The Jean Harris Memorial at Delancey Street: A Fearless Activist, and a Hell of a Friend

Lesbian activist Jean Harris speaking about Domestic Partnership legislation in October 1999

The cover of the Jean Harris memorial program featured an eye-catching portrait and a quote from California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton: “A fearless activist, and a hell of a friend.”
Burton joined more than forty political activists and friends of Harris at Delancey Street in San Francisco on July 21 to present a tribute to the tireless promoter of LGBT rights. Burton said that he received numerous complaints about Harris being a “pain in the butt” when she was working for the Democratic Party. He said that “A pain in the butt that gets the job done is better that someone who does not do the job.”

Harris lost her two daughters to an ex-husband in a custody battle. That set her on an activist course that would lead to other lesbians and gay men not losing their children to ex-partners, and multiple other rights now taken for granted. She co-founded Lesbian Agenda for Action, the first lesbian political action committee (PAC) in the U.S., steered San Francisco’s domestic partner legislation to victory when she was an aide to San Francisco Supervisor Harry Britt, and co-produced the “Lavender Sweep” that elected several lesbian and gay candidates. Harris also instigated needle exchange while working for San Francisco Mayor Frank Jordan, became the executive director of Basic Rights Oregon to take on homophobic bigots, and the first executive director of the organization that became Equality California (EQCA).

Harris was front and center at a Queer Nation marriage equality protest at San Francisco City Hall, and she shooed the San Francisco Police Department Tactical Squad away after a storming of the City Clerk’s office and a mock wedding for eight couples. Her small army of domestic partnership campaigners easily overwhelmed local and bussed-in fundamentalists who tried to stop her. She met her match during the Rodney King protests in San Francisco when she was clubbed along with many others, and a huge angry cry went up when her clubbing was screened at the Roxie Theatre. Harris was decked out in a tuxedo and thoroughly enjoyed herself as the host of an election night celebration when Harry Britt became San Francisco Board of Supervisors President with over 110,000 votes.

Notables who attended the event at Delancey Street included: Kate Kendell, Roma Guy, Eileen Hanson, Happy Hyder, Dianne Jones, Dana Van Gorder, Geoff Kors, Ken Jones, Rafael Mandelman. Leslie Katz, Sharon Johnson, Kate Monica Klein, Lea Militello, and Melinda Paras. The reception was coordinated by Carol Stuart, and the choice of space and catering was impeccable.

Democratic Central Committee member Carole Migden passionately and eloquently summed up Harris and she received sustained applause:

Democratic Central Committee member Carole Migden

“Jean Harris was an absolutely original person, a harbinger ahead of her time. Coming from an awful life, Jean blasted into town in the mid eighties with a fierce agenda and a razor focus. She quickly gained access to important people. She intuitively understood the levers of power and how to use them. She was intense and charismatic and she cared nothing about status or personal gain. She provoked and prodded, dressed like a man and took the bullet that came with that. She was cool, older than us, attracted women like a magnet and usually traveled in a pack. Jean was confident, and you knew when she entered the room. Many times over the years Jean would stop by my office unannounced. In came Jean, in came the most important issue of all time. To experience Jean Harris was like being caught in a tidal wave. You are awestruck and transfixed. You know you are witnessing something profound and encompassing. The force was stronger than you, you stopped resisting for the best and knew here there’d be a lot of mopping up later. Jean invented a social media way before Zuckerberg and way before texting and tweeting took hold.  I love Jean Harris. She made me shine and she gave me many good times. I hope her profound contributions to LGBT equality get the recognition they deserve.”

Tom Ammiano’s Campaign Party at the Triple Crown: Progressives Gather for Their Hero

Sal Rosselli, John Perez, Tom Ammiano and John Burton

There was an extraordinary gathering of progressives for California State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s re-election campaign at the Triple Crown Lounge on May 6. A who’s who of the San Francisco Democrats showed up to enjoy stiff drinks and succulent hors d’oeuvres as they mingled with the politicos they knew and critically checked out the others.

The Triple Crown, situated just a half block away from the San Francisco LGBT Community Center at Market and Gough Streets, has hosted recent charity benefits put on by the Imperial Court and the gay erotic film industry. Last year about two dozen half-dressed porn stars caroused outside the lounge because the party, hosted by Sister Roma and Chi Chi LaRue, was such an extreme crush inside.

Ammiano is from working class New Jersey roots, growing up over a cab garage, and he has a feeling for service as an educator, civil rights activist, and legislator demanding justice and equality for the non-elite community. After moving to San Francisco he worked as a schoolteacher and his gayness was revealed after the principal of his school became ill and Ammiano served as the school’s interim principal. Lesbians and gays were not welcome by various groups within the teaching community until Ammiano allied himself with Harvey Milk and later with much-missed activist Hank Wilson and others.

The statewide No on 6 campaign that sought to save lesbian and gay teachers’ jobs by defeating the Briggs Initiative brought new awareness to the threats to LGBT rights, and Harvey Milk even succeeded in persuading then President Jimmy Carter and California Governor Ronald Reagan to join in — with the threat that if Proposition 6 passed, large numbers of teachers would sue and it would cost as much as $30,000 each to remove them. This journalist covered them as they rallied, agitated with the media, and stormed meetings until there was acceptance.

Against his wishes some lesbian friends mounted an Ammiano for School Board Campaign and he received more votes than many serious candidates. Acceding to their wishes, Ammiano ran and won a school board position on the next election cycle. Then his supporters induced him to run for a citywide supervisor seat in 1994, which he won, and he served there for 14 years, later representing District 9 when district elections were restored.

Hank Wilson led a Draft Ammiano for Mayor Campaign at street fair booths that was not endorsed by Ammiano. But after a short vacation, Ammiano returned to find a groundswell of support and he ran for mayor, putting a serious scare into Willie Brown operatives. Emily Morse’s excellent 2001 documentary “See How They Run” outlines how the Ammiano campaign not only came close to an election upset, but it also energized the progressives and later placed into power a majority of supervisors who were opposed to the status quo.

Today Ammiano serves as an energized state assemblyman, where his leadership in the campaign to legalize and tax marijuana — the state’s 14 billion dollar leading cash crop — has legislators and the national media taking notice.

While there are progressives who appreciate and admire Ammiano’s years of public service, there are others who receive almost as much pleasure experiencing theatrical rants from the radical right as they vent hysterically over the assemblyman’s supposed “socialist wrong thinking.” Imagine raised voices, stamping feet, and even a wig flopping up and down. They hate the fact that Ammiano is loved and respected for his support for the funding of health, housing, youth, seniors, and schools, and especially for middle and working class citizens.

Tom Ammiano and David Waggoner

The star attraction besides Ammiano at the Triple Crown party was gay Latino Speaker of the Assembly John Perez. The media was welcomed to the event, but they were barred by Perez from a recent San Francisco LGBT event because he supposedly did not want to hear questions about staff raises. California State Democratic Party Chair John Burton spoke about high-level business with Ammiano, Perez, and Sal Rosselli of the National Union of Healthcare Workers before the obligatory speeches.

Jane Morrison and John Perez

Former San Francisco Democratic Party Chair Jane Morrison, who just turned 90, handed out invitations to a May 23 brunch to benefit the Rafael Mandelman for District 8 Supervisor to activists Maggi Rubenstein and David Smith. Sharyn Saslavsky, the first prominent lesbian to support Harvey Milk’s election for supervisor was there, as was District 8 supervisor candidate Rebecca Prozan. Equality California’s Geoff Kors stopped by with New Conservatory Theatre’s Andrew Nance, and so did grant wizard Jeff Jones.

Tom Taylor, Tom Ammiano and Maggi Rubenstein

Tom Taylor, an expressive first-time candidate for the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (SFDCCC), was celebrating a Sierra Club endorsement with his lover Larry Cohen, while in contrast lesbian activist and retired Sheriff’s Department Captain Connie O’Conner congenially discussed her 30 years on the SFDCCC.

Consultant Esther Marks coordinated the event to her usual high standards and the tight squeeze of the 100-plus guests was a testament to her efforts and Ammiano’s popularity.

Kim Alvarenga, Tom Ammiano and Linnette Peralta Haynes