LIVE MAGAZINE VOL 8, Issue 186 June 27 THRU July 11 2014

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28 Commissioner Nicole Murray Ramirez The Man Behind The Harvey Milk Stamp, Street and Ship! Commissioner Nicole Murray Ramirez ....The Man Behind The Harvey Milk Stamp, Street and Ship! by: Big Mike Phillips When long time GLBT and Latino activist Commissioner Nicole Murray Ramirez was a teenager growing up in Riverside County, he started collecting stamps and especially focused on those of presidents, royalty and historic figures. Little did he know that decades later he would be at the White House where his leadership would be acknowledged as the National Chair and organizer of the seven year campaign to get the U.S. Postal Department to issue a stamp honoring the first openly gay American citizen, civil rights icon, Harvey Milk. Nicole Murray Ramirez met Harvey Milk in the early 1970’s at a Polk street gay bar. He was introduced by World War II veteran and Gay activist, Jose Julio Sarria, who in 1961, became the first openly gay candidate to run for public office in North America. Murray-Ramirez and Milk later worked together in a statewide effort against the homophobic campaigns of Anita Bryant and State Senator John Briggs, who were leading a movement to get all homosexual teachers in California fired because of their sexual orientation. “I loved Harvey’s sense of humor and his attempts to build bridges with the Latino Community.”, stated Ramirez. “His standing with Cesar Chavez and the farm workers in their call for support in the Coors and the Grape boycotts were important to me.” Nicole Murray Ramirez has dedicated his life towards building bridges and better relationships with diverse communities. In 1994 Helen Chavez, widow of the Civil Rights icon, presented Nicole Murray Ramirez with the “Cesar E. Chavez Social Justice Award.” Ramirez saw in Harvey Milk not only a friend, but a badly needed emerging national leader for gay rights. When Milk was assassination in 1978, Nicole was devastated. The following year Nicole established one of the first GLBT student scholarships in the nation, named after Harvey Milk, and also got a memorial park bench dedicated to his memory that still stands today in San Diego’s historic Balboa Park. In 1979, Nicole also established one of the first “Harvey Milk Civil Rights Awards” which continues to be presented annually to this day. Nicole had the honor of working with both Chavez and Milk. As a Latino and Gay man he was personally inspired by them as role models and heroes in our continuing struggle for full equality. In th 1980’s, Nicole Murray Ramirez presented an award to Chavez on behalf of the GLBT Community and got Cesar Chavez to attend the 1987 “National Gay and Lesbian” March on Washington” and introduced Chavez at the rally in D.C., where he spoke to almost a million people. “Every civil rights movement has leaders, martyrs, champions, and heroes”, stated Murray Ramirez. “Every movement needs them and in America we have Martin Luther King, Cesar Chavez and Harvey Milk.” Ramirez has been quoted many times for saying in his speeches: “A community, indeed a movement, that does not know where it came from, doesn’t really know where its going.” So it does not surprise many that Nicole is already working with and supporting the new proposed LGBT National Museum set for ground breaking in Washington, D.C. in the next five years. But it’s Nicole Murray Ramirez’s passion and fight for the legacy of Harvey Milk which has received so much attention. Nicole led the campaign to get the first USA “Harvey Milk Street” dedicated in the City of San Diego in 2012. Seven years ago he established the first Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast which attracts over 1000 people annually in San Diego. Now other cities, including Palm Springs, followed suit. Commissioner Ramirez got the childrens book, “The Harvey Milk story”, by author Kari Krakow (ages 8 and up) to be first put in public schools when he presented over 500 books to now School Board President Kevin Beiser. Nicole is also portrayed as a character in the award winning play, “Dear Harvey”, which has been presented at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Nicole Murray Ramirez’s biggest triumph while serving as the National Chair, was leading the now successful seven year national campaign to get a postage stamp dedicated in honor of Harvey Milk. The stamp presentation was not without controversy; The day after the Milk stamp was unveiled at the White House, one of the premier reglious right wing national organizations, the American Family Association, issued a press release attacking Nicole as “the drag queen behind the Harvey Milk stamp” and accusing Harvey Milk of being a child predator. The National Harvey Milk Stamp campaign was launched in 2008 by the International Imperial Court System (which Nicole now serves as the executive director) and co-sponsored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. (NGLTF) and the Harvey Milk Foundation. One of the greatest joys is his life, according to Nicole, has been to become good friends with Stuart Milk, the nephew of Harvey Milk, and founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation of which Murray Ramirez is a national board member. “Stuart Milk is not just walking in his uncle’s footsteps but creating his own path and journey by taking Harvey’s story and message of hope to our global GLBT family and community.” stated Nicole Murray Ramirez. “Even though at times he risks his own safety and life, I have seen Stuart Milk first hand in Europe and Latin America, giving hope and strength to our brothers and sisters fighting for equality globally. Commissioner Murray Ramirez has not rested with his recent triumph of issuing the Harvey Milk Postage Stamp. He has now launched another national campaign for a U. S. Postage Stamp in honor of civil rights icon, Byard Rustin. Two years ago he also launched a national campaign to the Secretary of the Navy to name a vessel after Navy Veteran Harvey Milk, who was stationed in San Diego in 1955. These national campaigns are being spear headed by the International Court System with co-sponsors the N.G.L.T.F. and the Milk Foundation. “Our GLBT community, like any other civil rights movement has true American heroes and champions like Harvey Milk, Frank Kameny,
29 Barbara Gittings, Jose Sarria, Rev. Troy Perry, Bayard Rustn, Cleve Jones, Del Martin, Phyllis Lyon, Mandy Carter, Robin Tyler and so many more. I will not rest until there are streets, parks, stamps, etc. named in their honor.”, stated Nicole, who is also Chair of the GLBT Historic Task Force. It was Nicole Murrary Ramirez who has advised and served the last seven mayors of San Diego and has been on the National Boards of the Human Rights Campaign as well as Stonewall 25. He is the only gay activist in America to have served on the board of all five of national organizations who organized the national March on Washington. This feisty, colorful Latino gay activist, political power house, drag queen, Empress and Queen of the International Court System of the U. S. A., Mexico, and Canada as well as the Honorary Mayor of both Hillcrest, California and La Villita, Texas...will not rest until he accomplishes these goals! learned so much from Nicole and witnessed first hand how hard he fights and struggles to do what is right when it comes to Equal Rights for everyone. Thousands and thousands of people who have never even met Nicole have benefited from his compassion and kindness through his charity work. No matter how one may feel about Nicole, we are all better off because of his dedication and sacrifices he has made to better the world we all share. Thank you Nicole. Nicole Murray Ramirez can usually be spotted having lunch at Harvey Milk Diner in San Diego or heading to the airport for a Imperial Court Coronation or a speaking engagement somewhere in North America. You can contact Nicole Murray Ramirez at P.O. Box 33915, San Diego, CA 92165 or by email at NMRSANDIEO@yahoo.com On a personal note, Nicole has been a mentor, teacher and one of my closest friends in my life. He is loyal, kind, funny, and can be a hand full at times. With Nicole you always know were you stand. I have
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LIVE MAGAZINE VOL 8, Issue 186 June 27 THRU July 11 2014

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