The San Diego LGBT Community Center

📚 Join us for a peer-led Book Club welcoming lesbian, bisexual, queer, transgender, and questioning women of all ages to gather in a friendly, thought-provoking discussion related to the month’s book selection. 📅 Wednesday, September 11th, 5-6:30pm in person in The Center's Library 📨 For info email [email protected] or visit https://lnkd.in/gX4NixHh ✨ September book selection: The Art of Dining By Tina Howe. ✨ October book selection is reader's choice: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. ✨ November book selection is reader's choice: Big Swiss by Jen Beagin. ✨ December book selection is reader's choice: Terraformers by Annalee Newitz.

✨🌈 Welcome to the newest member of The Center’s Board of Directors, Janessa Goldbeck (she/her)! Janessa will return to the Board of Directors after a brief hiatus in 2023. Janessa is the CEO of Vet Voice Foundation, a national nonprofit that advocates for veterans and military families to actively participate in our democracy.

This week, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to require all County libraries to carry “challenged and banned books” and display them during Banned Book Week in September. The San Diego LGBT Community Center is proud to support the passing of this policy. Book bans disproportionately target LGBTQ+ and BIPOC voices, and the rise in book bans across the nation demonstrates the need to protect and uplift these voices. Ensuring access to these books is an important step in amplifying underrepresented voices to promote inclusivity, acceptance, and respect. We thank Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer for her leadership in championing this policy. #CenterSDAdvocacy

🧡 A big thank you to all the community members who joined us last Saturday at the Commemorative Tile Ceremony on The Center's patio! We had such a lovely morning filled with nostalgia, pastries, and refreshing drinks. This event was all about celebrating and expressing our heartfelt gratitude to amazing supporters like you, who have played a crucial role in our journey. #TheCenterSD

📣 The HIV Planning Group and the County of San Diego are hosting the annual 35th Dr. A. Brad Truax Award Ceremony to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the continuing fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Participate by voting on a date for the ceremony! Choose between December 1, 2024 or December 6, 2024. Vote online by visiting this link: https://lnkd.in/gzZyWip5

💜Join us on September 20, 2024 from 6-8pm for an event focused on learning coping skills, providing community support, and sharing ways to reduce suicide. Rise Above the Stigma is hosted by The Center’s Behavioral Health Services Department, Urban Restoration Counseling Center, and other community partners. RSVP: https://lnkd.in/g5qFzB7g

📣 The World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency due to a more dangerous strain of #mpox that has affected tens of thousands in Africa. Although there are no immediate risks in the U.S., the CDC still recommends that individuals at higher risk receive full vaccination. It’s good to be extra about your sexual health and wellness. Learn more about where to get the MPOX vaccine, resources, and additional preventive measures to avoid MPOX at thecentersd.org/mpox

📣 SAN DIEGO LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT We are seeking a diverse group of LGBTQ+ people in San Diego County to help us craft the assessment survey, including women, transgender and nonbinary folks, those living with HIV, unhoused youth, and those who reside all over the county (South, Central, East, and North San Diego). WHAT’S HAPPENING? The San Diego LGBT Community Center and the County of San Diego are teaming up to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment for our LGBTQ+ community. We need your voice! HOW CAN YOU HELP? Participate in Focus Groups and Key Informative Interviews: Share your experiences, insights, and ideas. A grocery store gift card will be provided as compensation. 📧 For more information, reach out to Sarah Merk-Benitez (she/her) at [email protected] LET’S MAKE A DIFFERENCE TOGETHER!

The Center condemns the August 13th decision by the Cajon Valley Union School District to pass a resolution requiring Cajon Valley district employees to report students’ requests to identify as a different gender or go by a different name or pronoun than what is listed on official district records to their parents or guardians. The resolution also requires district employees to notify parents of students who request to use restrooms that do not align with the gender listed on school records, and does not allow staff to refer students to gender-affirming medical care. The Cajon Valley District school board’s decision is a direct attack on trans and nonbinary youth. Coming out can be an empowering step for an LGBTQ+ person toward living authentically, and everyone deserves the right to make their own choice on when to come out and to whom. This resolution restricts that right while putting vulnerable students at risk. LGBTQ+ youth often thrive when they have parental support and feel safe sharing their authentic selves at home, and forcing youth to come out before they are ready can be harmful and dangerous. From our experience serving LGBTQ+ youth, providing a safe, affirming, and supportive environment that encourages them to be their authentic selves is critical to their health and wellbeing. The Center stands with trans and nonbinary youth and will continue to advocate for them. If you are an LGBTQ+ youth who needs support or affirming services, please contact The Center’s Youth Services team: Hillcrest Youth Center [email protected] South Bay Youth Center [email protected]

🌈 Last Saturday, The Center’s Fierce Advocacy and Civic Engagement (FACE) team was busy getting folks in Carlsbad excited to vote in this November’s presidential election at a Rock the Vote event hosted by Carlsbad Mayor Pro Tem, Priya Bhat-Patel! Center staff members Aaron Ngan (he/they) and Karina Piu (she/her) were excited to sign folks up to volunteer for phonebanking and canvassing to help the FACE team get everyone out to the polls to vote. Click the link in our bio to learn about how you can volunteer with The Center’s FACE team leading up to the November election.