June 1, 2025
Greetings community,
Happy Pride Month!
It goes without saying that this year is different, there is a lot of unease and uncertainty. We invite you to feel all your feelings in this moment. It's ok to feel anger, disappointment, joy, hope, empowerment, confusion and every emotion in between. What we know for a fact is that we have each other. The same community resilience that was a precursor to the first Pride Celebration is what we will use to fuel our hearts and spirits.
Please scroll down to learn about the offerings that are taking place in June.
|
|
|
| June 1st is our birthday! Since opening in 2017, we've celebrated 8 fabulous years of being a safe space for all our LGBTQ+ community members. Cheers, Queers! Here's to many more joyful years!
|
|
| We hosted a volunteer appreciation party in May. Volunteers are a vital part of the San Mateo County Pride Center. Thank you to all volunteers past and present! We couldn't do this work without you!
|
|
| | | We hosted our second Gayme Night in May. Thank you to everyone who came out to learn a new game, make new friends and share space.
Stay tuned for an announcement for the next Gayme Night date!
|
|
| | Thank you the San Mateo Highschool, San Bruno Library, BACHAC and Jefferson High for inviting us to table at your events!
|
|
|
San Mateo County's 13th Annual Pride Celebration is a space to champion inclusion and wellness for LGBTQIA+ folks and allies in our county.
This year's Pride Celebration will be on Saturday, June 14, 2025 in Downtown San Mateo. We will have live entertainment, live DJ, resource and vendor booths, family-friendly activities, a Pride parade through Downtown San Mateo and more.
|
|
|
- If you want to watch the Pride parade, we will be marching through Downtown San Mateo from 10:30am - 11:30am
- Join us for the Pride celebration in San Mateo Central Park from 11:00am - 5:00pm
- To learn more about San Mateo County Pride, please visit this link- www.smcpridecelebration.com
|
|
| | | If you want to support us this Pride season and BEYOND, consider becoming a monthly or one-time donor! Your generosity makes a tremendous difference in helping us better serve our clients and community. Donate today by clicking the button below.
|
|
| Upcoming programs and events in June!
|
|
|
| Community SOGIE 101 and 201 (zoom)
If you are at the beginning of your journey to be an LGBTQ+ ally/ advocate or would like to refresh your education, we are offering FREE trainings during Pride Month!
|
|
| SOGIE 101- Wednesday, June 4 from 6-8PM
Join us for SOGIE 101, a FREE community training! SOGIE stands for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity/Expression and can sometimes be interpreted as LGBTQ+ 101. We are co-hosting this training with our partners at Outlet of Adolescent Counseling Services.
Our goal is to work with YOU to understand how to create affirming environments for LGBTQ youth and adults through an engaging and interactive training filled with matching games, videos, and polls. After every training, we provide follow-up resources either highlighted in or similar to the content in our training.
To learn more about this training or to register, please click this link.
SOGIE 201- Thursday, June 12 from 6-8PM
This SOGIE (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity/Expression) 201 moves beyond our 101 to build a deeper understanding of these identity categories. In this training we dive into expectations and social influences on identity, and intersectional issues impacting the LGBTQ+ community. Through breakout discussions, engaging videos, and matching games, we will work to gain a better understanding of our own identities as well as how to be allies to people with marginalized identities.
**Please be aware that SOGIE 101 is a PREREQUISITE for 201 and participants must attend or have taken a SOGIE 101 in the past year to fully engage in this training.**
To learn more about this training or register, please click this link.
|
|
|
Accessibility for both trainings: both trainings will be hosted in English via Zoom. Closed captioning is available.
|
|
| | | We're hosting parts 1 & 2 of our Name and Gender Change workshop in June!
If you are looking for support in changing your name on your legal documents, join us!
This workshop takes place in two parts. Part 1 will cover court order forms,
filing instructions, and fee waivers.
Part 2 will cover updating social
security documents, DMV documents, passports, birth certificates, and
other documents.
If you have questions or want to schedule an individual appointment, please reach out to info@sanmateopride.org
or call 650-591-0133.
Upcoming workshops:
Part 1- June 11
Part 2– June 25
|
|
|
FRIGAY FLICKS: Bottoms (R)
Friday, June 20 from 6-8PM at the
San Mateo County Pride Center
We’ll be celebrating Pride Month and Graduation season with a screening of “Bottoms” at the Pride Center!
This event is free and open to the public. Pizza and snacks will be provided. Doors open at 5:30 and the movie will start at 6 pm.
To read a description of the film and register, please visit this link-https://tinyurl.com/FriGayJune2025
|
|
| | | PRIDE QUEERAOKE!
Wednesday, June 25 from 5-8PM at the San Mateo County Pride Center
Can you think of a better way to show your Pride than getting together with your besties and singing along to your favorite songs? Whether you’re a karaoke regular, someone who is curious about karaoke, or someone who’d like to try singing a new song, this is a space for you!
Glitter, sequins and feathers oh my! What's pride without a little dazzle? We're hosting Pride Queeraoke and want to see you in your best Pride outfits. Now more than ever, let's party together!
This is a sober, all ages event. All are welcome! Snacks will be provided!
Register at: tinyurl.com/SMCPCJuneQueeraoke2025
|
|
| The Pride Center is located at 1021 S. El Camino Real in San Mateo, 94402. Our building is located at 11th and El Camino. For accessibility and parking information, please use this link: sanmateopride.org/accessibility
Questions? Please contact info@sanmateopride.org or call 650-591-0133
|
|
|
The Pride Center is "Mask Friendly"
|
|
|
| In case you missed it - The Pride Center is switching from being a “mask required” to a “mask friendly” site. This means that community members have the option of wearing a mask when visiting the Pride Center. This decision was made in response to the feedback received from our community, clients, surveys, and in comparison to other community centers.
The Pride Center is always deeply committed to the health and safety of our community and team. We will continue to keep our space as ventilated as possible, which includes utilizing multiple air purifying machines throughout the center. Additionally, we will remain diligent about regularly sanitizing high volume spaces and providing masks at the entrance of the center for those who choose to wear them.
|
|
| To read all the precautions that we are taking, please click this link.
|
|
|
Resource Guide - Post Election FAQ - UPDATED!
|
|
|
|
The San Mateo County Pride Center and CoastPride have received many questions about what is in store for the LGBTQ+ community since the 2024 election. In response, we’ve created this list of commonly asked questions and answers, along with a linktree of related resources.
To access the UPDATED digital version of this document, please click here: https://tinyurl.com/smclgbtqfaq
Please note that these are living resources.
|
|
| Different letters of the LGBTQIA+ community have different needs and are facing different threats. A good place to start to look for supportive organizations in the Bay Area is The Horizon Foundation’s organization directory. Many organizations (including CoastPride and the Pride Center) offer identity specific peer support groups as well as case management and mental health support, virtually and online. You can access types of services on our websites here for more information: https://sanmateopride.org/ and https://coastpride.org/.
|
|
|
We encourage you to pass along this information to others in the community who may benefit from it. We're here to support you. Please help us spread the word!
If you have questions or suggested updates to this document or the linktree, please reach out to info@sanmateopride.org and/or contact@coastpride.org.
|
|
|
The San Mateo Pride Center is excited to be able to offer a variety of trainings and educational opportunities! To learn more about our training program, please visit this link. If you have questions related to training program, reach out to Ishani Dugar (they/xe) at ishani.dugar@sanmateopride.org or call 650-554-1234 (text ok).
We are offering FREE SOGIE 101 and 201 trainings in June!
Please see section above to learn more about these trainings.
|
|
|
Mental Health Services at the Pride Center
|
|
|
There is currently a waitlist to receive clinical services.
|
|
|
We provide high quality, LGBTQ+ and gender-affirming mental health services to those living throughout San Mateo County and beyond. Our compassionate team tailors care to meet the unique needs of each client, providing culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and strengths-based support. If you’re feeling sad, anxious, alone, or just need someone to talk to, we’re here for you.
|
|
| | We accept Medi-Cal with Health Plan of San Mateo (HPSM) and Behavioral Health & Recovery Services (BHRS). Because no one should be turned away for lack of funds, sliding-scale fees are also available to self-pay clients with proof of income. Case Management and Name/Gender Change support are free!
Clinical services include:
- Therapy for Individuals, Relationships, Families and Groups
- Case Management (Housing, Healthcare, Employment, Resource navigation support)
- Legal Name and Gender Change Support
If you have questions, please contact
clinical@sanmateopride.org or call 650-591-0133
If you are interested in receiving mental health services or learning more about our clinical offerings, please click the button below
|
|
|
| Thank you to everyone who attended NeuroQueer Fruitfulness! We are proud to have offered this specialized group.
For resources and group alternatives, please visit this link.
|
|
| WELCOME, TAYLOR!
Taylor Rokala (they/them/theirs) joined Adolescent Counseling Services in 2025 as Outreach Coordinator for the Outlet team. Working with Yossi, the Outlet Youth Program Lead, they do outreach with schools and organizations to connect LGBTQ+ youth with Outlet's services. They grew up in San Mateo and graduated from Occidental College with a B.A. in Critical Theory and Social Justice. Pursuing their passion for advocacy, Taylor has interned at Interfaith Refugee & Immigration Service and Muslim Public Affairs Counsel, in addition to on campus advocacy through Oxy Sexual Assault Coalition and Students for Justice in Palestine.
|
|
| | Taylor enjoys exploring different art mediums, most recently tufting and clothing design but they have experience with dying hair, decorating cupcakes (at Sibby's Cupcakery!), and oil painting.
|
|
|
| Both Monday LGBTQIA+ Youth Group and Tuesday QTBIPOC Group will be on pause, starting June 2nd, 2025. Due to high demand, Thursday Trans Group will continue meeting through the summer. Youth are still welcome to sign up to join groups to express interest for when paused groups resume in the Fall.
Thursday Trans Group (Ages 14 to 25)
When: Thursdays from 5:00-6:30pm
Where: Hybrid* (In-Person in Redwood City, CA & Online via Zoom)
|
|
| You can find more details about Outlet youth groups by visiting Outlet's website.
|
|
|
Outlet and the San Mateo County Pride Center
are hosting their 3rd Annual Summer Drop Ins!
Wednesdays from 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM (Starting June 18th, 2025)
Summer Drop Ins is a fun and inclusive space for LGBTQ+ youth, with a schedule of fun, interactive, and FREE activities every Wednesday from June to August 2025.
Summer Drop Ins will be hosted exclusively at the San Mateo County Pride Center on Wednesdays from 2-5pm. For accessibility information about the Pride Center, please visit their FAQ webpage here.
Curious what an activity is or just want general information, please visit qrco.de/SummerDropIns. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us by emailing outletprogram@acs-teens.org.
|
|
|
We are very excited to share the application for the 2025-2026 Outlet and San Mateo Pride Center Youth Advisory Board! This is a project based leadership development and community service opportunity for LGBTQ+ people ages 14-25. We welcome all applications and invite you to share with anyone that might be interested in applying!
Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Deadline to apply: Monday July 7th, 2025
Decisions to be made over email / phone contact.
Please connect with Outlet, outletprogram@acs-teens.org with any questions
To read more about YAB's responsibilities and expectations
and to apply, click the button below.
|
|
|
Looking ahead -
Outlet will be closed from July 1-5, 2025
|
|
| | June Peer support group dates:
- June Book Club: The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
- Polyamory Peer Power: A Discussion with Brett from OPEN (Organization for Polyamory and Ethical Non-monogamy)
- Trans* Peer Support Group
- LGBTQ+ Parent Group
- Gay Men's Group
- Queer Women's Group
If you have any questions, please contact
Ishani.Dugar@sanmateopride.org or 650-554-1234 (text ok)
For more information about our monthly peer support groups
for community members 18+, please click this link.
|
|
|
| The San Mateo County Pride Center and Outlet of Adolescent Counseling Services are looking to increase the number of spaces and amount of support provided for queer folks of color in San Mateo and beyond. In order to do that, we need to hear from you! Please fill out this short interest survey to provide valuable insight on the best way to set this group up in a way that serves community.
|
|
| Community events, programs and news
|
|
|
| Our friends at CoastPride host Empowering Parents and Caregivers of Gender Expansive Kids.
This hybrid group takes place on the 4th Monday of the month from 6-8PM.
This group is open to coastside parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ youth and adults, provides an opportunity to share stories and resources, foster inclusivity, awareness, and kindness, and learn more about supporting our LGBTQ+ community and families.
Peer-led by parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ youth.
Meetings are held at CoastPride and on Zoom. For more information or the meeting link, email
pcgfacilitators@coastpride.org
|
|
| San Mateo County Health is seeking a highly qualified candidate for the position of Edison Clinic Therapist (Psychiatric Social Worker I/II). To learn more about the position please click this link.
|
|
|
-
The Pride Center is a "mask friendly" space. To read all the precautions that we are taking, please click this link.
-
Follow us on Bluesky!
https://bsky.app/profile/sanmateopride.bsky.social
-
Outlet will be closed from July 1-5, 2025
-
Stay tuned for information about this month's Trans Talks. To rewatch previous presentations, please use this link: tinyurl.com/transtalks-recordings.
-
If you are hosting a resource fair or another event & would like to invite us to table or attend, please reach out to Elana.Ron@sanmateopride.org or 650-465-2407
- To access a list of local and national hotlines, please click this link
- If you are experiencing a crisis, please contact 988 or the StarVista crisis hotline at 650-579-0350. We are proud to say that the StarVista Crisis Center is an LGBTQ+ affirming organization.
-
A reminder about our operating hours -
-
Programs & Services are available virtually: Monday-Friday 10:00am-7:00pm
-
We are on site in-person at the Center: Tuesday-Thursday 11:30am-6:30pm
-
Briefly closed on Tuesdays 1:00pm-3:00pm
|
|
|
In community,
The San Mateo County Pride Center
|
Did you know we rely on the generosity of donations to provide our services at lower costs or for free? Can you help support LGBTQ+ wellness? Becoming a one-time or monthly donor makes a tremendous difference in helping us better serve our clients and community. Donate today by clicking the button below.
|
|
|
The San Mateo County Pride Center is a program of StarVista in collaboration with Outlet of Adolescent Counseling Services, and Peninsula Family Service.
|
|
|
|
|