Replies

Veteran Civil Rights Activist Larry Brinkin Retires
By Dennis McMillan
Published: February 4, 2010

In 1975, Larry Brinkin was an activist in civil rights, anti-war, women’s movements, and the organization Bay Area Gay Liberation. In 1982, he fought back when he filed the first lawsuit in U.S. history seeking domestic partner benefits from an employer. In 1991, he stood next to Mayor Art Agnos when the San Francisco Ordinance providing health insurance coverage to City employees’ domestic partners was signed into law. In 1997, he got his Masters Degree. In that same year his son Ben was born. And in 2008, he and Wood Massi celebrated their 25th anniversary by finally, legally getting married. Now, on Feb. 1, 2010 he officially retired from 21 years of service to the Human Rights Commission; so his colleagues and friends threw the senior manager of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission a huge retirement party in City Hall. In the back of the South Light Court were many, many easels displaying various news pieces about Brinkin and his accomplishments.

Connie Champagne served as the lively emcee for the event, opening by singing her rendition of “The Sunny Side of the Street.” Champagne had the honor of working with Brinkin on the Community United Against Violence (CUAV) LGBTQ Speakers Bureau for several years.

Framed proclamations to Brinkin were presented by representatives from the offices of Senator Tom Ammiano, Senator Mark Leno, and Mayor Gavin Newsom (declaring it “Larry Brinkin Day”). Supervisor Bevan Dufty appeared in person, giving his testimony of the many times he has called on Brinkin to solve problems in the past. Supervisor David Campos said, “It’s not just the work Larry did for the LGBT community that we applaud; it’s what he’s done for so many other communities.” As an example, Campos spoke of Brinkin’s work with immigration and sanctuary in San Francisco. “San Francisco government will never be the same without you,” he said. The Board of Supervisors officially declared it “Larry Brinkin Week.” SF Human Rights Commission presented a certificate of recognition as well. Brinkin received as a retirement gift two tickets to the Mexican Riviera aboard the Sapphire ship. “You know, I’ve done a lot of cruising, but I’ve never been on a cruise,” Brinkin jested.

Cecilia Chung, chair of the SF Human Rights Commission, spoke directly to Brinkin, calling him “the uncle I never had.” She said his smile was infectious and highly disarming, “even those times I didn’t agree with you.” She said she first met Brinkin in 1993, when SFHRC was holding a hearing about transgender people in which Brinkin was a fierce advocate and “transgender people had doors opened to them.” Chung additionally lauded him for his advocacy for LGBT people, Native Americans, and inter-sex people. She added, “Without Larry, we wouldn’t have domestic partnership and the equal benefits ordinance, setting these great examples for the rest of the country.” She concluded, “Larry, you are a great teacher and a visionary.”

Theresa Sparks, executive director of the SFHRC, has known Brinkin for approximately 12 years. She credited Brinkin for several accomplishments: getting equal benefits for elevator operators and repairers, which is now nationwide for domestic partners; making sure immigrant youth had protected civil rights; assuring queer homeless have a place to sleep at night; dealing with environmental racism in the Bayview; and securing transgender city employees with health benefits. Sparks said Brinkin helped form a subcommittee to deal with how 50% of all violence against transgender people in the City had been conducted at the hands of law enforcement. “This is a person who changed the lives of millions of people,” she said of Brinkin.

Cynthia Goldstein, executive director of the San Francisco Board of Appeals, worked with Brinkin for many years. “I know that Larry is fond of things that are quirky and unusual, so I decided to deliver my comments in a limerick,” she announced, and then joked, “For those of you whose minds immediately went to the gutter, I want to reassure that nowhere in my comments will the word, ‘Nantucket,’ appear.” She then proceeded to cleverly rhyme her praise. One line in example: “This is just one of his battles of the many false chains that he’s rattled; with his justice at hand, he’ll jump up, take a stand, and prejudice he will dismantle.” She called him “an out, proud pioneer.”

Brinkin had a son, Ben Kelly-Blum, with two mothers, Debra Kelly and Laura Blum. Ben gave a brilliant summation of his father, “the hot-shot leader,” saying Brinkin always did the best job at everything, including being a dad. “No matter what the situation, who he’s with, or where he’s at, you will always know what he thinks,” he said. “He also knows some pretty cool, interesting people, who most of you here are.”

Brinkin wiped away tears of joy, and then made his remarks. “I can’t read all your nametags, so I can’t thank everyone I’d like to thank,” he joked. He mentioned how proud he was that Sparks and Chung were “two transgender women leading the Human Rights Commission of San Francisco. “They are both good friends and mentors to me,” he said. He had all the present and former staff of SFHRC stand up to be thanked and appreciated. He said Goldstein and he had worked together for 18 years, “through lots of very difficult times and lots of wonderful victories.” He said, “I love this woman to the depths of my soul.” Those are just a few of the many people Brinkin gave thanks to.

He especially thanked his partner, Wood Massi – now his legal spouse – as “always so loving, brilliant, supportive, and strong.” Brinkin said, “When I was a little boy, I dreamed of growing up and meeting someday a man who was really, really smart and really aware of issues and great political, social values; and Wood is my dream man.” Brinkin also acknowledged his son Ben as “almost perfect, so sweet and kind and loving and so smart and perceptive.” He thanked the two moms for the way Ben turned out as a testament of their excellent parenting.

He concluded with his long list of plans after retirement – too numerous to write here. But he said, “I’ve always wanted to earn my living working for human rights, and this has been my dream job.” He said, “Most of us toil as activists and get no payment at all; but I’ve been able to earn a good living helping further the cause of civil rights for so many wonderful colleagues both at work and in the community.” He said, “I feel I am so fortunate to have been given that opportunity.”

Closing the ceremony, Champagne led everyone in singing Brinkin’s husband’s favorite song, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” with those special words: “the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.”