Friend, your PFLAG SDC Membership is more vital than ever. Anti-LGBTQ+ laws are on the rise, and some San Diego County school boards are causing harm through their policies. We are advocating more, attending meetings, and supporting our LGBTQ+ loved ones. PFLAG National is monitoring discriminatory legislation and suing four states.
Our scholarship program is thriving. This year, we awarded over $50,000 to LGBTQ+ students and plan to grant even more in 2024. We are now accepting applications for the 2024 scholarships. (See article and link below).
We now offer three monthly in-person support groups and two virtual groups. The North County Coastal group will shift from virtual to in-person meetings after the first of the year.
We can only do this vital work with your support! Please join or renew your membership. You can do this from our website at www.pflagsdc.org/membership/ or send your renewal to PO Box 82762, San Diego, CA 92138.
Sincerely,
Nancy Colbert
She/Her/Hers
President
PFLAG San Diego County
Come Home For The Holidays
The LGBT Community Center’s annual “Come Home for the Holidays” gathering will be held on Saturday, December 9 from 4-6:00 pm. This multicultural celebration seeks to highlight the diversity of the holiday season in the LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS communities. PFLAG SDC will have a table. Please stop by.
Gather to celebrate the diverse cultures and traditions within the San Diego LGBTQ+ Community. This is a family-friendly event, free and open to the public. Enjoy a tasty meal from a local restaurant and learn about resources from The Center’s partner organizations.
Please RSVP: bit.ly/chfth-2023
Jingle!
Join the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus for Jingle!, the annual celebration of winter holidays through joyous singing and celebration of artistic excellence. Performances are December 9 at 8:00 pm and December 10 at 3:00 pm at the Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave, downtown San Diego.
There are outstanding music selections, along with choreographed dances, awe-inspiring solo performances, and arrangements that highlight the vocal talents of the chorus ensemble.Tickets are available at https://sdgmc.org/.
We Need You!
Do you have a passion for leadership and a desire to make an impact? Great news! PFLAG SDC officers’ elections are coming up, and you have the opportunity to run for a two-year position. If you want to take on this exciting challenge, please email Annette Ottone at annetteo@pflagsdc.org by December 15. Take advantage of this chance to make a difference in our San Diego County community!
Below is a brief description of each position:
President (or co-Presidents): Supervise, direct, and control the business related to PFLAG SDC; preside over and present reports at board meetings; attend community outreach events and public speaking engagements; public relations contact and networking.
Secretary: Record minutes of the board meetings; prepare and send copies of the minutes to board members before the next board meeting; maintain minutes on PFLAG Google Drive.
Treasurer: Keep account of all monies received and expended; make disbursements as authorized by the board; maintain check register and financial ledger; prepare monthly financial report for distribution to the board.
Winter Lights
The San Diego Women’s Chorus proudly presents its holiday concert, Winter Lights. The concert is on Sunday, December 17 at 4:00 pm at the First United Methodist Church, 2111 Camino del Rio S, Mission Valley.
Join the San Diego Women’s Chorus for a selection of holiday music and arrangements! For tickets: www.sdwc.org
The Glass Menagerie
Not to be missed! The Diversionary Theatre is presenting The Glass Menagerie through December 23. Synopsis: The mother of queer classics, this nostalgic story of love, regret, and letting go introduced a young Tennessee Williams to the world. Gripped by the guilt of abandoning his mother, Amanda, and sister, Laura, Tom is forced to look back and investigate what led to the fracturing of his family and perhaps his soul. This poetic and compelling memory play comes to stirring life at Diversionary for the first time, posing the question: What is the cost of personal freedom?
For info and tickets: www.diversionary.org. The theatre is located at 4545 Park Blvd., San Diego.
Support Group Holiday Schedule Changes
For the month of December, the Ramona Support Group and the South Bay-Imperial Valley Support Group will not be meeting.
In January, the North County Coastal Support Group will not meet.
️ PFLAG SDC Book Club
The next selection for the PFLAG SDC Book Club will be the young adult memoir All Boys Aren’t Blue, by journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson. We’ll meet Tuesday, January 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.
All Boys Aren’t Blue explores the author’s childhood, adolescence, and college years as a queer Black boy growing up in New Jersey and Virginia. It covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. It’s also been one of the most-challenged books in school libraries for the past several years. Let’s read it together and make up our own minds!
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.
Announcing PFLAG SDC Scholarships
PFLAG San Diego County is gearing up for our 26th year of offering scholarships to LGBTQ+ students who reside in San Diego County. The application, requirements, and other scholarship-related info can be found on our web site at https://pflagsdc.org/scholarships. The deadline to apply is March 15, 2024.
We appreciate you spreading the word to LGBTQ+ high school seniors and full-time undergraduate/graduate students to apply for PFLAG scholarships. 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, including for community college and vocational school. Amounts range from $2000-$3500.
Our goal is to maximize the amounts of the scholarships and to award more scholarships. You may donate any time: pflagsdc.org/support-our-students/ and either donate to the General Scholarship Fund or a specific scholarship. We are maintaining our commitment that 100% of funds donated for scholarships goes to students. We are offering a recurring monthly donation option.
All donations are 100% tax deductible (tax ID# 33-0512868). In 2023, we awarded a record 21 scholarships totaling $56,000.
We are proud to continue our affiliation with The San Diego Foundation (TSDF). The Foundation is well regarded for its philanthropy and fiduciary management throughout our region. Our scholarships will continue to be selected through our own Scholarship Committee.
For questions, please contact scholarships@pflagsdc.org.
Help Budding Artists
Gary Marcus, donor and funder for the PFLAG SDC Gary Marcus Scholarship for Fine and Applied Arts, just celebrated his 80th birthday. To honor him, you can donate to the fund that sustains the Marcus Arts Scholarship, presented by PFLAG SDCounty.
To donate, please visit https://pflagsdc.org/support-our-students/
Under the heading Your Donation, select Where to Apply your Donation
Drop down to Gary A. Marcus Scholarship for the Fine and Applied Arts
Donations to the General Scholarship fund are also gladly accepted, as well as the other scholarships.
If you prefer, checks may be sent to:
PFLAG SD County Scholarship Fund
Marcus Arts Scholarship
PO Box 82762
San Diego, CA. 92138
To view the recent scholarship recipients, go to Scholarship Recipients on the Scholarships page.
PFLAG SDC Around Town
November 4: PFLAG SDC members Remo and Annette Ottone and friend James Flinn attended the San Diego Asian Film Festival. Second photo is Annette with Michael Chen, a reporter for ABC News San Diego. PFLAG SDC co-sponsored the film that evening.
November 11: PFLAG SDC Board Members Belinda Flynn and Terrie Vorono welcomed students, educators, parents, and community members at SD Pride’s Youth Leadership Academy.
November 15: PFLAG SDC Board Members Elizabeth Santillanez and Terrie Vorono attended Father Bryan Massingale’s “The Courage to Love” lecture at UCSD. As a Black, Gay, Catholic priest, he had a powerful message to share with all.
November 18: San Diego Public Library and the Fleet Science Center celebrated International LGBTQIA+ STEM Day. Although not pictured, Terrie Vorono tabled.
November 18: San Diego Public Library and the Fleet Science Center celebrated International LGBTQIA+ STEM Day. Although not pictured, Terrie Vorono tabled.
November 20: Big Mike and PFLAG members Christynne Wood and Terrie Vorono attended the Trans Day of Remembrance where Christynne was the keynote speaker.
November 20: Big Mike and PFLAG members Christynne Wood and Terrie Vorono attended the Trans Day of Remembrance where Christynne was the keynote speaker.
Don’t Miss Out On A PFLAG T-shirt!
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:
Renee Barnow
Cynthia and Arthur Birnbaum
Robert Gleason
Fred and Joan Goetz
Sheila Goldfarb
Craig Humphreys
Myrna Katz
Bill and Vicki Luna
Jenny Maynier
William Patton
Judy Silver
Kasey Tocco
Jacqueline Trischman
Lilia Villaseñor
Judith Weiss
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
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+.
