Depending on how things work out at the Board of Supervisors in the next couple weeks, San Francisco could soon have its first out queer mayor.
With Mayor Gavin Newsom heading to Sacramento to be lieutenant governor, the board now has the responsibility to appoint a replacement for him. That person will serve as interim mayor until November 2011 when a general election will be held and the electorate gets to choose Newsom's permanent successor.
There's some talk about waiting until January after Newsom is sworn into his new position, but we feel that the board should not delay in choosing an interim mayor. At Tuesday night's meeting, the board approved a plan to start the process, but not quickly enough for our liking.
In the new year, the board faces a budget deficit that some have estimated to be as high as $400 million. A lot of tough decisions will have to be made. New Leaf: Services for Our Community recently closed its doors and many other community institutions and services are at risk of meeting the same fate. We cannot afford additional delays. It's best to get this appointment done now. The current board has the experience to make the choice. They should do it post haste so that their focus can be on the budget and how to save much-needed city services from the chopping block.
The mayor and others shouldn't play politics with this process. They should put the welfare of the city first. An interim mayor will need time to prepare for the job ahead. Giving that person a head start makes good sense, especially since there are two major holidays coming up before he or she takes office.
As you've no doubt heard, a lot of folks are in the running for interim mayor. Many of them are good candidates and would be excellent in the job. But the choice has to be narrowed down to one person.
We both supported former Supervisor Tom Ammiano when he ran 10 years ago, and were disappointed when he wasn't elected our first queer mayor. Ammiano is not in the running this time around. He's in the state Assembly where he is doing amazing work.
Ammiano would be our first choice for interim mayor, if he were interested in the position.
Since he's not, we think David Campos would make a great mayor. Campos is the out queer Latino supervisor of District 9, which covers a large part of the Mission area and Bernal Heights, neighborhoods that are home to many immigrant Latinos, as well as artists, working-class people, and queer households. His district borders the Castro.
After graduating from Stanford and receiving his law degree from Harvard, Campos returned to San Francisco where he served on the Police Commission and in the City Attorney's office. Campos, an immigrant and a progressive, understands the issues that are important to San Franciscans. He is a tireless champion for social and economic justice for all. He's shown that time and time again.
He sponsored the hearing in March about the treatment of LGBT folks in the city's shelter system, a hearing that prompted the Bay Area Reporter to call for a separate LGBT shelter where members of our community would be safe from the harassment and violence they often suffer when they seek a bed for the night.
Campos also has experience with the budget process, having gone through it two years in a row. As mayor, we are convinced that he would work well with the entire Board of Supervisors to produce a budget that does not shortchange our community or the vital services we need. HIV/AIDS and homeless youth services, among many others, must be preserved and strengthened. We need Campos in the mayor's office to protect the institutions that so many have dedicated their lives to creating.
He is also in a unique position, we feel, to gain the support of six supervisors in a vote among his peers to be appointed as the interim mayor. And to appeal to the majority of San Francisco voters next November to win the election to retain the mayor's office.
And to become our first queer Latino mayor.
Brian Basinger is director of the AIDS Housing Alliance, which receives funding from the city. Tommi Avicolli Mecca, editor of Smash the Church, Smash the State: The Early Years of Gay Liberation, has been a queer activist for the past 40 years. For more information see "Run, Campos, Run" on Facebook.