Friend, what’s the best gift you can give PFLAG San Diego County this time of year? The gift of your membership for 2023!
Your membership is what enables us to have booths at the many fairs and festivals, host support group meetings, provide scholarships, advocate for the community, and distribute this newsletter, among other things. If you’re receiving this newsletter and aren’t yet a member, please sign up now at https://pflagsdc.org/membership/. Membership starts at as little as $30/year for individuals, with $15 of that going to PFLAG National. (But higher levels of membership are always appreciated!) Join now and your membership is good through December 2023!
Help us continue our advocacy and education efforts supporting the LGBTQIA+ community in San Diego County. Become a Member now. It would bring us so much joy!
(Photo by Eric Prouzet @dprouzet on unsplash)
🏳️⚧️ U.S. Trans Survey Deadline Extended
The deadline has been extended through December 5, 2022. Please take the survey here https://www.ustranssurvey.org/. You may take the survey in English or Spanish. Allies are welcomed and encouraged to participate.
The U.S. Trans Survey is the largest survey of trans people, by trans people, in the United States. The USTS documents the lives and experiences of trans and nonbinary people ages 16+ in the U.S. and U.S. territories.
USTS reports have been a vital resource, including the reports on the experiences of people of color and reports by state. In 2015, nearly 28,000 people took the USTS. A lot has happened since then – hence, the new survey.
The trans survey will continue to be the largest, most diverse sample across all identities. Please spread the word to ensure that people of color, older people, those who live in rural areas, immigrants, Spanish speakers, those who are HIV+, and others hear about the survey. More than ever, it’s important to ensure that trans voices will shape the future.
Up For A Good Mystery?
The Diversionary Theatre has a place for you! The Mystery of Irma Vep will be presented December 1-24. Synopsis: Gothic horror, Victorian romance, and classic B-movies are whipped together into a diabolical delight for the holidays. When Lady Enid joins her newlywed Lord Edgar at his estate in the mysterious moors of the English countryside, dark family secrets and supernatural lore emerge with some seriously campy consequences. This queer comic masterpiece comes to the Diversionary stage for the first time in 20 years, with two performers bringing innumerable ridiculous characters to life in a high camp tour de force.
For tickets: https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/33385.
There are Low-Cost Previews: December 1 – December 9; First Friday for the Military: December 2, 8:00 pm; Complimentary tickets for active duty and veterans; GSA/Youth Nights: December 2, 8:00 pm & December 9, 8:00 pm; Free tickets for middle school & high school students. Click here to request free tickets: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfqnkqkBg6N-Y8nFuAEc4L3g8HJtkOp6HINJvSTkpXxfokjtQ/viewform There are also discounted tickets for educators.
Project Youth Presents
It’s not too late to register for Project Youth’s annual Youth Leadership Summit this Saturday, December 3 from 9:00 am-3:00pm. Here is a wonderful opportunity for LGBTQ+ Youth, ages 15-21, to develop leadership skills, learn queer history, and how to practice mindfulness. The event is in conjunction with the North County LGBTQ Resource Center and will be held at its Oceanside facility. You can RSVP and ask questions by emailing lgbtqplusprojectyouth@gmail.com.
Come Home for the Holidays
Please join PFLAG SDC and other LGBTQ+ organizations as we celebrate The LGBT Community Center’s Come Home for the Holidays on Saturday, December 10 from 4:00-6:00 pm. Enjoy a free tasty meal from a local restaurant, learn about resources from participating organizations, and for those in need of a little extra help this season, we’ll send you home with a bag of non-perishables for your pantry. RSVP https://thecentersd.org/comehome.
It’s That Jingle Time Of Year Again!
Jingle! promises to once again deliver well-needed cheer that makes it one of San Diego’s favorite holiday traditions. Join the chorus on December 10 at 8:00 pm and December 11 at 3:00 pm at Balboa Theatre. Besides the outstanding music selections, the chorus will not disappoint; there will be choreographed dances, awe-inspiring solo performances, and arrangements that highlight the vocal talents of the chorus ensemble.
If you cannot attend the concerts on December 10 or 11, Syucan will also be presenting the concert on December 4 at 5:00 pm. For tickets: Live & Up Close | Sycuan Casino Resort
All performances will follow the current health advisory guidelines put in place by San Diego Theatres.
Tickets are available through www.SDGMC.org and Ticketmaster: https://sandiegotheatres.org/calendar
The theatre is located at 868 Fourth Ave, downtown San Diego.
Shakespeare Re-imagined
Until December 11, you can enjoy a most unusual version of As You Like It at the La Jolla Playhouse. Featuring a cast of trans, non-binary and Queer performers, co-directors Christopher Ashley and Will Davis’s re-imagined Shakespeare classic As You Like It is a celebration of the limitless possibilities of love and humanity. It is being produced in association with the Diversionary Theatre.
Synopsis: In Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy, Rosalind and Orlando meet by chance in court and have an immediate connection. When they are both banished, fate brings them together again in the Forest of Arden. Far from the restrictions of court life, we find ourselves in a vibrant new world, where identities can be fully explored and romance can blossom in multiple forms.
To purchase tickets: https://sdpride.org/events/
Dreamgirls Revue
Join Trans Family Support Services for their Annual Dreamgirls Revue fundraiser on Wednesday, December 14. Seating starts at 6:00 pm, with the show starting at 7:00 pm. The show features a revolving cast of queens, hosted by fabulous emcee, Chad Michaels!
Tickets are $20 and may be purchased at https://urbanmos.com/events/
PFLAG SDC Book Club 📚
The next selection for the PFLAG SDC Book Club will be the memoir Unprotected, by Billy Porter. We’ll meet Tuesday, January 24, 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.
Porter is the Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winner known for the TV show Pose and Broadway’s Kinky Boots. But his story goes back far before any of that success, when he was a bullied young boy in Pittsburgh and later a teen trying to find his way as a gay Black man in a world where just being himself required constant vigilance.
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.com.
Time to Apply for PFLAG SDC 2023 Scholarships
Once again (our 25th year!), PFLAG San Diego County is offering scholarships to LGBTQ+ students who reside in San Diego County. The application, requirements, and other scholarship-related info is on the PFLAG SDC website, pflag.com/scholarships. The deadline to apply is March 15, 2023.
Spread the word to LGBTQ+ high school seniors and full-time undergraduate/graduate students to apply for PFLAG SDC scholarships. In addition, we are offering scholarships specifically for community colleges and certified technical/vocational schools. Half-time applicants will be considered with an explanation of the circumstances that prevents them from attending full-time. A minimum of 18 scholarships will be awarded in the amounts of $2000 or more.
Our goal is to maximize the amounts of the scholarships and to award more scholarships. You may donate any time: pflag.com/support-our-students and either donate to the General Scholarship Fund or a specific scholarship. We are offering a recurring monthly donation option.
We are maintaining our commitment that 100% of funds donated for scholarships goes to students. All donations are 100% tax deductible (tax ID# 33-0512868). For 2022, we awarded a record 18 scholarships totaling $48,000.
Our motto is “Change a life, change the world.” Please help us continue to change lives. For questions, contact scholarships@pflag.com.
PFLAG SDC Stands with Club Q
What happened at Club Q in Colorado Springs is absolutely devastating; our hearts are with our loved ones there, including our local members of Colorado Springs PFLAG. But make no mistake: This is what happens when vitriol against us is left unchecked, when #LGBTQ people are slowly being legislated out of existence, and everyone from legislators to hate groups to social media users use the same vile talking points about us, every day. This is what happens. Devastation and violence. It has left people in fear and trying to make sense of a seemingly senseless act of violence. We honor the victims.
Club Q shooting victims, clockwise from top left: Daniel Davis Aston, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh, Derrick Rump and Raymond Green Vance are pictured. (Photos provided by the Colorado Springs Police Department and Natalee Skye Bingham).
Thanks and appreciation to the heroic actions of Richard Fierro (below right), without whom so many more lives would have been lost. He is a homespun San Diego native, having graduated from Mira Mesa High School and SDSU. One of the other heroic patrons who took down the attacker was James Thomas, who was injured and hospitalized. He is in good condition.
Help Advance Clinical Research For Trans And Nonbinary Teens
PFLAG SDC is approached by many businesses and organizations to promote or share their information and normally we do not post or share such requests. However, we recently learned of a research effort by former PFLAG SDC Scholarship recipient, PsyD student and Associate MFT Laura Castro.
As allies, sharing Laura Castro’s ask is something we can do to help improve statistics and data concerning those we advocate for, to change and more accurately reflect the conversation.
Laura is looking for trans and nonbinary adults who participated in family therapy as adolescents. Be part of the first study that exclusively explores the experiences of trans and nonbinary adolescents in family therapy.
Eligibility requirements:
- Live in U.S.
- Have a gender identity different than the sex assigned at birth
- Ages 19-29
- Participated in family therapy/counseling at some point from age 10-19
- Perceived gender identity, expression or nonconformity was a topic discussed in family therapy
- Speak English
Research participants will receive a $20 electronic gift card. Interviews last 45-90 minutes and will be conducted through a secure online video platform.
For more information or to see if you qualify contact:
Laura Castro (she/they),
MA Marriage and Family Therapy
Cell: 619-387-8386
Email: TGNBexperiences@gmail.com
🏳️⚧️Help For Gender-Affirming Care
The Gender Affirming Letter Access Project is a grassroots, volunteer project that aims to increase access to free letters for gender-affirming medical care.
Many people seeking gender-affirming surgery may not be aware of this organization that will write FREE letters required to provide to their surgeons in order to have their surgery covered by insurance.
NEED A LETTER? go to https://www.thegalap.org/need-a-letter/directory
We Are Proud
Thank you to member Annette Ottone for participating and receiving a Certificate of Completion in Clinical and Non-Binary Training. This furthers our knowledge, and we are looking forward to Annette sharing her new insights.
NEED A LETTER? go to https://www.thegalap.org/need-a-letter/directory
☎️ 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.
😍 Thank You To Our Donors! 😍
Thanks to the following individuals who donated to PFLAG SDC this past month:
Michael Archer
Donna Bowersox
Linda Cronquist
Pam Fair
Robert Gleason
Bobbi Harwood
Craig Humphries
Judith Hyde
Marylou Strong
Jay and Jackie Trischman
Annemarie Whalen
Bryan Wildenthal
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
Anna Covici
Charles Kaminski
Maureen Steiner
Michael Wasilewski
Support Groups
❗️Note: some support group information has changed since last month
Support groups will continue to meet virtually until further notice. 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.
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. So turn your Amazon habit into support for 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+.
