PFLAG Is Here For You – No Fooling!
Friend, PFLAG San Diego County is here for you and has been for the last 40 years. From support groups, to scholarships, to partnerships with other community advocates, to educational tabling at countless LGBTQIA+ events and publicizing opportunities through this very newsletter, we aim to be there for the LGBTQIA+ community that we love. We hope you’ll support us in turn with your membership.
When you join PFLAG at the local level, a portion of your membership also goes to PFLAG National, which offers a wealth of resources, as well as puts its muscle behind challenges to a raft of significant anti-LGBTQ+ actions at the state level. See “Love Takes Action in Texas” below.
Please join as a new member or renew your membership today. You can do this from our website atpflagsdc.org/membership or send your renewal to PO Box 82762, San Diego, CA 92138.
2024 Pride Library Card Contest
San Diego Public Library needs YOUR help designing the PRIDE 2024 commemorative library card. The contest is open to artists of all ages with a design that celebrates the theme of Make History Now. The San Diego Public Library is offering $100 prizes for all semi-finalists, and the winning design will be printed as the 2024 San Diego Pride Library card. Submissions can be received April 1-30. For more info and submission instructions go to https://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/lgbtq
VIDA LGBTQ Latinx Scholarship
Mark your calendars! You may apply April 1, 2024 for VIDA Community scholarships, vida.community. This is VIDA’s 5th Annual LGBTQ Latinx Scholarships, and they will be awarding three $1000 scholarships. VIDA is about building collaborations (not walls) with Mexico, therefore, students who live in Tijuana, BC, MX are encouraged to apply.
You may apply if:
— you are located in San Diego County or Tijuana
— must be Latinx and LGBTQ
–attend a technical/vocational school, 4-year university, or graduate program
–must be present to receive a scholarship at the awards luncheon
To date, VIDA has awarded $11,000 in scholarships. With the cost of education being out of control, VIDA’s goal is to help those students who are creating positive change in the world. VIDA means LIFE!
Relationship Coach For Lesbians To Speak At North County Coastal Support Group
PFLAG SDC North County Coastal will have guest speaker Pamela Gort at its next meeting, on April 3. The meeting is held in Carlsbad from 6 – 7:30 p.m. Email nccoastal@pflagsdc.org for exact location.
Gort is a dating and relationship coach for lesbians with expertise in mindset, relationship, and well-being coaching. Using the “mental fitness” platform, her focus is to empower a healthier relationship with self and reframe our inner voice based on self-love, acceptance, and compassion.
Her life mission is to spread love throughout the lesbian community. Through individual and group coaching, Pamela guides and supports lesbians to reach their highest purpose and to feel more joy and flow. She speaks to high schools, colleges and organizations which are interested in improving their DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging) standards to boost team dynamics, productivity, and innovation within an organization.
️⚧️ Trans Day Of Empowerment
April 5 is Trans Day of Empowerment (TDOE) 2024. At 11:00 am, there will be a flag raising ceremony at the Hillcrest flagpole, lead by the Project TRANS at The LGBT Community Center.
At 6:00 pm, all are invited for a night of entertainment, food, fun, and empowering our transgender community through the voices of our youth and our elders. The event will be held in The LGBT Community Center’s auditorium, 3909 Centre Street, Hillcrest. San Diego Pride, The Center, Lambda Archives, and Family Health Center of San Diego are the proud sponsors.
Happy Anniversary South Bay Youth Center!
South Bay Youth Center is celebrating its Five-year Anniversary on Saturday, April 6. You are invited to join in the celebration as they honor the folxs who helped them get started and to reaffirm SBYC’s commitment to strengthen the support for all LGBTQ+ youth in the South Bay. All ages are welcome. South Bay Youth Center, 1180 3rd Avenue, c1, Chula Vista from 10 am – noon.
Support the Arts!
You won’t want to miss the Queer Youth Art Show on April 6 from 6-8:00 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 4190 Front Street, San Diego.
This year’s theme is Making History Now. It’s a wonderful chance to see our own LGBTQ+ artists and what they’ve created
⚾️ Take Me Out to the Ball Game!
OUT at the Park is Friday, April 19. Every year, San Diego Pride partners with the Padres in celebrating OUT at the Park at Petco Park. It’s an evening of friends, family, and rainbows as the LGBTQ+ comes for a night of fun and festivities.
The Padres host the Blue Jays at 6:40 pm, but the festivities start well before that. Starting at 4:30 pm, there’s a pregame happy hour in Gallagher Square with Party in the Park (no host). Your ticket purchase includes a ticket to the game, a commemorative Out at the Park Padres hat, and a $10 donation to San Diego Pride. From anyone who has attended in previous years, fans will tell you that the hat is worth the ticket price!
To sit in the stands with the LGBTQ+ community, tickets may be purchased at: https://www.mlb.com/padres/tickets/specials/out-at-the-park. To purchase 10 or more tickets, email Logan Washburn at lwashburn@padres.com.
Freak Out! A Disco Extravagaaanza
Celebrate a time when glamour and pageantry always took center stage… when the elite and the outcasts danced side by side. The San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus spring show, FREAK OUT!, is sure to impress. You can expect everything fab: sequins, glitter, roller skates, and so many Dancing Queens! Close your eyes, and you may even find yourself transported to Studio 54.
Save the dates: Saturday, April 20 or Sunday, April 21. All shows are The Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Avenue, downtown San Diego. For tickets: https://sdgmc.org/.
Calling All Teens For GLSEN Rainbow Writes
GLSEN is calling all young LGBTQ2S+ poets and writers. The 2024 Rainbow Writes Award is here and GLSEN wants YOUR voice to shine. This year’s theme is Pride. If you’re aged 13-18, this is your chance to be heard. Submit your work by May 1 for a chance to win $500 and a feature in GLSEN’s publications. Let’s turn the page on censorship and write a brighter, more inclusive future.
To learn more and submit your story visit www.glsen.org/RainbowWrites
️ PFLAG SDC May Book Club
The next selection for the PFLAG SDC Book Club will be Chef’s Kiss by TJ Alexander. We’ll meet Tuesday, May 28, 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.
In Chef’s Kiss, described as “a deliciously fresh and witty queer rom-com,” a high-strung pastry chef, Simone Larkspur, has her professional and personal life turned upside down by an unexpected career transition and the introduction of her wildly attractive nonbinary kitchen manager, Ray, whose personality is nonetheless completely opposite her own.
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 the store in person or buy the book through Libélula’s Bookshop.org store. If audiobooks are more your thing, check out the indie-supporting Libro.fm.
Click here for a list of all previous PFLAG SDC Book Club Selections.
Help Support The Launching Leaders Scholarship 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 8 from 11:30 am-2:00 pm at The Handlery in Mission Valley.
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 guests, ad in the Awards 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@pflagsdc.org.
Save The Date For Santee Pride!
The second annual Santee Pride Walk will take place on Saturday, June 22. More details to come. Support our LGBTQIA friends, neighbors, and family in Santee by showing up!
Come As You Are Every Monday!
Every Monday, the North County LGBTQ Resource Center hosts CAYA — Come as You Are, the Trans, Gender Nonconforming, and Intersex Support Group, Mondays from 6:30 – 7:30 pm.
Whether you wish to attend in person or via Zoom, they have you covered!
The North County Resource Center is located at 3220 Mission Avenue, Suite #2, in Oceanside.
Campers And Camp Counselors Needed
We have been asked by The Laurel Foundation to assist in finding volunteer counselors for their summer camps. The camps are free and very needed for trans and gender diverse youth (Camp Mulberry held in San Bernardino National Forest) and youth affected by HIV & AIDS (Camp Laurel held at Cal State Northridge). Training is offered the day before each camp begins.
The camp sessions strive to empower the youth, teaching them important life skills that will help them to build productive, successful lives.
Whether you are interested in becoming a counselor or want to send your child to one of these camps, contact https://laurel-foundation.org/.
PFLAG SDC At Ca Retired Teachers Association, Area 11 Meeting
PFLAG SDC Board Member David Milroy is also an active member of the California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA) and is currently serving as the CalRTA Division 4 President.
CalRTA has been going strong for 95 years and both organizations share the same vision that publicly funded education should acknowledge, affirm, and celebrate the identities of all students, staff, and families.
Milroy invited PFLAG SDC to the Area 11 Spring Workshop on March 27th. David and Board Member Terrie Vorono spoke with CalRTA leaders from communities all over San Diego and Imperial Counties and will build connections with the eight CalRTA divisions and their members. Terrie gave a beautiful PowerPoint presentation to familiarize the group with PFLAG SDC and our mission of creating a caring, just, and affirming world for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them.
Terrie Vorono said, “It’s a joy to speak with life-long learners and advocates in education”.
Top photo: CalRTA San Diego Area 11 Director, Lee Finney, PFLAG SDC Board Member, Terrie Vorono, CalRTA Division 4 President and PFLAG Board Member, David Milroy.
Bottom photo: Terrie Vorono, Lee Finney, and CalRTA President, Susan Dixon.
Love Takes Action In Texas!
On March 25, a PFLAG National press release announced the Travis County District Court granted a temporary injunction blocking the Texas Attorney General’s Office’s latest effort targeting transgender Texans. It had demanded that PFLAG National turn over information and documents about its support of families in Texas seeking gender-affirming medical care for their transgender youth.
“PFLAG National has consistently protected Texas families with transgender youth in the face of the State’s persecution,” said Chloe Kempf (she/her), Attorney with the ACLU of Texas. “This court ruling is a critical step in allowing PFLAG National and its members to join together and advocate for each other, free from the threat of the attorney general’s retaliation and intimidation. But we know that this isn’t over, and Texans of all races, genders, and backgrounds must be able to continue to engage in civil society to advocate for their safety, equality, and constitutional rights.”
The fight isn’t over yet, but this injunction curbs the blatant abuse of power by the Office of the Attorney General and allows PFLAG to continue advocating on behalf of Texas families with transgender youth.
For more background, go to the full PFLAG National March 25, 2024 Press Release
Nonviolent Peaceforce In San Diego
Nonviolent Peaceforce came to San Diego on March 23 for a community training with TransFamily Support Services and the Stop the Hate grant. PFLAG SDC is grateful for our community partners who share opportunities to make us all more effective and safer advocates.
Pictured are Board Member Terrie Vorono with Nonviolent Peaceforce representatives Tanya Paley and Melvin Sharty
️Tiger’s Pictionary FUNraiser a Success!
On March 12, members of PFLAG SDC and beyond gathered for a FUNraiser at Tiger’s Pictionary. Sister Ida Know is the ultimate host. Raffle tickets were sold and won when you guessed the picture (that term is used lightly!) Every 15 minutes, a prize was raffled off. The funds raised go to support a different nonprofit in the San Diego LGBTQ+ community every week and thanks to the generosity of members and attendees, PFLAG SDC reaped the benefit – $337! Thank you to Sister Ida and all the participants.
Don’t Be Left Out!
A PFLAG T-shirt is a great way to show your support at events (see Pictionary pics above!)
Order your PFLAG SDC t-shirt now. They are $10, and there are a limited quantity. To reserve a PFLAG SDC t-shirt, please email your name and size to admin@pflagsdc.org.
Thank You To Our Donors!
Thanks to the following individuals who donated to the PFLAG SDC General and Scholarship Funds this past month:
Barona Band of Mission Indians
Rhonda Bennett
Donna and Jim Bowersox
Lonnie Brunini
Art and Marilyn Carpenter
Danna Moreno
Remo and Annette Ottone
The San Diego Foundation
Catherine Thiemann
Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians
Assemblymember Akilah Weber, MD
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
Jesse Muñoz
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+.
