This issue of the San Francisco Bay Times highlights just some of the individuals with documented leadership or significant involvement in the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club who later or concurrently served in elected office or in appointed public roles. Their careers include legislative service, city and regional boards, commissions, the judiciary, and municipal administration. The compilation is intended as a record of the club’s ongoing contribution to public service.
Kat Anderson is a former board member and officer of the club. She was appointed to the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission and elected to the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee.
Robert Barnes (1954–2002) was a longtime active leader, officer, and political strategist for the club. He was a prominent San Francisco political consultant who managed numerous local candidate and ballot-measure campaigns and served on the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee.
Eric Bauman was an early leader and member of the club. He was elected chair of the California Democratic Party and later served as a senior adviser to the Speaker of the California State Assembly.
Seth Brenzel is a former board member and officer of the club. He was appointed to serve on the San Francisco Arts Commission.
Susan Christian served as a former co-chair, board member, and policy committee co-chair of the club (becoming the first Black woman elected to this role). She has worked as an Assistant District Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco, served as a commissioner and former Chair of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, and was appointed to serve on the San Francisco Health Commission.
Jo Daly (1946–1997) was a former co-chair of the club. She was appointed to the San Francisco Police Commission by Mayor Dianne Feinstein in 1980, making her the first openly LGBTQ police commissioner in a major U.S. city.
Bevan Dufty is a longtime club member and supporter. He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors representing District 8 and to the BART Board of Directors representing District 9, and he later served as director of Housing Opportunity, Partnerships, and Engagement under Mayor Edwin Lee.
Zoe Dunning served as former co-chair of the Board of Directors. She is a prominent retired U.S. Navy Commander and LGBTQ+ advocate who was appointed to the San Francisco Library Commission and the San Francisco First Five Commission. Dunning is also a San Francisco Bay Times columnist.
Roberto Esteves served as club president during the 1980s. He worked as chief of special collections for the San Francisco Public Library system and served in municipal library advisory and commission roles.
Louise “Lou” Fischer is a former co-chair of the club and a former San Francisco Bay Times columnist. She was a commissioner on the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force and served as a delegate to the California Democratic Party.
Jim Foster (1934–1990) was the founder and first president of the club. He was appointed to the San Francisco Assessment Appeals Board, served as a Democratic National Convention delegate, and delivered a landmark speech on gay civil rights at the 1972 Democratic National Convention.
Robert Haaland has been a longtime club member and supporter.He was elected to the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee and has worked as a labor-rights political director.
Leslie Katz was a former president, officer, and board member of the club and also was a former San Francisco Bay Times columnist. She was appointed to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors by Mayor Willie Brown in 1996 and subsequently won election to the seat, later serving as a San Francisco Port Commissioner.
Martha Knutzen served as a former club co-chair. She has worked in public service as a member of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office and served as a commissioner and former President of the San Francisco Disability and Aging Services Commission.
Susan Leal was an early leader and former officer of the club. She was appointed and later elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, elected San Francisco city treasurer, and served as general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
Mark Leno has been a longtime active leader and political strategist for the club. He was appointed and later elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors representing District 8, elected to the California State Assembly, and elected to the California State Senate as the first openly gay man to serve in that body.
Susan Lowenberg served as a former co-chair and leader of the club. She has been heavily involved in civic and environmental leadership, including serving as a commissioner on the California Coastal Commission.
Phyllis Lyon (1924–2020) was a founding and early leader of the club. She served on city advisory committees focused on aging and women’s rights. She was also a founding contributor to the San Francisco Bay Times.
Del Martin (1921–2008) was a founding and early leader of the club. She was appointed to the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women and served on city advisory committees focused on aging and women’s rights. With her longtime partner, Phyllis Lyon, she was a founding contributor to the San Francisco Bay Times.
Gary McCoy served as co-chair of the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club and as an interim president of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club. He was appointed to the San Francisco Entertainment Commission and served as Vice Chair of the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee. In addition to serving as a City Hall policy adviser, he worked as an aide to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He is currently running for District 8 Supervisor.
Carole Migden was an early active member of the club. She was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the California State Assembly, and the California State Senate, becoming the first woman and first out lesbian to chair the Assembly Appropriations Committee before later chairing the California State Board of Equalization.
Jane Natoli is a co-chair of the club. She was appointed to serve on the San Francisco Airport Commission and is a San Francisco Bay Times columnist.
Connie O’Connor served as club president in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She served as an appointed commissioner and municipal adviser under Mayor Dianne Feinstein, and in 1980, she was part of a club slate that won seats on the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee.
Iowayna Peña held leadership roles within the club. She was appointed director of City Workforce Development for the City and County of San Francisco.
Marjan Philhour was an active club member and leader. She has been elected to the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee and served as a senior adviser to Mayor London Breed.
Rebecca Prozan served as a former co-chair of the club. She held senior government roles under Mayor Willie Brown, District Attorney Kamala Harris, and Mayor Gavin Newsom, ran for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors representing District 8, and has worked as a government-affairs executive.
Alex Randolph is a former leader within the club and a former San Francisco Bay Times columnist. He was elected to the City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees in 2015, where he served as board president, and he also held senior staff roles for Mayor Gavin Newsom and the U.S. Department of Education.
Matthew Rothschild served as a former president of the club. He was elected chair of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee and worked as a deputy city attorney in San Francisco.
Joe Sangirardi served as an officer and policy co-chair for the club. He was elected to the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee.
Bentrish Satarzadeh served as a former co-chair and president of the club. She was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom as a judge of the Alameda County Superior Court after serving as a court commissioner.
Andrea Shorter (1964–2026) served as a former co-chair of the club. She was appointed to the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women, serving as its president, and worked as a longtime advocate for criminal justice reform and LGBTQ+ civil rights.
Gina Simi is a former co-chair of the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club. She served as a San Francisco City Commissioner and as communications director for the San Francisco Planning Department.
Laura Spanjian is a former co-chair of the club. She was appointed director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability in Houston, Texas, after serving as a senior policy staffer in San Francisco City Hall.
Theresa Sparks was a former co-chair, board member, and executive leader of the club. She was appointed to the San Francisco Police Commission and became its first transgender president in 2007, later serving as executive director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and as Mayor Edwin Lee’s senior adviser on transgender initiatives.
Mawuli Tugbenyoh is a former PAC co-chair and board member of the club. He worked for the San Francisco Department of Elections, served as a policy adviser under Mayor London Breed, and was appointed Executive Director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission.
Nancy Tung has been active within the club. She was elected chair of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee.
Julius Turman (1965–2018) served as a former co-chair of the club. He worked as an assistant U.S. attorney and specialized in labor law, and he was appointed to the San Francisco Police Commission, where he served as its president.
Scott Wiener served as a former co-chair of the club. He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors representing District 8 in 2010 and to the California State Senate representing District 11 in 2016. He is currently running for the congressional seat held by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who will be retiring in January 2027.
Pipeline to Power
Published on October 8, 2026
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