Bob Hattoy, president of California’s Fish and Game Commission, died early Sunday at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. He was 56.


Hattoy was just elected president of the state Fish and Game Commission last month, was appointed to the Commission by California Governor Gray Davis. He was with the Sierra Club and is credited, in his role as a Sierra Club official, with helping to preserve the California coastline from offshore drilling. 
But he was best known as the first openly-gay person to address the national convention of a political party. Speaking from the podium at the Democratic National Convention in New York City, Bob moved the country by speaking of his diagnosis as an HIV-positive individual:


“We are part of the American family,” Hattoy said, “And, Mr. President, your family has AIDS and we are dying, and you are doing nothing about it. I don’t want to die, but I don’t want to live in an America where the president sees me as the enemy. I can face dying because of a disease, but not because of politics.” 
Born in Providence, Rhode Island, his family moved to Anaheim, California where he attended high school and several universities. A passionate environmentalist, he became involved in the Sierra club, soon becoming their Western regional director.


He served as a political appointee in both Clinton Administrations. In the first Clinton Administration, he was reassigned to the Department of the Interior from a prominent position in the White House shortly after he publicly criticized President Clinton’s new “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy which allowed gays to serve in the military, but not openly. He continued his personal friendship with the Clinton family, however, and gracefully accepted his reassignment.


“Bob Hattoy devoted his life to the fight for civil rights and social justice for the gay community and people living with AIDS,” said the Clintons in a statement upon hearing of Hattoy’s death. “We will always be grateful for his courageous and moving speech at the 1992 Democratic National Convention and, afterward, for his years of dedicated service in the administration. He gave hope to a community that feared their voice would never be heard at the highest levels of government.”


Hattoy’s speech at the 1992 Convention, which was televised over the nation, will be remembered as one of the most significant events in LGBT history. In 1992, witch-hunts were going on to ferret out gays in the military, there were few safeguards for gay civil rights, and there weren’t even gay characters in TV sit-coms. His speech was delivered over a decade into the AIDS epidemic, though the White House under the Reagan and Bush administrations had waited years to publicly acknowledge AIDS and finally respond.


He is survived by his sister, Debbie Hattoy of Phoenix, and his brother, Steven Hattoy, who resides in Oklahoma and millions of people who were given hope by his courage and inspired to keep fighting injustice.
 
Statements from the March 12, 2007 meeting of the Long Beach City Council.
 
Mayor Foster adjourned the meeting in memory of Bob Hattoy.


Councilwoman Rae Gabelich:


“Mayor, I’d like to ask that tonight we adjourn in memory of Bob Hattoy. Bob made so many contributions at the local level, the state level and the national level. He received national attention when he addressed the 1992 Democratic National Convention about people living with AIDS and HIV. He served on President Clinton’s Presidential Commission on HIV and AIDS as the Chair, and he served on the Presidential Commission as an Interior Department liaison…He served for 5 years on the California Fish and Game Commission, and his 12 years with the Sierra Club is credited with helping save the California coastline from future offshore drilling.



“He is described by his friends as being larger than life. He was visibly, locally living here in Long Beach on and off throughout the years. He was a regular presence at many of our council meetings and community meetings when LNG was the issue.



“He is survived by his sister Debbie in Phoenix, his brother Steve in Oklahoma and millions of people who were given hope by his courage and inspired to keep fighting the injustice in the world. 



“There will be a celebration of his life on Wednesday, March 21 at 5 p.m. at St. James Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, and again, I ask that we adjourn in his memory.”



Mayor Bob Foster



“Thank you, Councilmember Gabelich, I was going to also suggest that we adjourn in memory of Bob Hattoy, and you’ve already read most of his accomplishments, many of his accomplishments. I knew him personally, he actually helped me somewhat in my campaign. He was a marvelous individual, we’ll all miss him, and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and I join you in making sure adjourn with his memory. Thank you.”