Friend, although Trans Day of Visibility is officially March 31, there are a range of #TDOV events through April 7 this year. Look for the ️‍⚧️ symbol throughout this newsletter to find one (or more!) to get involved with. Let’s support our trans friends and loved ones and show that #TransLivesMatter to all of us.

Trans Day of Visibility

Help The Hillcrest Youth Center Move!

The San Diego LGBT Community Center is very excited to announce that they are moving the Hillcrest Youth Center to a new building with much more indoor and outdoor space.  They will need a TON of help from community to assemble furniture, and organize the space, from March 29 – April 13, to prep for their grand opening.

Please sign up if you can volunteer (must be 18+ years old). The link below will give dates and shifts.

For questions, please contact Yey Morales (they/them), Youth Services Manager: mmorales@thecentersd.org.

Trans Liberation

️‍⚧️ Trans Liberation

The Trans Health and Wellness Center invites you to join their celebration of Transgender Day of Visibility on Friday, March 31 from 4-9:00 pm at The Dojo Café, 4350 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego. Free activities including yoga, queerchata, rapid HIV testing, and a Trans and Enby Youth Garden, as well as performances, and food for the community. www.trans.health

March for Trans Rights

️‍⚧️ March for Trans Rights

Queer Youth Assemble is organizing a March for Trans Rights in Balboa Park on Trans Day of Visibility March 31, 5-7 pm. Meet at the Bea Evenson Fountain near the Fleet Science Center. Friends, family, and allies of all ages are welcome. Organizers are looking for folks who would like to speak at the pre-march rally. If you would like to speak, or for more information, text 760-678-8414.

“We refuse to live in fear. We refuse to be ‘eradicated.’ Come celebrate Trans Day of Visibility with us… loudly!”

Trans Day of Visibility

️‍⚧️ Have A Picnic and Celebrate

North County LGBTQ Resource Center, TransFamily Support Services, and the Gender Advocacy Project present Trans Day of Visibility on Sunday, April 2 from 11:00 am-3:00 pm. There will be a picnic, entertainment, games, and speakers at beautiful Heritage Park, 220 Peyri Drive, Oceanside. For info:  info@ncresourcecenter.org.

Monsters of the American Cinema

Monsters of the American Cinema

The Diversionary Theatre proudly presents Monsters of the American Cinema, playing through April 2. And to boot, this is one of the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Top 12 most anticipated theater production of 2023!

Synopsis: When Remy, a black man, finds himself not only the owner of his late husband’s drive-in, but also the guardian of his straight, white teenage son, the two forge a relationship around the classic horror movies they regularly screen for the public. However, the grief they harbor over their shared loss threatens to fracture their bond just when they need each other the most. Written by San Diego’s most exciting emerging playwright, this haunting, funny, and loving story about race, sexuality, and family reveals the monsters and saviors we discover in each other.

For tickets: diversionary.org.  The theatre is located at 4545 Park Blvd., San Diego.

️‍⚧️ Trans Day of Empowerment

While the Trans Day of Empowerment takes place at the LGBT Center on April 7 from 6-9:00 pm, it is a massive group endeavor to make the event happen.

It is not only an evening to empower our transgender community through the voices of our youth and our elders, but there will also be entertainment, food, and fun.

One of the highlights is the presentation of the Tracie Jada O’Brien Transgender Student Scholarship awards.

Keynote Speakers are Connor Maddocks and Miss Venice “Lady Pepper” Price. The San Diego LGBT Community Center is located at 3909 Centre St., San Diego

Dance The Night Away

The Diversionary Theatre wishes (get it – fairy tale!) you will celebrate with them at their Fairy Tale Ball on April 7 from 6:00 pm-midnight. This high-energy party will include delicious dining, enchanting performances, and culminate with this dance party.

Enjoy an evening like no other in the main atrium of the Natural History Museum. The Museum is located at 1788 El Prado in Balboa Park.

If you did’t know, The Diversionary Theatre is the third oldest LGBTQIA+ theatre in the country. For tickets:  diversionary.org – for info: jesse@diversionary.org.

Queer Youth Art Show

Support the Arts!

You won’t want to miss the Queer Youth Art Show on April 8 from 6-8:00 pm. This year, it is being held at You Belong Here, 3619 El Cajon Blvd. in North Park.

Youth still have time to submit their art work until April 3; whether you are submitting art work or attending, please register at https://sdpride.org/YAS.

Out at the Park ⚾️

Tickets are going fast! Join San Diego Pride as they team up with the Padres for Out at the Park on Friday, April 14 at Petco Park. Grab your friends, family, and rainbows as you prepare to enjoy an exciting evening of entertainment and baseball when the Padres take on the Milwaukee Brewers.

You can arrive early and enjoy Pride’s pregame happy hour in Gallagher Square with CocktailFest from 4:30-6:30 pm. The games begins at 6:40 pm.

Your Out at the Park ticket purchase includes a seat in Pride’s large Out at the Park section (or limited upgraded OATP viewing section), a commemorative Out at the Park Padres hat, $10 donation to San Diego Pride, and access to the pre-game VIP space in Gallagher Square (food and drinks not included).

For ASL and mobility accommodation needs, please email accessibility@sdpride.org one week before the event.

Ticket prices start at $35.00.

Day of Silence

We gratefully acknowledge San Diego Unified School District and other school districts in San Diego County for giving students the opportunity to participate in the Day of Silence on April 14.

GLSEN has given the District the necessary background for any staff members who aren’t familiar with this annual event.

“Day of Silence occurs every April where people in schools across the country engage in collective action, calling attention to the silencing of LGBTQ+ students in schools and the erasure of their experiences. There is an unprecedented level of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and policy currently being weaponized against our community, and we thank you for everything you have been doing for and in solidarity with students.

Students across the country will be both speaking up and participating in silent protest as a way to demonstrate how thousands of LGBTQ+ students across the country feel everyday — silenced. 82% of LGBTQ+ students experienced first-hand harassment or bullying in their school. 71% of students reported that their classrooms did not include any LGBTQ+ topics. More than 30% of LGBTQ+ students reported missing school because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable. Over half of all LGBTQ+ students of color experienced in-person victimization based on race/ethnicity.”

USD School of Law Name and Gender-Marker Change Clinic

This program is a partnership between USD Pride Law, THLA, and The San Diego LGBT Community Center and provides legal assistance to transgender and nonbinary individuals, including minors, seeking name and gender-marker changes through the San Diego County court system. USD School of Law students, along with volunteer attorneys, assist eligible clients with completing necessary applications and help those individuals navigate both the name and/or gender-marker change process!

The next virtual clinic date is April 18. Appointments can be scheduled at 6:30 pm, 7:00 pm, or 7:30 pm.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, email: transclinic.sandiego@gmail.com.

Dining Out for Life San Diego

Annual Dining Out for Life

The San Diego LGBT Community Center invites you to participate in Dining Out for Life San Diego on Thursday, April 27.

Dozens of participating restaurants, bars, coffeehouses, and nightclubs in San Diego will donate a minimum of 25% of sales for The Center’s HIV/AIDS services and prevention programs.

Grab your family and friends and make plans to Dine Out and Give Back for breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, cocktails and more.

There is always a need for DOFL ambassadors. To volunteer or for a list of participating establishments, visit www.thecentersd.org/dofl. For questions, email events@thecentersd.org

Exciting Opportunity Coming Up — Pride Power Summit!

San Diego Pride announced that registration is now open for the Pride Power Summit, April 28-30. The conference gives folks the skills to be effective activists. Attending can make a difference in our community in building people power to create real and lasting change. If you are committed to LGBTQ+ justice and want to learn grassroots organizing skills, build community connections, and directly engage in the movement of intersectional social justice, you’ve come to the right place. The summit will feature local experts in community organizing to teach field organizing skills, compelling storytelling, strategic campaign development, and more.

The cost is $75 which includes meals.  Half and full scholarships are available. To register: https://form.jotform.com/230026205488956. For a description of the workshops go to https://sdpride.org/pps-workshops/. The summit will take place at San Diego City College.

Queer Prom
I Am Who I’m Meant To Be, This Is Me

The theme for this year’s Queer Prom is “I Am Who I’m Meant to Be, This is Me.” Sponsored by the North County LGBTQ Resource Center and Project Youth, it is taking place on April 29 from 6-9:00 pm. It is open to students from 8-12th grades. To RSVP and more details: https://tinyurl.com/lgbtqprom2023. For questions: lgbtqplus@projectyouth@gmail.com.

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

PFLAG SDC Book Club

The next selection for the PFLAG SDC Book Club will be Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel. We’ll meet Tuesday, May 30, 7-8:15 p.m on Zoom for a discussion moderated by newsletter editor Louise Julig. You must register separately for each book club meeting. Use the link below to register.

Fun Home is a modern classic of queer literature, a graphic memoir that was adapted into a hit Broadway musical of the same name. In it Alison Bechdel charts her fraught relationship with her late father, a closeted gay man, alongside her own reckoning with her sexual identity, all against the backdrop of the family business—a funeral home.

We are proud to partner with Libélula Books and Co., a local queer-owned, Latinx-owned, Indigenous-owned independent bookstore at 950 South 26th Street in Barrio Logan. Check out their in-person location or buy the book through their Bookshop.org store. If audiobooks are more your thing, check out the indie-supporting Libro.fm.

Launching Leaders Logo

Save The Date For The PFLAG SDC Scholarship Awards Luncheon!

Now that the applications for the PFLAG SDC scholarships are closed, we have switched our energy to the Awards Luncheon! The luncheon is June 3 from 11:30 am-2:00 pm at Elijah’s Restaurant, 7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Kearny Mesa.

In anticipation of having a successful in-person Launching Leaders Luncheon Scholarship Awards Ceremony, the PFLAG SDC Scholarship Program is seeking sponsorships

  • Presenting Sponsor: $5000
  • Leadership Sponsor: $2500
  • Awardee Sponsor, $1000
  • Table Sponsor: $500.

No matter what level you choose, the sponsorship entitles the sponsor to one table of eight sponsor guests, ad space in the program, listing in all printed and electronic communications regarding the event, and recognition from the stage during the event. The more you sponsor, the more perks! To sponsor or to purchase individual tickets for $70 each: https://pflagsdc.org/scholarship-luncheon/. For more information or questions, please contact scholarships@pflag.com.

PFLAG Parents Share For Personal Stories Project

The Personal Stories Project is a nonprofit established in 2012 to promote activism, advocacy, and support for the LGBT community and allies through the sharing of personal stories. It recently released a video of PFLAG parents Barbara and Bill Pisetsky sharing their story of moving from ignorance and fear prompted by their gay son’s coming out to advocacy and activism through involvement with PFLAG. A short “teaser” version of the video suitable for sharing on social media can also be found on the Personal Stories Facebook page here.

Personal Stories Project Barbara and Bill Pisetsky

“I thought people would judge me. That’s how uneducated we were at the time. And then I realized my reaction was more about me than about him being gay.”

Thank You To Our Donors!

Thanks to the following individuals who donated to PFLAG SDC this past month:

Theresa Burke
Kurt Dearie
Jennifer King
Susan Weaver

And thanks to our regular monthly donors to PFLAG San Diego County. A monthly donation helps provide predictable sources of funding for our programs and scholarships and we appreciate it very much!

Donna and Jim Bowersox
Lonnie Brunini
B Fit by Bryann
Nancy Colbert
Anna Covici
Charles Kaminski
Stephen Miller and Michael Wasilewski
Maureen Steiner
Terrie Vorono

☎️ 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline Now In Place

The nonprofit that operates the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline launched a pilot program for LGBTQ individuals, veterans, and anyone who feels they may be experiencing a mental health crisis; you may call or text 988.

One of the goals is to dramatically decrease the number of calls made to 911 in the time of crisis, as 911 wasn’t set up to address mental health needs. Please note, this new program does not track your location.

Support Groups

❗️Note: some support group information has changed since last month

Most support groups will continue to meet virtually, but some groups are returning to in-person meetings. Check individual group for details. We encourage you to contact your support group facilitator at any time, as they will remain excellent resources for information. The support group locations, dates, and times will continue to be posted on the PFLAG San Diego County Facebook page. You can join in any of the digital meetings. For Zoom links, contact each support group.

Our Vision
PFLAG envisions a world where diversity is celebrated and all people are respected, valued, and affirmed inclusive of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

Our Mission
By meeting people where they are and collaborating with others, PFLAG realizes its vision through: Support for families, allies and people who are LGBTQ+; Education for ourselves and others about the unique issues and challenges facing people who are LGBTQ+; Advocacy in our communities to change attitudes and create policies and laws that achieve full equality for people who are LGBTQ+.