Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club Honors Community Heroes

They are:
Harvey Milk Individual Community Service Award: Marilyn Wann
Harvey Milk Organization Community Service Award: UNITE HERE! Local 2
Lifetime Friend and Champion Award: Mark Leno
Harry Britt Lifetime Achievement Award: Geoff Kors
Bill Kraus HIV/AIDS Award: Cecilia Chung
Queer Cultural Activist: Karlyn Lotney, aka Fairy Butch
Harvey Milk in his footsteps Award: And Castro for All

“The Milk Club’s awardees this year are pioneers and leaders who move critical issues into local, state, and national debates and win real advances—issues such as marriage equality, equal access to health benefits, workers’ protections, and ending discrimination both outside and within the LGBT community,” said Club President Greg Shaw.

They will be honored at the Club’s annual dinner, May 25 at the Ramada Plaza Grand Ballroom (1231 Market) from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. The recipients of the Club’s Simeon White Volunteer of the Year Award will be announced at the dinner. Celebrated queer icon Susie Bright will be the keynote speaker. Tickets are between $75 and $125, depending on income level.

The Queer Cultural Activist is a new award this year. “We have so many cultural activists in our community who are really moving queer and feminist issues forward, and the Club wanted a way to recognize those leaders,” said Shaw. “Karlyn Lotney is clearly one of those leaders.”

The Lifetime Friend and Champion award, a new award from 2004, will be awarded to Assemblymember Mark Leno. “There was a time when Mark Leno was ‘on the other side’ of LGBT politics in San Francisco from the Milk Club. Through his and other’s leadership, as well as changes in the national landscape, it is clear there is no “other side”—we want to honor what Leno has achieved for our community and his leadership in building our unity and our strength,” said Shaw.

The Harvey Milk Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Democratic Club is known for both its progressive politics and its independence. Founded in 1976 as the San Francisco Gay Democratic Club, it was the city’s first Democratic club with the word “gay” in its name. The Milk Club was also founded to help the gay community free itself of anointed gatekeepers and machine politics. The club was renamed for Supervisor Harvey Milk after his assassination by Dan White in 1978.