He was also the first openly gay delegate from San Diego to the California Democratic Central Committee. Founding board member and member emeritus of the Greater San Diego Business Association (GSDBA), now the San Diego Equality Business Association.And charter member and former vice president of the San Diego Democratic Club, now the San Diego Democrats for Equality. Founding member and former chairperson of the board of the San Diego LGBT Community Center.
A San Diego LGBT community pioneer, some of Al’s accomplishments are as follows: Founding member of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Diego in 1970 serving as board member and vice moderator ever since. District Court in San Diego, he entered private practice as an attorney for the next 42 years. Al recognized that as a gay man in the 1960s with a passion for community activism, he could not pursue that goal and remain in the Navy thus, he resigned his commission in 1967.
He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He attended the Naval Justice School in 19 and thereafter served as a legal officer in multiple assignments and deployments. Al Smithson served as an officer in the US Navy from 1960 to 1967.