March 2, 2022
“When you exist in spaces that weren’t built for you, sometimes just being you is the revolution.”
- Elaine Welteroth, More Than Enough
The month of March marks Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) month. TDOV was created in antithesis to Trans Day of Remembrance which is recognized in November. Let us not only be mourned, let us also be celebrated. TDOV also calls attention to how more work still needs to be done especially now when some LGTBQ protections are under attack and some anti-LGBTQ laws have passed.
The Pride Center values the importance of not just visibility but also representation. We extend our deepest gratitude to our Trans & Non-binary elders who paved the roads we embark on today. As a team, we are united with those of us who identify as Trans, Non-binary, Agender, and across the gender spectrum. We honor and celebrate our clients, community members, and community partners who identify as gender variant and those who advocate for us. And to those among us not quite sure or not yet ready to emerge, you may not be visible, but you are still seen.
This month we are proudly offering two special events in recognition of TDOV, in addition to our regular monthly Trans Peer Support Group and other amazing programs and services. Our first event will help guide allies on how we can better advocate for our Trans and Gender Variant community members. The second workshop will inform us on what resources exist in San Mateo County and how to better access them and get the support we need. We sincerely hope you will join us for these much-needed conversations.
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Trans Day of Visibility 2022
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Are you curious about how you can be a better advocate to the transgender and non-binary friends, family, and neighbors in your life? Join us on Wednesday, March 30th, the eve of International Transgender Day of Visibility, from 6-7:30pm for an engaging and interactive evening workshop hosted by the Redwood City Library and San Mateo County Pride Center. Building on last year’s popular “Trans 101” workshop, this “Trans 201” program will encourage participants to move beyond trans visibility to build a better understanding, support, and celebration of transgender identities in our community. Directly following the event, we will hold space for community dialogue and button making provided by the Redwood City library. This event is free, virtual. and open to all audiences! Please share widely! Register in advance at: https://tinyurl.com/TDOV2022
Free art kits will be available at the Downtown Library from March 21 to March 31, while supplies last.
This event is sponsored by The Friends of the Redwood City Public Library and San Mateo County Pride Center. For inquiries about the art supplies and registration, please contact Fiona (she/her) at fpotter@redwoodcity.org. For questions about the workshop, please contact Azisa (they/she) at azisa.todd@sanmateopride.org.
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Resource Roadmap for the Trans & Nonbinary Community in SMC
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This interactive workshop is intended to serve as a guide to help Transgender and Gender Variant friends, family and neighbors in San Mateo County learn how to find, access, and navigate the different networks of resources available. Led by our Health Equity Coordinator and Clinical Program Analysist, Alex Golding (he/him), we will review tips and tricks relevant to San Mateo County and cover the following topics: finding and maintaining safe, affordable housing; navigating the healthcare system to find gender-affirming providers for both physical and mental health; finding work and identifying Trans-affirming employers; knowing your rights and accessing legal resources (e.g. name and gender change); and more! There will be a presentation followed by an in-depth question and answer portion.
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This one-of-a-kind presentation is designed specifically for community members to attend. We will also be hosting a similar workshop that is intended for service providers in the coming months. Please stay tuned for more information to come!
This community-focused Resource Roadmap workshop will be hosted virtually over Zoom on Thursday, March 31st from 6:00-8:00pm. A Zoom registration link will be coming soon.
If you are interested in attending or would like to know more, please email
Alex at alex.golding@sanmateopride.org.
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| | Rainbow Kids: a free training in April
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| Children form foundational concepts of gender, families, and love before the age of five. As such, parents, teachers, and other caregivers of young children may have questions like:
What everyday influences shape my child’s sense of what it means to be a “boy” or a “girl”?
How do I support a child’s exploration through play of concepts like family and gender?
What strategies can I use to encourage children to feel safe and confident in their bodies, families, classroom and world?
This free webinar (in English) is for parents, caregivers, and anyone who wants a more expansive, welcoming world for young children. Using scenario practice and interactive games, this webinar will demonstrate how to support folks all across the rainbow. It will be facilitated by Azisa Todd (Lead Trainer for the San Mateo County Pride Center) and Nathanael Flynn (Early Childhood Educator and co-author of Supporting Gender Diversity in Early Childhood Classrooms). Closed captioning will be available.
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| Folks have the option of selecting from three dates to attend a training
(each webinar contains the same content):
Tuesday, April 5, 4 to 5:30pm
Tuesday, April 12, 5:30 to 7pm
Wednesday, April 27, 4 to 5:30pm
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Please use this link or click the button below to register:
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Rainbow Kids is a project of Community Equity Collaborative in partnership with the San Mateo County Pride Center and with funding from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. For more information, contact Heather Hopkins at heather@communityequitycollaborative.org.
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The Pride Center needs YOU!
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Are you interested in learning about event planning? Would you love an opportunity to be more involved in your community? Then the Pride Center's Community Advisory Board (CAB) Planning Committe is for you! Join the CAB Planning Committee as we work on special projects, like the Pride Center's 5 Year Anniversary Celebration! CAB currently meets on the second Wednesday of every month from 6-8pm and works side by side with the Pride Center to support AND create community events Be the voice in your community and join us in making the Pride Center's events as unique as you!
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| | | We are currently hiring for a Mental Health Clinician! While a bilingual Spanish speaker is preferred, all ASW, AMFT, or APCC are welcome to apply! For more information about the position, the benefits and information about the Pride Center, please see the button below!
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For the latest updates follow us on social media:
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PENINSULA FAMILY SERVICE UPDATES
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We're excited to share information about a special walking tour in San Francisco's Castro District in addition to the popular weekly workout classes and LGBTQ Women's group.
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CASTRO: TALES OF A VILLAGE
Tuesday, March 29 at 11AM
This is an in-person walking tour with a City Guide in San Francisco. You’ll learn about the evolution of the Castro’s architecture, historic businesses and the people and places that played a role in making the Castro the epicenter of the LGBTQ rights movement. We plan to eat lunch afterwards together. Cost of the walking tour is $5.00 and no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Please R.S.V.P. to Ellyn at
ebloomfield@peninsulafamilyservice.org
by March 22
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| | Please click the button below for a comprehensive list of Older Adult programs including weekly workout classes and updates in March from our partners at Peninsula Family Service.
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OYE LATINX YOUTH CONFERENCE- SATURDAY, MARCH 19TH
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| We're excited to share that our partners at Outlet are participating in this year's OYE Latinx Youth Conference on Saturday, March 19th!
Celebrate 10 years with us of bringing together hundreds of local teens and young adults ages 12 to 22. This day is an opportunity for youth and their parents to explore questions of identity and purpose, and build community through a fun and interactive day that includes hands-on workshops, inspirational speakers, artistic expression, community resource sharing and networking.
This year's 10th Annual Orgullo y Educacion (OYE) 2022 Conference is focused on Construyendo Juntos/Building Together!
There will be the opportunity for community members to attend both in-person and online.
This is a free event!
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| For more information about the OYE conference, information about some of the speakers
and registration information, please see this link.
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LGBTQIA Youth group (10-18)
Weekly on Mondays from 4:30-6:00 PM.
If you're interested in joining the group, please contact outletprogram@acs-teens.org or 650-424-0852 ext. 107 for more information.
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QTBIPOC Group (14-25)
A weekly group that takes place Tuesdays from
6-7:30PM
If you're interested in joining the group,please fill out intake form here:
https://tinyurl.com/outletintakeform or
call 650-424-0852 ext. 107 for more information.
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| | Trans Talks: March date TBD
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The Pride Center and Stanford LGBTQ Health Program co-host Trans Talks, a free, monthly workshop series that centers the health and wellness of our Transgender and Non-Binary community members. All are welcome to attend. Community members are invited to ask questions on their health and wellness. Every month, a different professional from Stanford's LGBTQ Health Program will share information, lead a discussion and answer your questions. This is a free workshop open to all community members.
March's date and topic TBD.
Community members who are interested in attending are invited to submit questions through the registration form. If you are unable to attend this workshop, a recording will be made available following the event.
To access recordings of previous Trans Talks, please use this link: tinyurl.com/transtalks-recordings
If you have questions, need support or would like to suggest a topic please contact neilwary@stanford.edu
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Current Therapy Availability! For those of our community seeking support around mental health, we are happy to report that our clinical team is taking on new clients. We have openings for both private pay and Medi-Cal clients. Interested? Fill out our handy Clinical Services Request form and a clinician will reach out to you within a few days:
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The next name and gender marker workshop takes place on March 23rd.
This is a free workshop, registration is required! Please see button below to RSVP.
Please reach out to Alex (he/him) at Alex.Golding@sanmatepride.org or 650-465-6795 for support
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Just a reminder: we offer some financial aide for the legal process and free gender affirming supplies. For more information about this, please see this link: bit.ly/ngc-aid-request
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All groups have moved to Zoom video. Please contact Devon (He/Him) at Devon.Dye@sanmateopride.org to access links for our peer support groups.
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This peer support group is for LGBTQ folks age 18 who are parents of kid(s) 0-5 years old to support each other, share parenting wisdom, and build community. This group is open to anyone who is a parent or caregiver of young children, with all family formations and ways of being or becoming a parent welcome!
This group will meet twice a month from 7-8:30PM on the first and third Tuesdays,
March's dates are: 3/1 & 3/15 & April's dates are: 4/5 & 4/19
This group is currently meeting via Zoom. Pre-registration is required; please register in advance at: tinyurl.com/smcpc-parentsgroup
If you’re interested in joining this group but the above times don’t work for you, please contact Devon Dye (He/Him) at Devon.Dye@sanmateopride.org
We understand that scheduling is challenging as a parent of little ones and we want to do our best to make this group accessible to you.
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| | | Topic: Author talk with Rachel Krantz
We hope you can join us on Wed. March 2 at 7pm PST as we welcome special guest Rachel Krantz.
Rachel Krantz will join us for a discussion about her book. She chronicles her dive into non-monogamy—from debilitating anxiety spirals to heart-opening connections with the men and women she dates—putting herself forward as a naked case study in a raw, vulnerable, and truly unique way. She also breaks new ground in confronting the unique ways coercion and gaslighting can manifest in open relationships and finds herself wondering what liberation really looks like.
Rachel Krantz is a journalist and one of the founding editors of Bustle, where she served as senior features editor for three years. Her work has been featured on NPR, The Guardian, Vox, Vice, and many other outlets. She’s the recipient of the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, the Investigative Reporters and Editors Radio Award, the Edward R. Murrow Award, and the Peabody Award for her work as an investigative reporter with YR Media. Open is her first book.
Content Warning: BDSM, Dom/Sub relationships, Gaslighting, Abuse
Find out more on Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/Polyamory-Peer-Power/events/mptcqsydccbhb/
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://tinyurl.com/smcpc-polyampower
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| | Queer Women’s Group (18 )
Join the Queer Women’s Group’s next meeting on Friday, March 25th from 6-7:30pm! This group is a place where all women identifying folks 18 are welcome. Come to meet new people and build community together!
This group meets monthly on the 4th Friday. Upcoming dates are: 4/22 & 5/27
Pre-registration is required. Register for your unique Zoom access link here: tinyurl.com/smcpc-queerwomxn
For questions or support, please contact Devon Dye (He/Him) at Devon.Dye@sanmateopride.org
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| The Trans Peer Support Group (18 ) meets monthly on the first Monday from 6-7:30PM. This is a free group & registration is required: tinyurl.com/smcpc-transgroup1
March's meeting date is 3/7
Upcoming dates are: 4/4 & 5/2
* As a gentle reminder, we have clinical support available to community members who feel like they would benefit from more support than this social group has available. We will work with you to ensure that these services are accessible.
We also have free gender affirming supplies available. To access these supplies, please contact Alex.Golding@sanmateopride.org or Francisco.Sapp@sanmateopride.org.
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| | LGBTQ Book Club (18 ) from 4:30-6:00 PM
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The book club is a partnership with the San Mateo County Public Library System, Peninsula Family Service and San Mateo County Pride Center. It’s open to all members of the community, including allies and friends.
Community members who are invited to attend even if they haven't read the book. Come participate in the discussion!
Please consider utilizing the SMCL to access an e-book, hard copy or audiobook of the books.
Registration is required: tinyurl.com/smcpc-bookclub
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Wednesday, March 2 from
4:30-6:00 PM
The book club is a partnership with the San Mateo County Public Library System and San Mateo County Pride Center. It’s open to all members of the community, including allies and friends. This month’s book is, "Untamed” by Glendon Doyle.
Community members who are invited to attend even if they haven't read the book. Come participate in the discussion!
Please consider utilizing SMCL to access an audiobook of the book.
Registration is required: tinyurl.com/smcpc-bookclub
Information about upcoming book club picks will be shared soon!
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| | As we continue to navigate around COVID-19
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- Please expect some delays in communication on both Thursday, March 31 and Friday, April 1 as the Pride Center will be offline in observance of Cesar Chavez Day.
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Stay safe and take care!
In community,
Marilyn (she/her)
Marketing and Community Engagement Lead
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Do you enjoy/benefit from our programs and services? Are you able to/Would you like to support our essential work? We welcome and appreciate donations of any amount, big or small.
It all matters. Yes, we really mean that.
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The San Mateo County Pride Center is a program of StarVista in collaboration with Outlet of Adolescent Counseling Services, and Peninsula Family Service.
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