San Diego Pride

SD Pride: R E S I L I E N T

It’s Pride month in San Diego! Celebrate San Diego’s 47th year of PRIDE! As we continue PFLAG’s work of support, education, and advocacy, we look forward to this special time of year where we can celebrate with our LGBTQ+ community. Due to the pandemic, San Diego LGBT Pride will not be hosting the traditional parade and festival we all know and love. However, there will be many smaller-scale events to participate in running from July 10-18, including The Stonewall Rally and a Community Resilient March. There is something for everyone so be sure to come out and show your support. Check out sdpride.org/pride for a full lineup of virtual and in-person events taking place around the county. Don’t miss Pride Live streaming online on Saturday, July 17 through Facebook and YouTube. Happy Pride! ️‍

Pride’s Family Gathering

PFLAG San Diego County is proud to be a co-organizer of Pride’s Family Gathering on July 18. In collaboration with San Diego Youth Services, Our Safe Place, and the Alliance of Affirming Families, we look forward to celebrating as one of Pride’s official in-person events. A fun-filled, free program for the whole family, this event will feature games, crafts and activities, a clown, face painting, music, dancing, Drag Queen Story Time, and more. Bring the whole family and come together to enjoy this special event, the first of its kind. The Pride Family Gathering kicks off at 9:30am and runs until 2:00pm at 3845 Spring Drive in Spring Valley. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own comforts, including canopies, chairs, snacks, coolers, blankets or picnic gear, and anything else to enjoy a day under the sun. Light snacks, water, and other refreshments will be available. Free COVID-19 testing will also be hosted at the event. Tickets are free but please RSVP at https://sdpride.org/event/familygathering/ for more information. We hope to see you there!

Don't Act Don't Tell

San Diego Pride Marks Historic Anniversary

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the repeal of the military’s Don’t Act Don’t Tell policy that banned LGBTQ people from serving openly in the military. In July 2011, two months before the official repeal of the policy, San Diego’s Pride parade became the first in the nation to feature a contingent of active duty military members. Hear Navy Operations Specialist Sean Sala and San Diego Pride organizer Fernando Zweifach Lopez talk about that historic march at StoryCorps here. We dare you to listen to it without crying.

What Is The Equality Act? (And why does it matter?)

Did you know that 29 states currently do not have explicit protections for LGBTQ+ Americans against discrimination in employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service? The current patchwork system means protection from discrimination for LGBTQ+ folks is subject to what state they happen to live in, not an intrinsic right not to be discriminated against because of who they are. The Equality Act would modernize and standardize civil rights laws at the federal level to include explicit protections for LGBTQ+ people. PFLAG National has joined a national campaign advocating for its passage. Find out more, including steps you can take as an individual to ensure equality for all Americans at the links below.

Global Leadership Youth Program

Calling all 8th through 12th graders! Are you looking for leadership credentials and experience that you can add to your college applications? Are you tired of routine online learning, and looking for a truly interactive virtual experience? Are you interested in connecting with other students, while learning about our world? Check out the Global Leadership Youth Program.

The Global Leadership Youth Program is an innovative online global education enrichment program for students entering Grades 8 – 12 in the U.S. and abroad. The program will take place online in week-long modules, Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM to 11:45 AM PDT June 28 – August 6. Register for individual modules or the full sequence.
Module dates and topics include:

  • June 28 – July 2; Global Pride: Advocating for LGBTQ+ Rights
  • July 5 – 9; “Of the People”?: Democracy in Danger
  • July 19 – 23; There Is No Planet B: Accelerating Climate Action
  • August 2 – 6; Outside the Box: Design Thinking for Social Global Innovation

Students will participate in interactive diplomacy simulations, discussions with guest speakers, collaborative deep-dive projects with other students, and fun cultural enrichment opportunities. At the conclusion of each week, students will come away with a nuanced understanding of a timely, global topic as well as a Certificate of Excellence in Global Leadership.

Sponsorships are available! The San Diego Diplomacy Council is delighted to offer sponsorships for students to attend this program who could benefit from financial assistance or who identify as underserved or underrepresented in their community. We invite all students who would benefit from receiving a sponsorship to apply on the registration page.

Yee-haw! 🐴 Valley Center Western Days Parade

Human Rights Campaign/San Diego has invited us to participate in the Valley Center Western Days Parade on July 3, starting at 10:00 am. If interested in carpooling, please contact Terrie Vorono: tvorono@pflag.com. If you want to venture to Valley Center on your own, park near the intersection of Valley Center Road and Lilac Road, catch the shuttle bus to the starting point near the intersection of Valley Center Road and Cole Grade Road (Scholl Bus Lane). That is where the line-up is staged and look for the Human Rights Campaign signs (and a yellow Alfa Romeo!). Because of limited shuttle buses, it is suggested arriving early. Be as “Western” as you like, but dress cool and bring water as it’s likely to be quite warm. The HRC coordinator, Beth Kind, has invited all to her place for lunch afterwards.

Back By Popular Demand 🎶 SD Gay Men’s Chorus

In celebration of PRIDE, the chorus will be performing Unmuted! presented by Sycuan Casino. The  virtual performances are July 29-August 1.  The first performance is at 8:00 pm on Friday, July 29, then will be available for streaming until August 1.  You may go to their website to view via YouTube: sdgmc.org.

Launching Leaders Logo

🙌 PFLAG SDC Scholarship Awardees!

On June 5, PFLAG San Diego County proudly awarded 14 college or college-bound students with scholarships ranging from $2000-3000. This year’s recipients are: Elizabeth Granados Johnson/Mary Wagner Memorial Scholarship; Hafeez Merali/John Bessemer Memorial Scholarship; Aranzazu Salgado-Gutierrez/Rob Benzon Memorial Scholarship; Halle Schaffer/Stephen G. Bowersox Memorial Scholarship; Sofia Alcocer/Raytheon STEM Scholarship; Sinai Cota/Kendall Family Memorial Scholarship; Danny Tran Ho/Qualcomm STEM/Merit Scholarship; Taylor Vassar/Qualcomm STEM/Merit Scholarship; Sean Compas/M. Lynne Austin Memorial Scholarship; Derrick Herrera/Daniel J. Ferbal Memorial Scholarship; Jose Mendez Entrekin/Gary A. Marcus Scholarship for the Fine & Applied Arts; Aaron Bautista/Bill Hanson Community Scholarship; Jay Schmidt/ Bill Hanson Community Scholarship; kelechi agwuncha/PFLAG SDC Merit Scholarship. You may view their photos and biographies soon at https://pflagsdc.org/previous-winners.

PFLAG SDC would like to thank the donors who made the scholarships possible: Marilyn and Art Carpenter, Sharon Murphy, Rob Benzon Foundation, Donna and Jim Bowersox, members of the Raytheon RAYPRIDE Employee Resource Group, Lonnie Brunini, Terrie Kendall Vorono, Qualcomm eQuality LGBTQ Employee Network, Ray and Jan Aller, Gary A Marcus, Bill Hanson, Howard Finnecy, Maureen Steiner. In addition, every donation made to the Scholarship Fund is deeply appreciated.  It is never too late or early to donate:  www.pflag.com/support-our-students/.

Chula Vista Scholarship

Chula Vista Scholarship Awardees Honored

The Chula Vista City Council chose to honor five of the PFLAG SDC 2021 scholarship recipients who reside in Chula Vista. As luck would have it, it was the first in-person Council meeting since 2020! Councilmember Steve Padilla presented certificates to Jay Schmidt, Sofia Alcocer, Aaron Bautista, and Elizabeth Granados Johnson. Although Aranzazu Salgado-Gutierrez couldn’t attend, she joined the presentation virtually.

🌈 National City Shines ☀️

The Progress Pride Flag was raised for the first time in the City of National City Government. Much gratitude to National City Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis and out bisexual Afro-Latino City Councilmember Marcus Anthony Bush for making this historic moment possible. They were helped and encouraged by councilmembers and staff.

Many LGBTQ+ groups were there for this heartwarming moment. PFLAG SDC was proudly represented by Tiffany Gonzalez and her son Sam, Terrie Vorono, Patti Boman, and Nadia Kean-Ayub.

Progress Pride Flag National City
Progress Pride Flag National City

🌈 A Groovie Movie Revioo …

By Vicki Luna (She, Her, Hers)

PRIDE (2014)
What do you get when you try and mix a community of London LGBTQ folks with a VERY conservative, by the book, rural mining town in Wales? Well…not a lot of good stuff or camaraderie as you might guess. But this true 1984 story of two UK groups coming together amidst shared heartache and struggle is proof that against all odds, love can not only win but spread and thrive! Even in a long, long close-minded area, history was made in such a unique way. An ultimate in Rainbow inspiration, this film brought me to tears as I realized it is a perfect offering for our Pride season of love and solidarity!

Starring Ben Schnetzer, Abram Rooney, Jim McManus. Available on Amazon Prime

Pride
Pride

Out At The Park ⚾️

Join San Diego Pride as they team up with the San Diego Padres for Out at the Park on Friday, August 20 at Petco Park. Grab your friends, families, and rainbows for all to enjoy an exciting evening of entertainment and baseball when the Padres take on the Philadelphia Phillies at 7:10 pm.

The Out at the Park ticket price of $25 (plus $3.50 service fee) includes a seat in Pride’s Out at the Park section, a commemorative Out at the Park Padres hat, $5 donation to San Diego Pride, and access to the pre-game “Tailgate party” happy hour (from 5:00-7:00 pm) in their VIP space in Gallagher Square (formerly Park in the Park). Note that food and drinks are not included.

Using an appropriate cliché, the tickets sell like hotcakes and sell out early every year. You can purchase tickets at www.padres.com/pride.

Save The Date 📆
South Bay Pride Art & Music Festival

The South Bay Pride Art & Music Festival begins at noon on Saturday, August 21. There will be something for  everyone: two musical stages, DJs, dancing, children’s entertainment, great food, Art of Pride in the Park, over 150 vendors, local resources, and more. If you would like to be a vendor, please sign up at: https://southbaypride.org/vendors/. The Festival is at Bayfront Park, 999 Bayside Parkway which is adjacent to the “J” Street Marina in Chula Vista.

man wearing shirt that says "volunteer"

💪 Did We Hear You Say You Wanted To Volunteer?

While PFLAG San Diego County is happy that you are a member, we would be happier if you could spend some time volunteering with us to continue our good work in the LGBTQ+ community. You can spend as much or as little time as fits your availability. Current opportunities include openings on committees, ongoing projects, and tabling and attending events as soon as reasonably safe, in accordance with local guidelines regarding COVID. To sign up, contact PFLAG SDC President, Tiffany Gonzalez, tgonzalez@pflag.com.

😍 Thank You To Our Donors! 😍

Thanks to the following who have donated to our general fund since last newsletter:

Marci Bair
John Baker
Lonnie Brunini
Kathy Cien-Mayer
Sara Kent
Gary Marcus
Lucy Postins
Maureen Steiner
Todd Stevens
Jackie Trischman
Linda Uhuru
Dave Wertlieb

Support Groups

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

Individual support groups will continue to meet virtually, as well as the monthly virtual Countywide Support Group meeting. 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.

Do You Shop On Amazon?

If you have an account with Amazon, you can help our chapter every time you shop. Go to smile.Amazon.com and search for PFLAG San Diego County. For every purchase, our chapter will receive .05% of the dollar amount of the order. This may not sound like a lot, but it adds up with the more people we have participating. Now that more of us are ordering online than ever due to the pandemic, it’s the perfect time to use Amazon Smile to support PFLAG.

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+.