Lifetime Achievement Jean Harris 1944-2011
Jean Harris was known for her spirited use of colorful language and down-to- earth style. She was a well-known aide in the San Francisco City Hall offices of former Supervisor Harry Britt, former Mayor Frank Jordan and former Director of Public Health, Dr. Sandra Hernandez.
Jean was raised in Long Beach and received a Bachelor’s degree from California State University at Long Beach. She was a young mother and housewife before coming out as a lesbian. She climbed telephone poles and became active in her union at GTE before moving to San Francisco.
With Roma Guy, founder of the Women’s Building, Jean organized meetings to establish a dialogue between working class women and Lesbians associated with the establishment, such as Bay Area Career Women. The result was the creation of Lesbian Agenda for Action, the very first Lesbian Political Action Committee (PAC) in the country.
In 1986, Jean became a close aide on the Harry Britt for congress campaign, and later, went to work with Harry in his City Hall office. It was during Harry’s tenure with the SF Board of Supervisors that Jean’s political tour de force was recognized city and state-wide. In that period, Jean became one of the lead organizers of San Francisco’s first Domestic Partner’s campaign in 1989, which would have enabled couples to visit
lovers in the hospital, along with conferring other basic rights. The initiative failed at the polls but with a group of dedicated volunteers, Jean and Harry organized a signature drive to put the initiative to voters once again.
In 1990 the measure passed. The election of 1990 became known as the “Lavender Sweep,” electing Carole Migden and Roberta Achtenberg to the board of supervisors, Tom Ammiano to the school board and Donna Hitchens to the superior court. The coalition of LGBT, labor, and people of color communities was the brain-child of Jean, Harry and beloved Dick Pabich.
Supervisor Britt left office in 1992 and Jean continued her work as an activist deputy mayor with Former Mayor Frank Jordan. Under Mayor Frank Jordan, the city approved needle-exchange to curb the spread of AIDS among injection drug users. San Francisco implemented needle exchange even before the state legislature would introduce a bill authorizing such programs.
She relocated to Oregon in the mid-1990’s to organize the LGBT community and defeat a statewide discrimination measure (No on 13). There, she was the first executive director of “Basic Rights Oregon,” founded in 1996.
After several years in Oregon, Jean returned to California, bringing her skills to The California Alliance for Pride and Equality (CAPE), which was to become the present-day Equality California (EQCA). As the Executive Director she transformed CAPE from a fledging grass-roots organization to a powerful lobbying organization with a database of close to one million registered voters.
In 2003, Jean left CAPE to work on the West Coast campaign for Governor Howard Dean’s presidential campaign, “Dean For America.” Subsequently, she worked for California Assembly Speaker Emeritus, Herb Wesson, and Speaker Fabian Nunez and later, she became principal consultant for California Senate President Pro Tempore, Don Perata, working closely with the LGBT Legislative Caucus.
She began her work with the Democratic Party in 1971 as a Field Organizer for the McGovern campaign and served in the Democratic Party as a member of campaign selection; legislative, affirmative action; and budget committees; member of delegate selection committee of California Democratic Party; Assembly District Chair of 16th Assembly; was appointed Delegate by then Assembly member John Burton; and elected Chair of Lesbian/Gay Caucus of California Democratic Party.
Jean was 66 years old and died at home in Palm Springs, California. She is survived by her partner, Denise Penn.
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