December 3, 2024
Greetings community,
Happy December!
Our hope for you is that this month brings rest, joy and connection. As we close out 2024, we look to the new year for more opportunities to be in community and to hold space. The Pride Center remains dedicated to support and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community of San Mateo County. Inclusion and intersectionality are at the core of our mission and the services we provide. We are honored to continue to serve you!
We highlight the following observations in December -
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Holiday Wellness Toolkit- A collaboration between
StarVista, San Mateo County Pride Center and StarVista Crisis Center
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| The holiday season, regardless of which ones you celebrate or even if you don’t celebrate any, can be difficult for various reasons. The anticipation of longer, darker days can also bring about feelings of anxiety or sadness. This toolkit is designed to help you prepare for or manage any challenging times ahead, whether you’re facing isolation or spending time with others. Throughout this campaign, we’ll provide resources and suggestions for places to go and activities to do if you need extra support. Many of these ideas are useful year-round and may inspire new ways to take better care of ourselves and each other.
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| Recap of November programs and events!
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Thank you to everyone who joined us for another successful hike, Queers of a a Feather -Birdwatching at Pillar Point Bluff on November 17th at Moss Beach! A special shoutout to the organizations that helped make it possible: San Mateo County Parks, San Mateo County Parks Foundation, and CORA. We learned about the birds along our beautiful coast. We look forward to having another event soon similiar to this in the new year.
For more information about the trail, visit: www.smcgov.org/parks/trail/jean-lauer-trail.
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We attended the 3RD ANNUAL Art and Lit Fest at Serramonte Center on November 2. This event was hosted by the Daly City Public Library Associates (DCPLA). It was an inspiring and joyful space where community members were able see the diverse range of art and creativity in San Mateo County! To learn more about the Daly City Public Library Associates, please see this link.
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Jazz and Low at the outreach table!
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| Clinical trainee Jazz smiling at before the event!
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| Family members and their kiddos showing off their art skills at the event!
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Thank you FUSE and Out of the Barrel - Campfire Singalong - 11/16
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Thank you FUSE Theater and Out of the Barrel in San Carlos -Theatre Campfire Singalong on 11/16. Big thanks to Alex Valdivia, a longtime friend of Fuse who hosted the evening.
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Elana from the Pride Center ready for the evenings event!
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| Elana ready to announce the winners for those who reserved their seats for a free campfire goodie!
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| Are you interested in having us as your organization/school outreach event?
Please contact Elana Ron (she/her), Lead Events and Outreach Coordinator at elana.ron@sanmateopride.org.
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Glitter and Goals: A Journaling Workshop Series to Visualize, Create & Nurture Your Future Self
Ongoing Sundays 12/1, 12/8 & 12/15 from 2-4 PM on Zoom
Want to learn artistic techniques that make planning and self-reflection feel like play? Transform your dreams from glimmer to reality in this unique 3-week art journaling workshop! Join us in creating a personalized dream-catching vision journal that combines creative expression with intentional goal-setting. In this affirming, supportive space, you’ll turn a simple journal into a dazzling roadmap for 2025 while building community and celebrating your authentic self. No previous art experience needed!
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| | BYOS (Bring Your Own creative Supplies) Supply accessibility support available contact to discuss options! This workshop takes place in English.
Suggested donation:
$10-20/session (pay what you can), No one turned away for lack of funds.
RSVP using this link- tinyurl.com/glitterandgoals
Hosted by Jazz (they/them).
Questions? Contact Jazz.Slavin@sanmateopride.org or (650) 207-9628 (text is ok)
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Mental Health Tools
for Holiday Peace
Tuesday, 12/3 (TONIGHT)
from 6 – 7:30pm
CORA Office – 2205 Palm Avenue,
San Mateo 94403 – in the Carelle Room
Are you concerned about preparing for and navigating the stress of the upcoming holidays?
Are you hoping to generate a list of personalized coping tools for yourself to utilize during the holiday season and beyond?
Join us for our upcoming holiday coping tool workshop to learn more
about taking care of our
internal and external being!
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| | We will take the time to create a list of our own coping tools and comforts and make bracelets/keychains to take with us as a token to remember. This is a free event and all ages are welcome.
We will provide all the materials needed but you are welcome to bring any special materials you would like to use for the event.
RSVP here: bit.ly/coraqts24
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| Rainbow Kids:
A FREE Community Training
Tuesday, December 3 (TONIGHT)
from 6-7:30 PM on Zoom
This training is intended for community members who work with, or are the parent/guardian of under 10 year-olds.
In this training participants will learn age-appropriate techniques for holding discussions about attraction and gender. The goal of this training is to increase awareness about topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity/expression (SOGIE) in early childhood and work toward a more expansive world for all children.
Register at:
tinyurl.com/RainbowKidsDec2024
This training will not be recorded.
Questions?
Email Ishani.Dugar@sanmateopride.org
or 650-554-1234 (text ok)
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| S Bear Bergman Meet and Greet!
Thursday, 12/5 from 7-8:30 PM
Peninsula Jewish Community Center in Foster City (800 Foster City Blvd)
The SMC Pride Center and the PJCC
are excited to invite you to an evening
with critically acclaimed author
and artist S Bear Bergman.
Special Topics in Being a Parent is a graphic nonfiction book (illustrated by Saul Freedman-Lawson) full of practical parenting advice informed by queer experiences for anyone doing the work of parenting. It’s a followup to Bear and Saul’s bestselling book Special Topics in Being a Human. Bear will read from his book and take parenting advice questions.
All are welcome for this free event!
Snacks will be provided.
Books will be available for purchase from Reach & Teach Books and Gifts to be signed.
Register by December 4th at: https://tinyurl.com/SMCPCAuthorEvent
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| | Accessibility information about the Peninsula Jewish Community Center:
The address for the PJCC is 800 Foster City Blvd, Foster City, CA 94404
Masks are not required at the facility, but SMCPC staff will have some on hand if you would prefer to wear one.
- There is a large parking lot with many spaces.
- The PJCC is wheel-chair accessible and has plenty of ADA spaces.
- The center has three gender neutral restrooms on the first floor. All are single stall and have railings.
- This is currently not a scent-free/fragrance-free space. We strive to be scent/fragrance-aware.
- This Pride Center event at the PJCC is a weapon and substance free Sober space.
Questions? Please contact info@sanmateopride.org or call 650-591-0133
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Keeping the Season Gay
Let’s put the jolly back in the HoliGays! If you want to support a local LGBTQ+ business, make friends, and have some fun, join us for Keeping the Season Gay! This is the first of a series of community gatherings at locally owned or friendly LGBTQ+ businesses in San Mateo County. This month, we will meet at the Yard in Redwood City.
As the holiday season is getting started, come celebrate with us. We will have some games and snacks to share and there will be beverages and sushi available to purchase. Yes, sushi!
All are welcome for this free event!
See you on Friday, December 13th from 4-7 PM at The Yard in Redwood City located at 1018 Main Street.
Register by December 11th to be entered to win a drawing prize at: https://tinyurl.com/SMCPCatTheYard
Questions? Please contact info@sanmateopride.org or call 650-591-0133
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| | Description of the Yard – Your Third Place
NOW OPEN in downtown Redwood City! A relaxed place to come hang out with the Redwood City community. We sell coffee, tea, and some non-alcoholic beverages. We roast our own coffee beans on an environmentally friendly Bellwether Coffee Roaster.
With seating outside in our courtyard, inside The Offerman House, or the glorious sunroom. The Offerman House is historically known as the oldest house in Redwood City.
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| Accessibility information about The Yard:
- The address for The Yard is 1018 Main St, Redwood City, CA 94063
- Masks are not required at the facility, but SMCPC staff will have some on hand if you would prefer to wear one.
- There is a small parking lot with a few spaces, and street parking nearby.
- The courtyard is ADA wheel-chair accessible, but unfortunately at this time the inside of the Offerman House is not.
- The Yard has two gender neutral restrooms, one located down in the Courtyard and one in the Offerman House. The restroom in the courtyard has a railing.
- This is currently not a scent-free/fragrance-free space. We strive to be scent/fragrance-aware.
- This Pride Center event at The Yard is a weapon and substance free Sober space.
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FriGay Flicks- Rent (Rated PG-13)
The Pride Center is proud to announce FriGay Flicks! Join us for a safe and sober event to watch the Queer musical classic, Rent on Friday, December 20th at the San Mateo County Pride Center. Community members are encouraged to dress in nineties attire and sing along!
About the Film:
This rock opera tells the story of one year in the life friends living the Bohemian life in modern day East Village, New York City, 1989-1990. Among the group are our narrator, nerdy love-struck filmmaker Mark Cohen (Anthony Rapp); the object of Mark’s affection, his former girlfriend, Maureen Johnson (Idina Menzel); Maureen’s Harvard-educated public interest lawyer and lesbian lover Joanne Jefferson (Tracie Thoms); Mark’s roommate, HIV-positive musician and former junkie, Roger Davis (Adam Pascal); Roger’s new girlfriend, the HIV-positive drug addicted S&M dancer, Mimi Marquez (Rosario Dawson); their former roommate, HIV-positive computer genius Tom Collins (Jesse L. Martin); Collins’ HIV-positive drag queen street musician/lover Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia); and Benjamin Coffin III (Taye Diggs), a former member of the group. While a former tragedy has made Roger numb to life, Mark tries to capture it through his attempts to make a film. In the year that follows, the group deals with love, loss, AIDS, and modern-day life in one truly powerful story.
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| This film is Rated PG-13 and not suitable for audience attendees under 13.
Content Warnings:
Sex and Nudity (mild), Violence (moderate), Profanity (mild), Drugs, Alcohol & Smoking (moderate)
Closed Captioning will be utilized for this film.
This event is free and open to the public. Light snacks will be provided. Doors open at 5:30 and the movie runs from 6-8:15 pm. The Pride Center is located at 1021 S. El Camino Real in San Mateo, 94402. Our building is located at 11th and El Camino.
Register using this link: https://tinyurl.com/FriGayDecember2024
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| NeuroQueer Fruitfulness Group!
(An online body doubling group)
Starting Monday, January 13.
Work with your neurospicy brain this new year! Learn ADHD and executive functioning strategies from therapists. No goal is too big or too small to tackle! Whether you’re looking to do your dishes or write a novel, this group might help. In this group, you can meet fellow neuordivergent and LGBTQ+ folks in a supportive productivity space.
This group meets 5 days a week on Zoom in 1 hour sessions and starts Monday, January 13th. Sessions are drop in and participants set how many sessions they want to attend. This group is $59/month is in English and is intended for folks 18+.
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| Join the Pride Center's Community Advisory Board (CAB)!
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| Looking for a fabulous way to get involved in your community? Join the San Mateo County Pride Center’s Community Advisory Board (or CAB, for short)! CAB welcomes LGBTQ+ folks and allies to join. They are a diverse and representative group of volunteer members who have a passion for serving the LGBTQ+ community. They work closely with Pride Center staff to support programming, decisions, and design. Some of their awesome collaborations include San Mateo County’s first Adult Queer Prom, San Mateo County Pride Celebrations, Art Parties, and more.
CAB meets virtually on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 6:30pm. This months next CAB meeting will meet on December 11.
For more info, connect with our Community Engagement & Volunteer Specialist, Low Sunga (she/they) at lowellyn.sunga@sanmateopride.org!
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| The San Mateo Pride Center is excited to be able to offer a variety of trainings and educational opportunities! To read more about the trainings that we currently offer or request a training, please visit the training page of our website.
If you have any questions about the trainings we offer, reach out to Ishani Dugar (they/xe) at ishani.dugar@sanmateopride.org or call 650-554-1234 (text ok).
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Please note that we do charge a fee for our trainings!
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Mental Health Services at the Pride Center
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We currently have openings for self- pay clients!
Keep reading to learn more about our clinical services.
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Clinical services are available onsite at the San Mateo County Pride Center, hybrid or exclusively virtual. The Pride Center provides LGBTQ+-affirmative therapy within a strengths-based and person-centered framework. All our clinicians have LGBTQ+ lived and/or work experience.
Priority is given to LGBTQ+ community members based in San Mateo County, but services are available to all community members based in California.
Clinical Services include:
- Therapy: Individual, Couples/Multiples, Family, & Group sessions available! We accept HPSM/BHRS Medi-Cal or self-pay (sliding scale with income verification). Community members based outside of San Mateo County have the option of self- pay.
- Case Management: Work 1 on 1 with our knowledgeable case manager for support with housing, employment, legal, healthcare, gender-affirming care resources and providers, and more. This is a FREE resource.
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| | Come Volunteer with the Pride Center!
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Would you like to volunteer with the Pride Center? We never underestimate the value of donated time, and neither should you! Are you interested and available to give back? If so, please consider some of the possibilities listed below.
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Virtual and onsite volunteer roles with the Pride Center include, but are not limited to:
- Events such as movie and kareoke nights, other social/community events
- Assisting with development goals
- Youth or Older Adult specific programming
- Become a peer group facilitator
- Social media support
- Join or Community Advisory Board
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If you’re interested in learning more about these or any other opportunities, reach out to Lowellyn (she/they) at Lowellyn.Sunga@sanmateopride.org (preferred) or 650-591-0133 who can help you figure out the best match for a mutually rewarding experience.
Thank you for investing in the Pride Center’s essential programs and services. We can’t do our work without you.
For more information about our volunteer program, click the button below.
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Outlet's peer groups are the Monday Youth Group, Tuesday QTBIPOC group
& Thursday Trans* Group.
For more information, click this link.
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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 Gender Diverse community members. Every month, a different medical student from Stanford's LGBTQ+ Health Program will share information and lead a discussion.
Join us this month on December 12 when we will discuss Post-Gender Affirming Surgery Hypertrophic Scars & Keloids. This workshop will take place on Zoom from 6:30-7:30 PM PST.
Description: In this presentation, Twan Sia, a third-year student at the Stanford School of Medicine, will explore the various types of scars that can develop after surgery, including their unique characteristics. We'll also discuss evidence-based strategies for preventing and managing these scars effectively to promote optimal healing and outcomes.
Registration link: https://tinyurl.com/Trans-Talks-12-12
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If you are interested in rewatching/ watching these presentations or if you are interested in seeing recordings* of other previous presentations, please use this link: tinyurl.com/transtalks-recordings.
*Please note: Some workshops aren't recorded at the presenter's request. If a workshop isn't recorded, there is usually a slideshow that can be accessed. All recordings utilize closed captioning.
If you have questions, need support or would like to suggest a topic please contact
Marilyn (she/her) at Marilyn.Fernando@sanmateopride.org or call 650-591-0133
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If you are looking for support in changing your name on your legal documents, join our monthly name and gender marker workshops.
The format of the Name and Gender Change workshop is changing. We are moving from offering this workshop once a month to a twice a month. The Name and Gender Change workshop will now occur on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month from 6-7:30 PM.
Part 1 will be on the 2nd Wednesday and Part 2 will be on the 4th Wednesday. 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.
Upcoming dates are: December 11 & meeting a WEEK EARLY on December 18
Please reach out to info@sanmateopride.org or call 650-591-0133 if you have questions.
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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:
tinyurl.com/ngc-financial-aid
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For more information about our monthly peer support groups
for community members 18+,please click this link.
If you have any questions, please contact
Ishani.Dugar@sanmateopride.org or 650-554-1234 (text ok)
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Our monthly LGBTQ+ Parent group has a new meeting dates for November and December. Typically this group meets on the first Tuesday of the month.
The new meeting dates for this month is
Wed, 11/20 from 7:30PM- 8:30PM on Zoom.
This is a FREE peer support group for folks who are LGBTQ+ identified and parents of kid(s) 0-17 years old. Parents are encouraged to join us to receive support, share parenting wisdom, build community and more.
All ways of being or becoming a parent are welcome!
Accessibility information: this group meets in english and closed captioning is available
Registration is required:
tinyurl.com/smcpc-parentsgroup
Questions? Please contact Ishani (they/xem) at Ishani.Dugar@sanmateopride.org
or (650) 554-1234 (text ok
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| | LGBTQ+ Book Club: The House of Hidden Meanings: A Memoir by RuPaul
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| Join us for the December book club where we will discuss The House of Hidden Meanings: A Memoir by RuPaul.
For a description of the book and content information, please click here.
This group meets monthly on the first Wednesday from 4:30-6:00 PM PST & is a hybrid meeting.
Participants have the option of meeting on Zoom or in person at the San Mateo County Pride Center (1021 S. El Camino Real). It’s open to everyone ages 18+, with folks 50+ strongly encouraged to attend!
Register using this link - tinyurl.com/smcpcbookclub
If you would like more information about the Pride Center's peer support groups, please contact Ishani (They/Xem) at Ishani.Dugar@sanmateopride.org or 650-554-1234 (text ok)
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| 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. Community members who are invited to attend even if they haven't read the book. Come participate in the discussion!
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Based on recent wastewater surveillance data, test positivity, ER visits and hospitalizations, levels of COVID-19 infection are now high in San Mateo County.
Following San Mateo County Health recommendations, we are temporarily re-instating our on-site mask policy. Effective immediately face masks will be required while on-site at Pride Center.
We will continue to monitor virus levels and remove this temporary requirement when rates decrease/return to normal and it becomes safer to do so. As a reminder, we have face masks and COVID tests available on-site if you need them. We also continue to take other precautions including using air purifiers, sanitizing surfaces regularly throughout the day, and keeping windows open for increased air flow and circulation.
If you need support or connections to resources, during this time please do not hesitate to contact us at info@sanmateopride.org.
Thank you for your care and understanding. Stay safe everyone!
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U.S. households are now eligible to order 4 free COVID-19 tests. These COVID-19 Tests will detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through the end of the year.
For more information, visit this link - https://covidtests.gov/ |
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In community,
The San Mateo County Pride Center
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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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