The Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club swung its support this week behind Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) in his bid for a state Senate seat and beat back an effort to drop its backing of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), and instead, endorse war activist Cindy Sheehan.

The decision at the club's political action committee meeting Tuesday, October 7 not to support Sheehan prompted complaints about who the club allows to vote on its endorsements and was the third time during Pelosi's 20 years in Congress that attempts to strip her of the Milk Club's support had failed.

Leno easily won the club's support. It ends a bitter period between the club and the openly gay politician, who angered many Milk members with his decision to take on out lesbian state Senator Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) in the party's June primary for her 3rd District seat.

With Leno expected to easily clinch his race in November due to the district's large Democratic make-up, club members had argued it was time to coalesce around him and back his campaign.

The Pelosi vs. Sheehan vote was the most controversial, with Sheehan supporters arguing with Pelosi aides outside the room at the LGBT Community Center where voting took place.

Earlier in the day Sheehan's campaign sent out an e-mail with the subject "Who Would Harvey Milk Vote For? Cindy Sheehan!" And last Sunday Sean Penn, who plays Milk in the soon to be released biopic about the slain gay leader's life, hosted a fundraiser for Sheehan's campaign.

But Pelosi's forces came prepared, handing out a letter from the congresswoman that included backing from the family of its namesake, Harvey Milk.

It quoted the late supervisor's openly gay nephew, Stuart Milk, as saying that he "and the entire Milk Family are proud to strongly and unequivocally support Speaker Pelosi, especially for her leadership in protecting civil and human rights for the LGBT community and for all Americans."

In her letter, Pelosi stated that she "stands with" the club in its fight to defeat Proposition 8, the anti-gay marriage amendment on California's November ballot, and that "ending discrimination against the LGBT community has been and will continue to be a top priority."

Club member Nathan Purkiss voted to keep Pelosi's endorsement, saying, "I have a lot of respect for Cindy Sheehan. I think her fight to change our country's view on the Iraq war was an important fight I support. But I also think Nancy Pelosi has been a great leader for us."

Not to be outdone, Sheehan's troops also handed out literature claiming that their candidate is the one who "knows that representing San Francisco values means" supporting such gay rights measures as repealing the federal Defense of Marriage Act; voting no on Prop 8; a fully inclusive federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act; and passage of the Matthew Shepard Act.

"It is outrageous that our gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender friends and neighbors should fall victim to hate and violence," states Sheehan in the policy paper.

Green Party member Barry Hermanson, a former Castro businessman and Milk member, voted to rescind Pelosi's endorsement and give it to Sheehan. While he acknowledged Pelosi is likely to retain her seat, he said voters are increasingly angry over her leadership and support of the bailout plan for Wall Street.

"The jury is still out on the election. Up until the federal bailout vote, people were angry but not really angry," said Hermanson, who is running against Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo) for her seat. "People are now just seething at what is going on in Washington and how we are just throwing money at these corporations."

Speaking at the club's PAC meeting while voting took place, outgoing Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, who became chair of the local Democratic Party this summer, defended the party's decision to endorse Pelosi as well as Democratic clubs' decisions to re-examine their support of her.

"Scaring the shit out of Nancy Pelosi is a good thing," he said. "That is how politics works. But I don't think Cindy is the answer."

Peskin dismissed Sheehan's campaign as a carpet-bagging attempt to win a seat in the House of Representatives. Sheehan moved to the city in order to take on Pelosi.

"I think people who represent their district ... should be a part of your community. I have my differences with the speaker of Congress, but she represents our district. Sheehan is not from here," said Peskin. "To me a fundamental thing is that you actually represent and come from your district. Cindy, sister, you are cool. I dig your politics. If you had been a part of San Francisco, it would be a very different thing than picking a district you thought you could easily win."

Milk Club members supportive of backing Sheehan retorted that Pelosi is originally from Baltimore, Maryland and that many people move to San Francisco from elsewhere. They also said Pelosi does not represent the entire city, only her Pacific Heights neighborhood.

"She's not been representing this constituency," said longtime Milk Club member Denise D'Anne, chair of the club's events and fundraising committee. "Just because she lives here we have to support her is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard."

Catherine Cusic, vice president of the club's PAC, had supported backing Sheehan but conceded defeat even before the last vote had been slipped into the ballot box. During the two hours of voting, she said many members of the club who showed up to vote are not active members but are on the city's, state's or federal payroll and only show up at endorsement time.

"I think this is a problem for the Milk Club. It should be about the people who come to the meetings each month and not just to vote," she said. "The active, regular members who do the work do not agree with endorsing Pelosi."

Rafael Mandelman, the Milk Club's president, had said that "there is an extremely strong argument for the Milk Club to endorse" Sheehan. Nonetheless, he said he is glad the club has made its decision. He said it is more important that club members work to elect a progressive majority on the board and on passing local measures for clean energy and affordable housing.

"The club needs to focus on winning some supervisor races," said Mandelman.