Prepared Remarks of City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Human Rights Campaign Federal Club, Bucheon Gallery, San Francisco (Dec. 9, 2002)

1. December 9, 2002
Prepared Remarks For
DENNIS HERRERA
City Attorney of San Francisco
‘We’ve Gotta Give Them Hope’
Human Rights Campaign’s
San Francisco-Bay Area Federal Club
Bucheon Gallery, 540 Hayes Street
San Francisco, California

2. – 1 –
I’d like to thank you for inviting me to
speak tonight to the Human Rights Campaign’s
Federal Club.
I especially appreciate being given the
opportunity to speak alongside HRC’s senior
lobbyist from Washington: Christopher
Labonte.
I know Christopher works on numerous issues
for HRC aside from federal legislation, but
together, I hope we present an informed
contrast on what’s ahead for us generally —
and for the LGBT agenda PARTICULARLY — now
that the midterm elections are over.
When I say contrast, of course, I’m not
talking about disagreement. But with
Republicans controlling the White House and
both houses of Congress for the next 24
months, I think we all know what’s ahead for
us at the federal level…
Playing the best possible DEFENSE.

3. – 2 –
The contrast I hope to offer tonight is what
we’re doing at the LOCAL level — especially
here in San Francisco, where we enjoy the
relative luxury of being able to mount an
aggressive OFFENSE.
Now as you may know, I’ll be finishing my
first year as San Francisco City Attorney
next month. And I’m pleased to report that
we’ve been playing offense on a VARIETY of
fronts for the cause of equal rights for the
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
Community.
In many ways, of course, that continues a
tradition of my predecessor, Louise Renne.
But I also think it continues a larger trend
I talked about in my inaugural address last
January — what I referred to then as San
Francisco’s civic creed.
— As “the city that knows how”
— As an innovator and trendsetter
— And as a beacon of hope for oppressed
minorities, INCLUDING sexual minorities,
all over the world.

4. – 3 –
Re-reading Randy Shilts’s classic biography,
“The Mayor of Castro Street,” just recently,
I realized that San Francisco’s civic creed
was well understood by Harvey Milk as well.
In his 1977 campaign for supervisor, Milk’s
signature line was, “You’ve gotta give them
hope.” (That line will serve as the slogan
for next year’s Pride celebration here in
San Francisco, by the way.)
But in the context of a groundbreaking
campaign more than a quarter-century ago, it
was a powerful appeal to NON-gay San
Franciscans about the importance of electing
a GAY-identified man to public office.
Milk invited audiences to consider the
limited options of gay and lesbian youths at
the time — in places like San Antonio, Texas
and Altoona, Pennsylvania — struggling
without hope to come to terms with their
sexuality.
He said…

5. – 4 –
“If one day that gay teenager picks
up a newspaper and reads that a new
supervisor, who happens to be gay, was
elected by voters in San Francisco, it
offers hope. And all of a sudden, that
gay teenager has two new options:
“One, he can move to San Francisco…
“Or Two, he can stay in San Antonio
and FIGHT…”
“And you, and you, and you, and you,
and you,” he said, “have got to give
them hope.”
The speech explains much about the kind of
political figure Harvey Milk was.
And frankly, it helps explain why the first
political decision I ever made as a
candidate myself was to hire Milk’s former
campaign manager, Jim Rivaldo.
But most of all, I think it makes a profound
statement about what it means to be a San
Franciscan — irrespective of sexual
orientation or gender identity or even
politics.
Milk’s words acknowledge an implicit but
fundamental truth about our city.

6. – 5 –
— We not only ACCEPT one another for our
differences, we PROTECT one another for
our differences.
— We take responsibility not merely for our
fellow citizens in San Francisco, but for
our fellow citizens in San Antonio and
Altoona and around the world.
— And if we risk the ridicule the of
conservative critics and late night talk
show hosts, may the world note a more
important truth about San Francisco.
We lead.
That’s our civic creed.
It’s a heritage I’ve worked hard to honor as
City Attorney, in fact. And I’m proud to be
in a position to play offense on issues of
importance to all San Franciscans…
ON SECOND PARENT ADOPTIONS,
I took the lead on behalf of 58 counties in
California to uphold the legal validity of
‘second parent’ adoptions. A widely
observed practice observed statewide, it …

7. – 6 –
— Affords rights and responsibilities of
parenthood to gay and lesbian COUPLES with
children.
— Assures benefits of insurance, pensions
and inheritance to CHILDREN of gay and
lesbian couples.
It’s virtue we call “family values” — and
we’re proud to lead the way in enforcing it
here in San Francisco.
ON RECKLESS AIDS MARKETEERING,
I worked closely and passionately with Board
of Supervisors President Tom Ammiano earlier
this year to demand that AIDS drug companies
end their shameless portrayals of a “kinder,
gentler” HIV.
Like too many San Franciscans, Tom and I
have visited too many bedsides — and too
many graves — for too many loved ones — for
too many years — to tolerate dis-informative
campaigns that exploit and exacerbate the
spread of AIDS.

8. – 7 –
ON EQUAL BENEFITS FOR DOMESTIC PARTNERS,
I’ve continued the fight to uphold San
Francisco’s groundbreaking law requiring
employers with city contracts to offer equal
benefits to their employees’ domestic
partners. Since 1997, we’ve seen other
localities follow suit: in Seattle, Los
Angeles; Berkeley; San Mateo County; and
Tumwater, Washington.
FOR DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP SURVIVORS,
I stood proudly with Assessor Doris Ward and
Deputy Assessor Ronald Chun in making San
Francisco the FIRST municipality in
California to end the practice of property
tax reassessment in the event of death for
gay and lesbian domestic partners.
If we’re going to demand equality for
Domestic Partners in contracts for TAX-
SPENDING, we’d better enforce equality for
Domestic Partners in TAX-PAYING.
That was only weeks ago. And already,
several jurisdictions — including Marin
County and Los Angeles — are looking to our
example.

9. – 8 –
On these and many other issues, San
Francisco’s leadership continues to make a
difference for enlightened localities
throughout the nation. Counties, Cities and
towns have joined us — on OFFENSE — to
expand rights rather than restrict them.
That’s our civic creed as San Franciscans —
our role. As Harvey Milk recognized, “We’ve
gotta give them hope.”