new column, updated and remixed:

"Little Ditty 'bout Us and Gavin"

Dear Gavin:

At the rock concert that was City Hall on the morning of the anniversary of your bold decision to allow equal rights for same-sex couples, your rockin’ oratory shook the same-old political establishment from its doldrums, and shook me all night long. In fact, we’ve all been shaken, and quite stirred, throughout the year by your landmark decision. National, state, and even some local politicos are all shook up and simply don’t know what to make of you. But now they know, we’re talkin’ bout a revolution with the sound of a wedding bell. And we, the LGBT community, have our Queer eyes fixed on you, straight guy. Our eyes adore you. You’re just too good to be true. We can’t take our eyes off you. We’re here; we’re Queer; get used to us being around.

And so, here and now, we are together forever, and we will always love you! The search is over; you were with us all the while. And we’re gonna keep on lovin’ you, wherever you may go, even if you take it on a run for national office one day. And there ain’t no office high enough, as you keep on going higher and higher. We’ll be there, right by your side, step-by-step, ready to seek out the promise of a new day with you. Because that’s what friends are for. We’ll come together, anytime, over you.

Now, honestly, who would have thought it would have been you? Causing such a commotion. After all these years of waiting for a guy like you, someone who would meet us with open arms, someone to tell it like it is, who would have figured you would be the one? Wow, out of the blue, Gavin, what a big surprise. You of all people to take us to the point of no return. Now you know, you were never seen as the most liberal member of our Board of Supervisors. Nor did you come from the most liberal of districts. But it’s not unusual to find love and happiness in the strangest of places. And you must be our lucky star cause you shine on us wherever you are. And you give our love a good name.

After an up and down year of highs and lows, you’ve always been a steady anchor on which we appreciate being hung. Your strength and fortitude in the wake of questions from the media and the politicians, and your consistent, persistent, insistent, sho-nuff total representin’ message on behalf of our equal rights, have shown us your true colors and we’ve got you under our skin. Now you can’t shake our love, you just can’t shake our love. And as you rolled out the welcome mat and rocked City Hall on our anniversary, you also rocked me like a Herb Caen. And so here I am, stung by your courage. And that’s the way, Gavin, Gavin, I like it.

But, please forgive me because, unfortunately, my words simply cannot express how you really got a hold on me. My words get in the way of what I’m trying to say. And so I’ll wrap it up and offer my apologies. But I do have one last thought to express so as not to repress: In the future, someday, somewhere, should I ever make it happen and take that united leap with another man, who won’t go breakin’ my heart; and as we’re goin’ to that rotunda of love, I will make sure to say a special thank you to you, a thank you for letting me be myself, Gavin.

Peace out. Keep on rockin'!

Sincerely yours...