Join us for our BIGGEST event of the year! We will have a full day of activities for you and your family with clowns, face painters, jumps, slides, climbing wall and good food.

Registration information is available at www.thecentersd.org/familyBBQ. Mark the date on your calendar and buy your tickets on-line today and tell your extended family and friends to come also. This is a great event to bring Grandma & Grandpa too so they can show off their grandkids and meet other families like theirs.       

Business owners: We still need several more sponsors.   Get your name out and support our families, see the link above for sponsorship opportunities they are going fast so check them out today!  You can share the cost of a sponsorship with another business if you want.  This is our biggest event of the year and where you will get the most exposure to offer your services to our families.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:

We need 15 more volunteers to help with this event.  Please contact Marci ASAP if you want to volunteer at mbair@thecentersd.org   This is a great way to give back, meet new people, get involved and have fun!

New Infant & Toddler Playgroup Starts in South Park!

Saturday, September 8th from 10:00 am - Noon will kick off our South Park Infant & Toddler Playgroup at Lyric's Daycare.  This group will meet the 2nd Saturday of each month at this time and location. This home daycare was opened by Lyric's mom's to allow them to spend more time with their son and give the LGBT community an open and welcoming space for childcare in a comfortable home setting. We think this is a great fit at this new location to allow the parents a comfortable space to socialize and the kids a great safe place to play. This location is great for infants through kids around 5 years old - so feel free to bring siblings along. For more information and directions, contact either Jeane or Tin-Lok at 619.501.2575 or email them at lyricsdaycare@yahoo.com  Lyric's Daycare 1787 Pentuckett Avenue San Diego, CA 92104 Check out our Website  and the calendar for when and where each of the playgroups meet.  We now have groups meeting in North County and various places in San Diego at different times and different age groups. This is a great way to connect with other parents. Photo of "Big Kid" Playgroup at Balboa Park - meets the 2nd Saturday of the month

The Center & Family Matters to offer an Educational Forum for LGBT Parents

Join Dr. Heather Berberet as she speaks to us about improving the self-esteem of our children. This discussion will take place on Wed., September 19th from 6-8pm at The Center, 3909 Centre St .

Dr. Berberet will help us improve our children's self esteem. She will teach us how we feel about our own self esteem impacts our children, and how to improve our self esteem and how to mirror positive self esteem to our kids.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Child care will be provided if required, by registering by Mon., September 17th . For more information or to request child care, please contact Marci Bair at (619) 692-2077, ext. 121 or at mbair@thecentersd.org.

Register now - this event will sell out!
Family Pride in the Desert
7th Annual Gathering for LGBT Families Friday,
Oct. 5 & Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007 - Palm Springs, California

There's no better way to spend Columbus Day Weekend than with other LGBT families at the beautiful Shiloh Inn Suites Hotel in Palm Springs, CA! Join us in the desert again this October for an exciting and family-friendly weekend! This year's special events include

Sound like a dream? Make it a reality! To register your family for this event, and for information about accommodations, please visit  Family Pride in the Desert to register.
* Be sure to book your room ASAP the rooms will sell out.
We will list other hotels nearby once the Shilo sells out. Sponsored by Family Pride. In collaboration with the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's Family Services Program, The Pop Luck Club, Family Matters/The San Diego LGBT Community Center and COLAGE. Funded in part by First 5 LA for children 0-5 and their families

All meals for the weekend and activities are included in the low registration fee!

Sat., Oct 13th - The 34th Annual Center Gala - 6-11 pm - You and your honey deserve a date night!  Sit at the Family Matter's Table - contact Marci to save your seat.  mbair@thecentersd.org  Click here for information on The Gala

Sat., Oct. 27th - Nightmare on Normal Street & The Family Matters Halloween Carnival & Costume Contest

Check out The whole LGBT Community Calendar to stay connected.

The San Diego   LGBT  Center’s Marriage Equality and Education Project has launched its Marriage Equality Speaker’s Bureau, designed to educate Californians about the importance of every committed couple having access to marriage. 

The Center’s Marriage Equality Speakers are a diverse, educated and passionate group who are available to speak at community groups, organizations and classes throughout San Diego County.

Having a Marriage Equality Speaker is a great addition to any group’s weekly meetings, events or functions. The speakers will provide overview on the current marriage equality landscape, why marriage equality is important to them and ways the public can get involved.

For more information, or to schedule a speaker for an upcoming event, please contact Kristi Shaw at (619) 692-2077, ext. 206 or kshaw@thecentersd.org.

Discriminatory Ballot Measures

Though marriage equality advocates successfully kept discriminatory constitutional amendment measures off California ballots in 2006, anti-LGBT forces have not halted their efforts to write such discrimination into our state’s constitution.

Opponents of equality currently have four discriminatory initiatives cleared through the Secretary of State’s office for signature gathering for the 2008 elections, including one which would not only ban marriage for same-sex couples, but would also repeal California’s existing domestic partnership protections and obligations. The four measures have been filed by two different extremist organizations, including one led by the widow of former State Senator Pete Knight, author of California’s anti-LGBT Proposition 22, which voters passed in 2000.

Both groups are actively engaged in efforts to raise the money needed to collect enough signatures by December of this year to qualify for the 2008 ballot. The marriage equality movement in California must be even more active and more engaged in order to deny them a victory in our state. A loss for our community in California will be a major setback for our community, not only here, but throughout the nation.

Starting today, there are specific things you can do to take action against this effort to permanently enshrine discrimination into the California Constitution.

1. Get involved with The Center’s Marriage Equality and Education Project. To do so, contact Kristi Shaw at (619) 692-2077, ext. 206 or kshaw@thecentersd.org. There are a number of ways to reach out, speak out and make a different through this project.

2. Get involved with the “Let California Ring” coalition, and contribute to its efforts to change hearts, minds and votes throughout the state. Learn more and give online at www.letcaliforniaring.org.

3. Engage (or re-engage) in this struggle. Talk about these efforts with your family, your friends, your co-workers. If you are part of an organization, talk to your fellow members, write about it in your newsletters, etc. Make sure those who know and care about you know the truly damaging impact of this type of measure.