Latest Updates

Hybrid Club Meeting: October 16, 2025

Join us for our hybrid club meeting this month on Thursday, October 16th at 6:30pm. We've recently been holding our in-person meetings at R Place Bar & Eatery in Hillcrest. Address is 1027 University Ave., San Diego, CA 92103. In case you are unable to attend in-person, you can always attend via Zoom at democratsforequality.org/Zoom

The agenda is posted on our website at: democratsforequality.org/agenda

While it's all-hands-on-deck for Prop 50, we can walk and chew gum at the same time. This month, we are going to start considering friendly incumbent endorsements for offices that will be on the June 2026 Primary Election ballot. Our local and state Democratic Party will be weighing in on them in the coming months, as well.

Speaking of Proposition 50, early voting for the statewide special election is already underway! Our local San Diego County Democratic Party is organizing to reach voters throughout the county. If you're looking to get involved in the local effort to pass Prop 50, you can find out more information about the ballot measure, get a yard sign, and/or sign-up to volunteer at sddems.link/prop50

Hybrid Club Meeting: September 18, 2025

Join us for our hybrid club meeting this month on Thursday, September 18th at 6:30pm. We are confirmed for our in-person meetings at a new venue: R Place Bar & Eatery at 1027 University Ave. in Hillcrest!

The agenda is posted on our website at: democratsforequality.org/agenda

We will welcome and hear from Jeremy Comeau, President of the National Federation of Stonewall Democrats who will update us on the organizing efforts happening with our national umbrella organization. Our club has long been a chartered member of the national network of Stonewall Democratic Clubs.

Also, we will hear from Will Rodriguez-Kennedy, our newly elected Chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party, on local organizing efforts for the upcoming November special election to pass Proposition 50.

There will also be a presentation confirmed by Michelle Krug, our club's Vice President of Political Action, for an update on how Trump’s attacks on federal employees is affecting them

If you're unable to join us in-person, you can always attend via Zoom at democratsforequality.org/Zoom

Hybrid Club Meeting: Thursday, August 21

Yes, we took the summer off.

Yes, it's been a minute since we've formally had a meeting.

Yes, our next meeting will be a... hybrid meeting!

Please join us on Thursday, August 21st at 6:30pm. We are excited to be back for our in-person meetings at a new venue: R Place Bar & Eatery at 1027 University Ave. in Hillcrest!

If you can't make the meetings in-person, you'll be able to join virtually on Zoom at democratsforequality.org/zoom

Memorial Weekend Mixer w/ Veterans Democratic Club

This coming Memorial Weekend please join us for a mixer with Veterans Democratic Club on Saturday, May 24th from 12:00pm to 2:30pm at the home of our club Secretary Brandon Johnwell and husband TJ Musser.

You are encouraged to bring snackums and/or drinks to share while we light up the grill.

You can RSVP for the Memorial Weekend Mixer here.

Address will be provided upon RSVP.

Virtual Club Meeting: April 30, 2025

Please join us for our next scheduled club meeting on Wednesday, April 30 at 6:30pm.

Register for the April 30th club meeting here!

The club's executive board recommended signing on as a co-sponsor to support Senate Bill 771, proposed state legislation that would penalize social media companies for elevating and promoting hate speech through their algorithms. We will formally vote to fully co-sponsor as a club. You can read the updated bill language here.

We will also hear updates from our allies in the Labor movement regarding several strikes and calls to action from National Union of Healthcare Workers and Starbucks Workers United.

Finally, we'll consider endorsements for two of our club members, Ross Pike and Michelle Krug, who are running unopposed for California Democratic Party Regional Director in Regions 21 and 22.

2025 Board Installation & Brunch

This Sunday, join us for an in-person Board Installation & Brunch event on from 11:30am to 2:00pm at Uptown Tavern in Hillcrest. Address is 1236 University Ave., San Diego, CA 92103.

We will be conducting the oath of office to our club's newly-elected and re-elected members of the executive board, including those elected at our February meeting:

Michelle Krug as Vice President for Political Action
Brandon Johnwell as Secretary (1-year term)
Melinda Vásquez as Controller
Rickie Brown as Sergeant-at-Arms
Katie Melendez as North Coastal Area Director (1-year term)
Ross Pike as North Inland Area Director
Martín Campos as East Area Director
Antonio Ramirez as Metro West Area Director
Lauren Cazares as At-Large Director
Manny Reyes as At-Large Director

Virtual Club Meeting: February 20, 2025

Please join us for our next regularly scheduled club meeting on Thursday, February 20 at 6:30pm.

Register for the February 20th club meeting here!

The club's executive board has recommended signing on as a co-sponsor to support proposed state legislation involving the LGBTQ+ community. The specifics are being kept private at this time, and we will have draft language and more to share at the meeting next week, but we wanted to formally notice that we will consider voting to co-sponsor this legislation.

Speaking of our executive board... club elections are upon us!

All executive board positions are two-year terms unless otherwise stated. Those positions up for election include:

Vice President for Political Action
Secretary (1-year term)
Controller
Sergeant-at-Arms
North Inland Area Director
North Coastal (1-year term)
East Area Director
Metro West Area Director, and
2 At-Large Directors

Should you wish to serve as a member of the executive board, please e-mail our Nominations Committee at [email protected]

Nominees for our executive board must have been dues-paid members for 90 days prior to taking office at our March club meeting.

Special Virtual Endorsement Meeting: February 2, 2025

Please join us for a special endorsement meeting via Zoom on Sunday, February 2nd (Groundhog Day) at 1:00pm. We will consider an endorsement in the upcoming special election for County Supervisor in District 1.

The special election for District 1 will be held using the post-2021 redistricting boundaries, which includes Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, National City, the City of San Diego neighborhoods of San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, East Village, Golden Hill, Grant Hill, Lincoln Park, Memorial, Mount Hope, Mountain View, Nestor, Sherman Heights, Southcrest, Stockton and the unincorporated areas of Bonita, Sunnyside, Lincoln Acres, East Otay Mesa, La Presa, and parts of Spring Valley.

Register for the Special Endorsement Meeting here!

Virtual Club Meeting: January 16, 2025

Join us for the first virtual club meeting of 2025 on Thursday, January 16 at 6:30pm.

Our Immediate Past President Will Rodriguez-Kennedy and Democratic activist and party volunteer Jason Bercovitch will give a presentation on the shrinking of the Democratic Party at the national and local levels, focusing on the 2024 results and compared to past election results. And just in case you thought we were done with endorsement meetings, fear not, for it appears we will need to consider an endorsement in a soon-to-be scheduled special election for County Supervisor in District 1.

The County Board of Supervisors will consider options for the soon-to-be-vacant District 1 seat, so it's best that we start our process in the next month given the expected truncated timeline for whenever the special election would be held.

Register for 2025 virtual club meetings here!

Happy New Year!

We hope you've had an amazing holiday season these last few weeks, and are looking forward (anxiously and/or motivated) to make some good things happen this year.

As we enter 2025, I'd be remiss to not mention that we are entering our 50th anniversary as a Democratic club.

For those who know the history, our club was founded in the privacy and safe spaces of loving friends and family in 1975. This was back during a time when the first marchers in the San Diego Pride Parade wore paper bags over their heads because of fear from being outed and ostracized, being the targets of bigotry, hate, and discrimination.

Unfortunately, with the rise of anti-LGBTQ hate in recent years, somethings feel like they haven't changed so much in spite of all the other progress we've made along the way.