
Read Janani Ramachandran's press release for more details on this incident.
When the Republican Party works to suppress votes, we rightly cry foul. When the Democratic Party adopts a vote process that by definition denies full access, we should raise our voices as one to speak out for a fair and just voting process.
Corporate Democrats are getting desperate in their efforts to stop both Medicare for All and Nina Turner, the Milk Club's endorsed candidate for Congress in OH-11.
And while we are on the topic of progressives vs. the party establishment, please remember to help out Nina Turner in whatever way you can to ensure her primary election victory on August 3rd in Ohio.
Like Janani Ramachandran here in California, Nina Turner faces opposition from the status quo. This is clearly evident in how the pharmaceutical industry responded (within hours!) to Nina's moving campaign ad calling for Medicare for All.
At the beginning of 2021, the Harvey Milk Club did not expect to be involved in any elections for at least a year. But surprises happen, so stay tuned for details regarding the upcoming September 14th gubernatorial recall and our Membership's official response to it. Along with other potential upcoming special elections.
All in good time.
Thank you to everyone who made is out to the People's March! It was certainly refreshing to have a Pride Parade centered around grassroots organizations rather than corrupt banks and massive corporations.
And speaking of Pride, please show your support for the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus as their members face death threats for the video posted above. Read more about this faux controversy here and judge for yourself.
The lyrics in question are as follows: "We'll convert your children. We'll make them tolerant, and fair.” The Harvey Milk Club has been doing just that for the past 45 years!
The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
http://www.milkclub.org
Join or renew your Membership today!
http://www.milkclub.org/join
July PAC: Sweeps, Shelter, and the City
The Zoom link is here.
For our seventh meeting of 2021, the PAC will hear from Kelley Cutler, Human Rights Organizer with the Coalition on Homelessness, about the state of sweeps and the lack of services being offered to the City's unsheltered residents.
The Milk Club is unapologetically progressive and proudly queer. Since 1976, we have built power with and for all of the “Us’s” — San Francisco’s most vulnerable communities — in order to be free from scarcity, oppression, and machine politics.
Please join or renew your Harvey Milk Club Membership by clicking here. Stay with us in the fight this Pride Month! Also, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any questions regarding your Membership.
And stay involved by going to our website: www.milkclub.org. And join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by searching for our handle @harveymilkclub.
The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
http://www.milkclub.org
Join or renew your Membership today!
http://www.milkclub.org/join