In the Spirit of San Diego Pride: How Local Activist Benny Cartwright Helped Bring Positive Changes to Hillcrest and LGBTQ Causes

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

Activism arises for many reasons, whether it is to advance civil rights, challenge institutions or seek justice for an array of injustices. Without it, change and progress rarely occur on their own.

With the arrival of this month’s 52nd annual San Diego Pride celebration (July 11—19), Hillcrest native Benny Cartwright glances back on an illustrious list of achievements he has made as a tireless crusader for the LGBTQ community and Hillcrest itself over the course of nearly 30 years.

As we learned from the 40-something Cartwright, who began tapping into his inner-activism shortly after enrolling into the communications program at San Diego State University, his style of bringing social and political issues to the forefront differs in many ways from his predecessors.

The LGBTQ activists of prior generations were greatly influenced by the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, which were in protest to ruthless, ongoing police raids of gay bars. They gave way to reformists, who in the 1980s and 1990s, became loud voices for securing funding for HIV/AIDS research and education, as well as LGBT civil rights in general.

Cartwright’s approach is less confrontational. And it has allowed him at times to combine his professional life as a writer, a former San Diego LGBT Center employee, and a past communications director for Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, with a steadfast commitment to community volunteerism. (Cartwright is currently a supervising public information officer for the City of San Diego.)

While chatting with him about his numerous involvements with the local LGBTQ community, he also told us why he is traditionally found behind the last float of the San Diego Pride parade every year, in what is a dramatic eye-grabbing act of support for the event.

Note: The 1.5-mile parade kicks off at 10:00a on July 18, from Normal Street and University Avenue, and traverses west on University.

Downtown Condo Guys: So you were actually born in Hillcrest? Did you grow up there?

Cartwright: Yes, I was born at University Hospital, which is now UC San Diego Health—Hillcrest Medical Center. I grew up in Allied Gardens and lived at home through college before moving into Hillcrest at age 25.

Downtown Condo Guys: At what point in your life did you come out as gay?

Cartwright: When I was about 15 years old I came out to myself. Then I came out to some friends. But when I got to SDSU, I started coming out to everyone I met.

Downtown Condo Guys: How and why did you become a champion at SDSU for LGBT students?

Cartwright: When I got to campus I realized that I wanted to meet other gay boys like myself. So I joined the LGBT student union and it all grew from there. At that time, the organization was struggling with only about six members. They soon appointed me to the board as secretary, and within that first year I became the organization’s president. During those years we started seeing 30 to 40 people coming to the weekly meetings.

Downtown Condo Guys: Was it around that time when you began tapping into your inner activist?

Cartwright: Yes, very quickly. I had learned my first year as a freshman that the college wasn’t willing to do anything for the LGBT community—or fund an on-campus LGBT center. And that is where my fight began. I realized the importance of involving the greater community outside of SDSU. We invited established activists into it.

I stuck around for 12 years and had a full time job with the student government. I remained attached to our student leaders and took the reins of growing the LGBT student union. We ended up creating a LGBT resource center, of which I became the unofficial advisor.

Downtown Condo Guys: Did SDSU fund it?

Cartwright: It was the university’s individual Department of Women’s Studies that helped fund it. And after that, the university created an LGBT minor studies program, which was still connected to Women’s Studies.

Also, we had always wanted to raise a rainbow flag on the campus. Back then, there was only one week per semester that student groups could hang their banners. It took a couple of tries, so for one week every semester the rainbow flag was hoisted at the former Aztec Center. It was vandalized once and we would have Christian groups who tried blocking people from coming up to our table. There was friction, but we persevered.

Downtown Condo Guys: Did the tradition stick through the years?

Cartwright: The bigger story about the flag was in 2006, when we wanted to fly it on the campus’ big flagpole. We had finally got that to happen in 2007. The college approved it for one week in July during San Diego Pride week. Although that was the summer session break and nobody was on campus to see it except for selected staff. We asked the college to promote it, but they chose not to. But me, the communications person, sent out a press release, and the media showed up. And that was that. By about 2009 the university finally bought in—and it became an annual thing. In fact, this July will be the 19th annual flag-raising on the campus on the main flag pole. The university provides refreshments for the event, and it’s on their web site.

Downtown Condo Guys: What other situations, if any, triggered you into working the front lines?

Cartwright: When I was around 20 years old, a friend told me he had HIV, and it was pretty traumatizing. And at that time the education about HIV was all about fear. Also, when I was in Patrick Henry High school, the school had brought in four men who had HIV to speak. I was terrified and fainted when I walked outside the door. So because of the way HIV was presented to us, I wanted to join that fight. That really kicked me into gear and got me going.

Downtown Condo Guys: What are some of your past involvements with helping Hillcrest thrive as a LGBTQ destination?

Cartwright: Professionally I’ve been writing for local LGBTQ media since 2005; I was the director of community outreach for the San Diego LGBT Community Center for a little more than five years; and worked with Councilmember Stephen Whitburn. Also, I’ve volunteered for San Diego Pride in various roles since 1999, and was also part of the Hillcrest Clean Team for about five years, and served as a board member on the Stonewall Citizen’s Patrol.

Downtown Condo Guys: What are your proudest achievements, past or present, as a champion of Hillcrest and LGBTQ causes?

Cartwright: There are three.

The first is the body of my written columns and works. People have told me over the years that they’ve learned from my columns, which have included information about the fun things around town as well as news about marches, rallies, educational programs, and HIV testing. I feel like I had a big part of the conversation starting from the early 2000s.

Second, my partner Rick, created the Instagram account, @hillcrestsandiego, which has grown to 50,000 followers. Because of that, we’ve been able to promote in-person events such as the quarterly Clean Up and Cocktails, and our annual Hillcrest Honors, which shines the spotlight on other activists and business leaders and the people and places that make Hillcrest a dynamic place. For the Clean Up and Cocktails, we never have less than 100 people helping out to clean up the neighborhood.

The third is the formation of the Hillcrest All-Inclusive Kiwanis Club, of which I am a charter member, and was vice president and president. It is the best experience I’ve ever had being part of an organization. This month marks our five-year anniversary. In the early stages, we only had nine members. Today we have just shy of 70. We have twice-monthly meetings at Uptown Tavern in Hillcrest. The overarching mission is to serve children of the world. We take it a step further by focusing on LGBTQ families and youth. We bring in guest speakers, which includes everyone from politicians to business owners and heads of community organizations. We have a robust calendar of activities that includes collecting supplies for Florence Elementary School.

Downtown Condo Guys: Tell us about the role you play at the end of the San Diego Pride parade each year.

Cartwright: In 2009 for the 40 the anniversary of Stonewall, San Diego Pride received 300 feet of a giant rainbow flag from a Florida Pride organization. I was heavily involved in Pride and was asked if I could get people to grab on to it at the end of the parade. It sits in a crate at the staging area. So I coordinated about 20 volunteers to meet me at the pick up point, where we rolled out the flag and carried it to the festival entrance in Balboa Park. Now, I scream through a bullhorn behind the last parade float for people to come grab hold of the flag, and we get close to 1,000 people holding it and walking underneath it.

Downtown Condo Guys: In your opinion, what fundamentally defines an ‘activist?’

Cartwright: It’s somebody who stands up for what they believe, and in whatever way that looks like for them. It doesn’t have to be using a bullhorn. Some people do things quietly. It can be just showing up to an event or genuinely sharing important information about a cause.

Downtown Condo Guys: What type of activist best describes you?

Cartwright: I’m a community activist. I like to bring people together and build community. From that, people become different types of activists.

Downtown Condo Guys: Outside of Hillcrest, what San Diego neighborhoods do you see as being noticeably gay-friendly?

Cartwright: University Heights and North Park. And the neighborhood I grew up in, Allied Gardens, which has lots of LGBTQ people. I see quite a few rainbow flags there.

Downtown Condo Guys: Lastly, name a few things about Hillcrest that the average San Diegan, gay or straight, doesn’t know.

Cartwright: Hillcrest has a time capsule that was buried in 2007 as part of the neighborhood’s centennial celebration.

Also, legendary lawman and gambler, Wyatt Earp, had significant ties to San Diego, including investing in the Hillcrest neighborhood. In 1891 he bought a building at the intersection of Fifth and University avenues.

And, in the 1990s and early 2000s, Hillcrest was the premier dining destination in San Diego, being a trendsetter with unique cafes, diverse ethnic fare, late-night dinners, and avante-garde California-fusion spots. While there are still good spots in the area, the neighborhood’s food scene was overshadowed by Little Italy, North Park and beyond.