State Sen. Scott Wiener was not invited to the Trans March. He was really, really not invited: In fact, Gabriel Haaland, one of the founders of the march, told me, he had been asked specifically not to attend.
In 2016, then-Sup. Wiener, then-state-Sen. Mark Leno, and then-Mayor Ed Lee were booed off the stage at the march. (That was when Leno and Wiener were close, before Wiener stabbed his mentor in the back and endorsed London Breed for mayor.)
“We told them very clearly that we didn’t want politicians in our space,” Haaland explained to me. “We changed our policy because of Wiener, and his anti-tenant policies, and asked them not to come back.”
And yet, Wiener showed up this year—and again, was heckled by the crowd, particularly over his past support for the Netanyahu government of Israel. No violence occurred; the only violence was when the cops cracked down on a traditional party in what was called Stud Alley.
But Wiener didn’t just show up; after he left, he used video of the event to raise national money, $127,000 in national money, for his Congressional campaign. (According to the Standard, even Netanyahu sided with Wiener, saying he was treated unfairly.)
And that’s created some serious push back in the LGBTQ+ community.
“It’s about as craven as I’ve ever seen,” Haaland told me. “To use our community in this way to raise money is disgraceful. … He never even picked up the phone and reached out to the Trans March folks.”
Trans activist Storm Miguel Florez noted:
He put the trans community in more harm than we already are by naming the Trans March and trans community in his national campaign to blast this incident and paint himself as a victim. He knew what he was doing. You might not call that an attack, but he certainly targeted the trans community whether in a passive or aggressive way. The consequences are that nationally, the stories in the media and think pieces are painting trans people, and specifically trans people at the Trans March as violent and unhinged.
The Harvey Milk Club agreed. In a statement unanimously approved by the board, the club announced:
In 2016, Scott Wiener, then-State Senator Mark Leno, and Mayor Ed Lee were booed off the stage at the San Francisco Trans March. The organizers changed their policy and asked politicians not to attend the Trans March. Earlier this year, Scott Wiener ignored that request. A few individuals verbally confronted Wiener about his too little, too late position on Gaza—which changed only under a great deal of community pressure during his Congressional campaign. Wiener then went on a national media tour, stoking derision against Trans March organizers and attendees, and used the incident in fundraising emails instead of engaging his constituents or Trans March organizers.
Local papers are reporting that Wiener’s fundraising and media pitch paid off and he raked in $127,000 for his Congressional campaign coffers. Our Club reminds community that this fundraising was carried out on the backs of, and with great harm to, hundreds of people in San Francisco’s trans community. Additionally, in response to this incident, other San Francisco politicians have engaged in harmful anti-queer rhetoric to belittle attendees of the march. This is truly a watershed moment signaling an alarming change in orientation by those in power toward trans and queer people.
Meanwhile, on the same night, SFPD charged at Trans March attendees and made arrests at the end of the march, resulting in people being pepper-sprayed and arrested for graffiti. These attendees spent the weekend in jail and have been charged with felonies right next to the historic Compton’s Cafeteria, where trans women fought back against police repression in 1966.
The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club condemns these self-serving actions by State Senator Wiener and urges politicians to stop using vulnerable communities as a fundraising tool. Trans people already face immense danger in this country. We need real allies, not people who will sell us out for a fundraising opportunity.
As has been his practice for some time now, Wiener did not respond to my request for comment.
The Rules Committee will consider Monday/20 the reappointment of Lydia So to the Planning Commission, but Board President Rafael Mandelman has not nominated any members, and the term of Commissioner Derek Braun has technically expired—so the commission may be unable to meet for lack of a quorum.
Mandelman told me he is interviewing candidates, but at this point, with the board’s August recess coming up, there may be no Planning Commission in San Francisco for more than a month.
When the supes voted to “streamline” the commission system, they banned the process of people whose terms had expired continuing to serve as “holdovers” until someone new was appointed.
Meanwhile, because the committee hasn’t voted on any nominees to the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, that body can’t meet. Rules Chair Shamann Walton told me that committee members are seeking applications for the panel; it’s a few hours work a week, and comes with no pay but members get the city’s health insurance. You can see the qualifications here.
If you want to apply, submit a resume and a Form 700 to bos-appointments@sfgov.org.
Full disclosure: My adult independent daughter works on the Connie Chan for Congress campaign.
