By Gina Yarbrough
San Diego, CA–The San Diego County Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast returns on May 22 at the Town and Country Resort in Mission Valley, bringing together LGBTQ+ community members and allies from across the region to honor the life and legacy of civil rights icon Harvey Milk.
Doors open at 7:00 a.m. for the 18th annual event, with the program starting promptly at 7:45 a.m. Individual tickets are available at sdharveymilkbreakfast.com for $125. Sponsorships, ranging from $600 to $25,000, can also be purchased online.
This year’s breakfast will honor the following individuals who make a significant impact in the fight for equality and justice:
Activist and Author George M. Johnson will receive the Harvey Milk Leadership Award. Johnson wrote the award-winning All Boys Aren’t Blue that became the No. 1 Most Challenged Book of 2024, according to the American Library Association. In 2022, Johnson was honored as one of the TIME100 Next Most Influential People in the World for their fight against censorship in the United States.
West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman will receive the Harvey Milk Lifetime Achievement Award for his advocacy and policy work advancing LGBTQ+ rights across Los Angeles and beyond. Mayor Heilman is one of the longest serving openly LGBT-elected officials in the United States, having entered office in West Hollywood in 1985. He is also a highly regarded Lecturer in Law at USC Gould School of Law and a law professor at Southwestern Law School.
Former Mayor of Chula Vista and California Assemblywoman Mary Salas will also receive the Harvey Milk Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a long-time activist and ally of the LGBTQ+ community. In 2019, Salas served as mayor when the South Bay Youth Center opened to help local LGBT youths. Previously, LGBTQ youths in the South Bay would have to travel to Hillcrest to visit a youth center.
Captain Katy Lynch of the La Mesa Police Department will be recognized with the Assistant Chief Phil Collum Activist Award for her work to strengthen understanding, respect, and collaboration between law enforcement and the LGBTQ+ community-reflecting the values championed by the late Chula Vista Assistant Chief Phil Collum.
Founded by community leaders and supported by an all-volunteer committee, the San Diego County Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast has grown into one of the region’s most meaningful annual gatherings celebrating LGBTQ+ leadership and progress.
“Each year, this event brings together people from all walks of life to celebrate our shared commitment to justice, visibility, and community,” event organizers said. “We invite everyone to join us as we honor these changemakers who embody Harvey Milk’s legacy of hope and action.”
The Town and Country Resort is located at 500 Hotel Circle North in San Diego.
