July 1, 2021
Hello, Community!
As we emerge from the glittery and rainbow stained remnants of Pride month and cautiously resurface from the pandemic, your friends at the Pride Center are here for you. We recognize that this year, similar to last year, we celebrated Pride in a different way. While we couldn't celebrate together physically, it's apparent that we were still able to celebrate with y'all. We saw familiar faces in trainings and workshops, made new friends and caught glimpses of what the future will be. There is no greater joy than our collective power towards LGBTQ liberation. Pride Month is over, but we will always be here to stand with you, advocate for you and hold space for you.
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| We are looking forward to coming back and celebrating with you in new redefined ways of "safe space".
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| On behalf of the San Mateo County Pride Center, we want to say thank you to each and every community member for attending San Mateo County's Virtual Pride Celebration this year. We hope the week of events was engaging, interactive, supportive, and community-centered. Thank you, Dana Johnson (they/them) and Zachary Comtois (he/him) for your hard work to organize and facilitate virtual pride. This work could not have been done without collective community effort, time, and dedication to kicking off June Pride Month with a bang! We celebrated our 9th Annual San Mateo County Pride Celebration and second all-virtual week of programming with the theme: As Diverse As the Universe.
If you are interested in learning more about the San Mateo County Pride Initiative, volunteering, or being involved with county-sponsored LGBTQ events and programs, please see their FB page or attend a monthly meeting on the second Wednesday of the month from 4:30-6:00 PM on Zoom (for now). Please see their FB page for information about joining a meeting.
We co-hosted discussions about ageism and the LGBTQ community during our "Raising Consciousness about Aging in the LGBTQ Community" workshop, invited our community members to learn the basics of LGBTQ Identity during our SOGIE 101 training & provided a presentation focused on affirming care for our Trans and Non-Binary Community members titled, "Resource Roadmap for Trans & Non-Binary Folks in SMC –Your guide to: Where to go; What to do; & How to do it". We were overwhelmed by the support and attendance for these workshop and are looking to hold them again in the future!
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Special thanks to Kristel Bugayong (She/Her) for creating the artwork for the Pride Celebration & maintaining the Pride Celebration website!
Kristel Bugayong (she/her) is a gay space cowgirl born in Manila, raised in Texas, now living in the Gay Area. Kristel has been the webmaster of San Mateo County Pride for the past two years, having started out as a Pride Center volunteer and Community Advisory Board member in 2020. A woman of many hats (literally and metaphorically), she’s a freelance illustrator, designer, and programmer who works from home with two big cats. They’re her roommates’ cats, so she’s not entirely a walking stereotype of a queer woman. And even if she was, she’ll be walking in 7-inch stilettos.
If you’d like to show appreciation for the online space Kristel designed and maintained, please consider donating to her Venmo (@Kristel-B) and following her Instagram (@kristelbugayong). Her Instagram is an oddball blend of Neopets nostalgia, Dungeons & Dragons, Filipinx fashion, with science thrown in the mix.
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The Pride Center featured on The Filipino Channel! (TFC)
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Did you see our feature on The Filipino Channel?! Thank you to LGBTQ Commissioner Cansino (She/Her/Handsome) for inviting us to participate and share the importance of The San Mateo County Pride Center! Please see this link if you'd like to see the full interview! For all the coverage that has been done on the Pride Center this month (and beyond), please see this link: sanmateopride.org/in-the-news
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| | Trainings in Collaboration with the San Mateo County Libraries System!
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Frankie (he/him) lead a discussion titled "_____ & Queer". During this discussion, folks explored intersectionality and examined how their identities could build allyship and advocacy for their LGBTQ .
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Azisa (They/She) leading the "Becoming a Pro at Pronouns" trainings where attendees about the importance of pronouns.
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| Thank you to our partners at the San Mateo County Libraries System for co-hosting these workshops and trainings with us this month! We invite you to follow them on social media and browse their website for information about their monthly events, special programming and resources to strengthen your advocacy for LGBTQ Community members!
As Pride month and all of it's celebrations end, please remember that advocacy and allyship are verbs and a lifelong process. (should move this to either the end or the beginning) Education and training are tools that can be utilized year long to move towards LGBTQ liberation. The Pride Center is proud to offer a variety of trainings for a variety of needs and communities. Whether you're looking for the basics (SOGIE 101) or something more specialized, we can support you! Due to the success of the Trans 101 & Becoming a Pro at Pronouns workshops, we're looking to expand these trainings and offer them this year. If you would like to inquire about receiving a training, please see this link: tinyurl.com/SMCPCSOGI. Our partners at OUTLET offer Youth specific trainings, please see this link for more information (information about trainings are located on the bottom of the page)
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For the latest updates follow us on social media:
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Focus groups, Surveys, and Interviews – Oh my!
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It’s that time of the year again! We're kicking off our annual community feedback month, and the Pride Center is reaching out to YOU (yes, you!) to hear what you have to say. What has your experience with the center been like for you? Have you participated in any of our services, events, workshops, or groups? We definitely want to hear from you. (Did someone say gift cards?...)
We invite you to please take 5-7 minutes to fill out our community feedback survey: https://bit.ly/pride-center-eval2021. All responses are anonymous.
This survey will be open throughout July. Please be sure to fill yours in by Friday, July 30.
Throughout July, we will also be hosting a series of interviews and focus groups to get more in-depth feedback from folks. If you are interested in participating in either an interview or focus group, please indicate so on your survey response and reach out to Alex Golding (he/him) at Alex.Golding@sanmateopride.org or 650-465-6795.
All focus group and interview participants will receive a gift card to show our appreciation for your time and thoughts. Thanks so much
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Please consider sharing or forwarding our survey to your friends and networks; we want to reach as many folks in our community as we can! For more information, contact Alex Golding (he/him) at alex.golding@sanmateopride.org.
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Announcement About July Programming at the Pride Center
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We will be taking a break from hosting special programming in July. All of our regularly scheduled, monthly peer support groups will take place as scheduled! We have compiled an amazing list of programs happening around the city that we encourage all community members to check out:
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Queer Culture Club- Catching up with Cal Callahan on July 8th at 7pm
GLBT Historical Society executive director Terry Beswick will interview Cal Callahan, the district manager of the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District. Established in 2018, the district is one of three LGBTQ-related cultural districts in San Francisco, along with the Transgender District and the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District. This is the July installment of “Queer Culture Club,” our monthly series each second Thursday that focuses on LGBTQ people who are defining the queer culture of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Each month, Beswick interviews queer culture-makers, including authors, playwrights, historians, activists, artists, and archivists, to learn about their work, process, inspirations, hopes and dreams. ASL interpretation is available upon request.
Admission is free but a donation of $5 is suggested. Register for this virtual event HERE.
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Oakland QT Open Mic at the Queer Arts Center every Tuesday from 6-7:30pm
Interested in sharing poetry or hearing spoken word, both virtually and in person? Consider signing up for the Queer Arts Center's QT open mic, happening every Tuesday evening. In-person slots are limited so be sure to register in advance! For more information or
to sign up for an open mic slot, click HERE.
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| Curator Tour- Queeriosities: A Curator-led Preview on July 23rd from 6-7pm
The GLBT Historical Society’s Art and Artifacts collection will be the focus of the upcoming exhibition Queeriosities: Selections from the GLBT Art and Artifacts Collection, opening on Monday, July 26. The collection encompasses a diverse range of two- and three-dimensional objects, including paper materials, metal objects such as pins and plaques, sculptures, framed works of art, historic LGBTQ business signs, theatrical props and textiles. These objects provide visual and material evidence of the San Francisco LGBTQ community’s engagement with the social, cultural, political and physical dynamics of the city, from the late 19th century to the present.
This special advance preview tour of the exhibition will be led Ramón Silvestre, the society’s museum registrar and curatorial specialist, and Nalini Elias, director of exhibitions and museum experience, and is free for GLBT Historical Society members. Join Ramon and Nalini for a sneak peek at an extraordinary collection of unusual, quaint, and at times outright ridiculous treasures that illustrate the sheer depth and breadth of the queer stories in our archival vault. ASL interpretation is available upon request. Admission is free for members and $5 with suggested donations for non-members. Register for this virtual event HERE.
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OUT of Site: Haight-Ashbury performance and history tour during various weekends in July
OUT of Site, San Francisco's performance-driven queer history tour, returns this summer with a dazzling new edition starring award-winning stage, television, and film actor Tina D'Elia. Following the sold-out tours of North Beach and South of Market, this year's edition reveals the untold queer history of the neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury, a name synonymous worldwide with the hippie counterculture that emerged here in the 1960s. Performances happen at 11 am and 3pm and typically run for about two hours. This walking tour is intended for mature, 21 audiences and not suitable for children. The cost of tickets starts at $15.
Space and capacity are limited, so please purchase your tickets in advance HERE.
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Wednesday QTBIPOC Group
A peer support group for LGBTQIA identified People of Color ages 14-25. This group is a safe and confidential space to share experiences and is dedicated to exploring, supporting, and educating ourselves and others on the intersectionality of being LGBTQ and of Color. This group is English speaking.
Please register using this link: tinyurl.com/5c6yauy6
Contact: ishani@acs-teens.org or outletprogram@acs-teens.org if you have any questions or need support
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| PENINSULA FAMILY SERVICE UPDATES
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Please click the button below for a comprehensive list of Older Adult programs and updates in July from our partners at Peninsula Family Service
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We didn't hold a Trans Talks in June, but are excited to announce that the July Trans Talks will take place on Thursday, July 22 from 6:00 -7:00 PM on Zoom. Please register using this link! Details about this workshop are being finalized and will be announced before the end of this week!
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If you would like to see recordings of previous Trans Talks, please see this link
please see this link (please note: all recordings offer closed captioning):
tinyurl.com/transtalks-recordings
Trans Talks is a free workshop series that centers on the health and wellness of our Trans Community members. All are welcome to attend. If you have suggestions or requests for workshop topics, 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 San Mateo County Pride Center is looking for a Spanish bilingual (or mutlilingual) mental health clinician / therapist (Associate level).
Please check out this job posting and share with your communities who may be interested. For more info about the Pride Center, check out www.sanmateopride.org.
This is listed on www.sanmateopride.org/job-openings
Applications are accepted through July 13th
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NEXT MEETING: July 5
**The Pride Center will be offline, but this group will still meet!**
The Trans Peer Support Group (18 ) has shifted from a weekly format to a monthly format. This group is still free, still open to community member 18 and will still meet through Zoom, but will now meet on the first Monday of the month from 6:00-7:30pm
Please use this link to register to attend: tinyurl.com/smcpc-transgroup1
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| | We are thrilled to announce that the Grown Folks peer support group has been transformed into... OutRight Community!
OutRight Community is a free, drop-in support group that meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 6:00pm until 7:30pm. This group is open to all LGBTQ folks ages 18-30, and is a safe and confidential spaces to find community and support. This group is English speaking. In July, this group will meet on 7/14 & 7/28
To sign up for this group, please pre-register at tinyurl.com/SMCPC-OutRight. Once you register, you will receive a unique access link to join the group. No intake screening is required.
Please reach out to Ainsley (They/Them) at Ainsley.Blattel@sanmateopride.org if you have questions or need support.
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LGBTQ Book Club (18 )
Wed., July 7 from 4:30-6:00 PM
The San Mateo County Pride Center and Peninsula Family Service co-host the LGBTQ Book Club – NOW in partnership with San Mateo County Libraries!
Join these book lovers on July 7th from 4:30-6pm in discussing ‘The Price of Salt or Carol’ by Patricia Highsmith.
As always, this club meets every first Wednesday of the month from 4:30-6PM. It is free and open to everyone ages 18 , with folks 50 strongly encouraged to attend!
Pre-registration is required; please use this link to sign up: tinyurl.com/smcpc-bookclub
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| | POLYAMORY PEER POWER
On Wed. July 7 at 7-8:30pm PDT (Online) we'll be discussing polyamory in the media by viewing clips from this season's episode "Radical" from the show New Amsterdam. Join us to watch and discuss the 7 minute storyline of an ER patient in an "unconventional" relationship. Possible topics include what and when to tell doctors; legality vs. chosen family; medical decision making; labels in relationships; stigma, and normalization.
More information on Meetup: meetup.com/Polyamory-Peer-Power/events/xfkdjsycckbkb/
Register in advance: tinyurl.com/smcpc-polyampower
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| | | Queer Women’s Group (18 )
Join the Queer Women’s Group’s next meeting on Friday, July 23rd 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!
Pre-registration is required. Register for your unique Zoom access link here: tinyurl.com/smcpc-queerwomxn
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| Virtual Legal Name and Gender Change Workshop Sessions!
Wednesday, July 28
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We have expanded our monthly Legal Name and Gender Marker change workshop to accommodate group sessions!
In these new group settings:
- We can serve and support even more individuals at once;
- We can cover even more valuable material and answer questions in more depth;
- We can also provide a great networking opportunity to connect attendees with others who share similar identities and are going through the same process.
Our workshops are completely free of charge and are held virtually through Zoom. Workshops occur on the last Wednesday of each month, in both morning and evening sessions. Upcoming dates are: August 25, September 29, October 27
- AM Session: 11:00am–12:30pm
- PM Session: 5:00pm–6:30pm
If you or someone you know would like to attend, please RSVP online at: http://bit.ly/name-and-gender-change-rsvp
Please contact our Lead Case Manager, Alex Golding (he/him) if you have any questions. He can be reached at alex.golding@sanmateopride.org or at 650-465-6795.
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| | Reminders & Announcements
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- The Pride Center will be offline on Monday, July 5 in observance of the 4th of July
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As we continue to navigate around COVID-19
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We're here & Queer all year long! We're here for you! Stay safe and take care of yourselves.
In Community,
Marilyn (she/her)
Marketing and Community Engagement Lead
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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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