Petrelis Files

Milk Club & Mirkarimi 
Loudly Zapped at Gay Center

Business as usual was loudly and unquestionably interrupted tonight as suspended San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi was speaking at the Harvey Milk Democratic Club tonight, on the third floor of the gay community center. First, some history.

More than a year ago, at a packed club election endorsement meeting at the women's building, members unanimously and vociferously committed themselves to reclaiming the public rainbow flag at Milk Plaza. Since then, other than dicking me around at meetings and via emails, the club ain't don't shit.

Oh, but the club president and other leaders have gotten cozy with Supervisor Scott Wiener, who thinks MUMC control of the flag is just fine, and they have been appointed to commissions or moved up the local political ladder with his assistance. When it comes to Wiener, the Milk Club is a docile lapdog with no yapping allowed.

Tonight club meeting was zapped a few moments after I stepped into room 300 of the gay center, and began my rant:

ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF 9-11, IN THE CASTRO, HERO MARK BINGHAM WAS NOT HONORED WITH A FLAG LOWERING. THE CLUB HAS DONE NOTHING TO RECLAIM THE FLAG, WHICH IS PUBLIC PROPERTY. YOU'VE HAD A YEAR TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. THE FLAG ON 9-11 SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOWERED FOR MARK BINGHAM.

At the front of the room, Mirkarimi stopped speaking and no one challenged me to stop my rant, until former club president and Mirkarimi lawyer, and good man whom I respect, tried to engage me to no avail. More ranting, then I exited in the hallway where more members were milling about.

I continued to shout and a skinny white princess with a hand-held device told me to turn it down. Didn't happen:

PRINCESS, THE BUTTON SAYS 'SILENCE EQUALS DEATH' AND I WILL NOT BE SILENT. THE CLUB HAS DONE NOTHING TO RECLAIM THE FLAG FOR MARK BINGHAM.

A big baby appeared, kept her distance but said I had to leave and I walked down the metallic and cement stairs, with more yelling. In the atrium of the second floor overlooking the entrance, I demanded community control of the Milk Plaza rainbow flag for gay heroes.

Maybe four minutes after entering the meeting, I was out on the street breathing fresh air, but that was not the end of this zap. Seeing that the windows of the meeting room facing Market Street were open, I yelled up and heads looked down at me.

I unlocked my bike, ran into my friend Mira Ingraham in her wheelchair and chatted with her about the beauty of life and activism. She had not been in the center, and seeing her was like a blessing from the goddess.

Shame on the Milk Club and all the others I have named in almost two years of campaigning to return the rainbow flag at Milk Plaza to the gay public's control, who have not stood up to the bullies of MUMC and their City Hall patron Wiener. The club should change its name to the Wiener Club because of its allegiance to the supervisor who keeps OUR flags in the hands of MUMC.

Memo to Milk Club leaders: I look forward to attending more of your meetings this election season!