September 27, 2021

Dear LGBTQ Community, Allies, and Advocates:

In March 2020, San Mateo County went into shelter in place and the world was forever changed. LGBTQ people were especially impacted. The message that follows consists of highlights and summaries of our programs and services to ensure our community’s needs were addressed. The San Mateo County Pride Center includes our core staff as well as our partner agencies. Outlet (of Adolescent Counseling Services) is our youth partner and Peninsula Family Service coordinates our older adult programs. Our hope in sharing this information is that you will see the impact we’ve made and feel the pride in the Pride Center as much as we do.

Our Major Accomplishments This Year Were: 

Releasing the LGBTQ COVID Impact Report of San Mateo County, the first known data on how the pandemic has impacted sexual and gender diverse people in the state of California.
releasing the Best Practices for Community Surveys document with recommendations for collecting data on sexual and gender identities.
providing more programming for folks of color such as Outlet starting a Queer, Trans, BIPOC group for folks 14-25 and hosting events for Filipinx Pride Month.
doubling the number of trainings we provide including adding a Trans 101 and Pronouns 101.
hosting the 1st ever Resource Roadmap to help transgender and non-binary folks in San Mateo County identify and navigate gender-affirming resources: housing, healthcare, employment, legal aid, transportation, and more
connecting community members to resources and services, including food services, tech assistance, housing support, and community connections. This includes connecting older adults to smart phones and tablets with 1-year paid internet services.
launching an online store!

Our Impact by Numbers:

Outlet served 1,453 youth, and community members and service providers who support youth this fiscal year.
98% of Outlet SOGIE participants identified ways they could support and include LGBTQ youth in schools, in the mental health field, and in community spaces after they were trained.
PFS organized a “Reclaim our Vote” campaign sending 600 postcards encouraging communities of color to vote in Savannah, Georgia.
Over 300 LGBTQ older adults were contacted on a regular basis, via emails, calls, support groups, etc.
83% of community members, aged 50 started to exercise at home for the first time.
We delivered over 2,700 hours of service with therapy and case management clients.
We saw a 28% increase in clients served from last year.
We saw a positivity rate of 93% from Legal Name and Gender Change Workshop attendees.
Our Peer Support Groups served 359 community members across 10 different groups.
Our central training and education program trained over 500 people this year!

Community Voices:

“Legally changing my name and gender is another step in letting the world know who I truly am and making the outside of me match the inside. Another step in the process, another step towards happiness.” – Legal Clinic Client

“Literally in the best way now I don’t have to hesitate to give my ID. People are forced to say my name giving more life to me than ever.” – Legal Clinic Client

“I want you to know that it was one of the best trainings that I have attended, and it shifted in how I think about the work now. Thank you for being so open and authentic and for sharing yourself so that we could have a better understanding. I wanted you to know that by being so open it has helped me and in turn it helped these two little girls who are trying to find their way in the world.” – Training Participant

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“Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.” - Cornel West

Justice is what the Pride Center is always fighting for and will continue to do so – whether in person or on zoom. Our programs and services continue. Thank you for being such an integral part of our community. Thank you for your ongoing support. Thank you for playing an integral role in why the Pride Center exists.

With community and with pride,

The Pride Center Team

Aaron Adriano, Ada Zhang, Ainsley Blattel, Alex Golding, Andrés Loyola, Azisa Todd, Bonnie Alexander, Cat Haueter, Dawn Davidson, Clarise Blanchard, Ellyn Bloomfield, Frankie Sapp, Ishani Dugar, Ivón Hernandez, Jenna Weiner, Kae Papula, Lowellyn Sunga, Marilyn Fernando, Men Chun Wong, Sita-Marie Pillay, Stephanie Weisner, Will Brown, Verna Barrientos, Yoselin Zavala Lopez, & all our amazing volunteers.

San Mateo County Pride Center

Please click links for:
Information about programs & resources
To get involved
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