Dear Center Community,
We are heartbroken over another horrific attack on our community. In Colorado Springs this weekend, killing five people and wounding 25 others, inside of Club Q, one of the few LGBTQ spaces in the region. We are all too familiar with attacks on our community, including the rise in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislation throughout the country, along with acts of physical violence against our LGBTQ community. This rising extremism is deeply troubling, and we know from hate crimes data that anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and policies fan the flames of hate and violence. At The Center, we stand united against all forms of violence targeting our community, and we stand committed to creating a safe environment for everyone in San Diego.
Thankfully, unarmed patrons at Club Q tackled and disarmed the gunman, who is now in custody. Authorities have credited them for saving many lives.
Acts of violence are always heartbreaking but are especially difficult when our safe places – our community centers, our bars, and events – are attacked because that is where we build our community and foster our enduring hope.
Hours after this horrific tragedy, our community gathered at The Center for the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance; as we mourned with Colorado Springs, we safely gathered in community to uplift the 32 transgender and nonbinary lives lost this year due to transphobia and violence. I am deeply grateful to the TDOR Planning Committee, The Center’s Project TRANS team, and the more than 200 people who attended and made last night’s event so powerful.
It’s during these difficult times that I am grateful for our vibrant San Diego LGBTQ community, and our collective perseverance to live our authentic lives despite the people who stand in opposition to our very existence. Now more than ever, we need LGBTQ spaces, and I am proud that The Center stands as a place where our community can gather safely and belong, where all are welcomed, valued, and supported.
As our community’s beacon of hope throughout the region, The Center has continuously grown and expanded to meet the ever-changing needs of our community over the past 50 years. Today, we face new challenges, health disparities, and enduring barriers to our equality and dignity; it is our responsibility to continue to serve and empower our community for the next 50 years.
My heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragedy, including the victims and their families, as well as our entire LGBTQ community. Please take time to love yourselves and each other and remember that Your Center is here for you. Our community is resilient, powerful, and beautiful, and I am confident that together, our community will keep fighting until we are all safe, healthy, and thriving.
In Solidarity,
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- Cara Dessert (Pronouns: She, Her)
Chief Executive Officer
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FREE & CONFIDENTIAL
HIV/HCV AND STI SCREENINGS
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Show yourself some love with our free, confidential HIV/HCV testing and STI screenings in a compassionate and sex-positive environment with connections to health care and resources. Make your appointment today - call us at 619.692.2077 or email bethegeneration@thecentersd.org to make an appointment for Monday-Friday.
Please note that we do not offer MPOX testing as part of our testing services, please call 211 for testing assistance. Testing and screening clients are required to be vaccinated and masked while in the building, but exceptions can be made on an individual basis. Please reach out to us to ensure we can accommodate your needs!
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YOUR CENTER IS OPEN FOR YOU!
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The Center is in Phase 3 of reopening and, in addition to our virtual offerings, our in-person services are expanding at 3909 Centre Street, Monday through Friday, from 10am-7pm. For more information, visit our website, The Center's Facebook page, or call us at 619.692.2077.
Masks are required indoors and clients are required to be vaccinated. Flexibility for the mask requirement will be allowed for special health circumstances.
Please note, The Center will be closed this Thursday, November 24th and Friday, November 25th in observance of the holiday.
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November is Transgender Awareness Month!
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Looking to celebrate TRANS joy this month and always? Stay up to date with all the Transgender Month of Awareness activities happening this November with Project TRANS at The Center! We hope to see all of our LGBTQ+ community and allies present and ready to uplift one another!
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DEBUT NOVEL BY PAMUELA HALLIWELL
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Grieving Still: Finding the Other Side (Book 1) by Pamuela Halliwell
"Prue embarks on a long overdue fresh start at what feels like the beginning of the rest of her life. Before she can even take her first steps into this new life, reality takes a swing at her newfound peace, with the loss of someone larger than life. As Prue struggles to find her way, now feeling far more lost than found, she seeks consolation in a support group, where she meets other hurt souls, including prickly Devon and a battered Gus. Upon this random encounter, the three suddenly learn of their newfound magical powers as the power of three."
Read the debut novel by Pamuela Halliwell (she/her), Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Staff Counselor at The Center. Pam is a member of our Behavioral Health Services (BHS) team! This story includes three Black main characters, two from the LGBTQIA+ community, and features a Black trans woman as a lead character. Visit grievingstill.com to learn more.
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2022 U.S Trans Survey - Deadline Extended to 12/5
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The U.S. Trans Survey is the largest survey of trans people, by trans people, in the United States. The USTS documents the lives and experiences of trans and nonbinary people ages 16+ in the U.S. and U.S. territories. Take the Survey by December 5th!
USTS reports have been a vital resource, including the reports on the experiences of people of color and reports by state. Help us continue to be the largest, most diverse sample across all identities. Please spread the word to ensure that people of color, older people, those who live in rural areas, immigrants, Spanish speakers, those who are HIV+, and others hear about the survey. More than ever, it's important to ensure that trans voices will shape the future.
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If you are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, please take a few moments to complete this #Out4MentalHealth survey and share it with your networks. It supports LGBTQIA+ community members in identifying system strengths and barriers based on our own lived experiences. Your responses will be utilized to help create a statewide mental health policy agenda.
Share your experiences accessing mental health care by taking the Mental Health Advocacy Priorities Survey: bit.ly/O4MHPP2022
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GET A NEW START AT THE CENTER!
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The San Diego LGBT Community Center is one of the most rewarding places to work, renowned for dynamic and creative teamwork, professionalism, and unparalleled heart and dedication. Employees experience an amazing environment where community building, compassion, and care are uniquely combined with an insistent striving toward excellence and best practices. Check out the job listings here and apply today!
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STAY HEALTHY: UPDATES & RESOURCES
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Get the latest and most up-to-date information our website at thecentersd.org/mpox/. To sign up for the County's MPOX text message alert system and receive real-time information about MPOX, text COSD MONKEYPOX to 468-311.
November 21, 2022 Update:
- MPOX vaccine eligibility has expanded in San Diego County. Visit our website to see the list of groups eligible for the MPOX vaccine. MPOX vaccination appointments are available at myturn.ca.gov for those without health insurance or healthcare provider.
- MPOX vaccines are available a a walk-in or by appointment at Balboa Park Golden Hill Community Clubhouse.
- To get notifications of vaccine availability, please sign up to the MPOX alert system by texting COSD MONKEYPOX to 468-311.
We have updated our MPOX FAQs on our website, based on the questions we have heard from our community. To read the full Q&A, please visit our website.
The Center's Efforts:
- Prevention: The Center continues to educate our community with the latest information about MPOX. We continue to field calls from community members and provide guidance to access MPOX vaccines and testing resources.
- Education: The Center's MPOX resource page on our website has information in English and Spanish, and we are sending regular updates in our E-News and on The Center’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.
- Advocacy: The Center is participating regularly in the San Diego HIV Planning Group's MPOX Task Force meeting, and will stay involved to ensure that our community is represented.
We will share information every week from the County of San Diego, California Department of Health, and the CDC, and will provide information to upcoming vaccination events.
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RECURSOS Y ACTUALIZACIONES SOBRE MPOX (VIRUELA DE MONO)
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Obtenga la información más reciente y actualizada directamente del condado de San Diego. El sistema de alerta de mensajes de texto MPOX del condado envía información en tiempo real sobre MPOX a través de mensajes de texto a los residentes del condado de San Diego. Para inscribirse, envíe un mensaje de texto con COSD MONKEYPOX al 468-311. Visite nuestro sitio web en thecentersd.org/mpox/ para obtener la información más reciente.
21 de Noviembre, 2022:
- La eligibilidad para la vacuna contra MPOX se ha ampliado en el condado de San Diego. Visita nuestro sitio web para ver la lista de grupos elegibles para la vacuna contra MPOX. Las citas de vacunación MPOX están disponibles en myturn.ca.gov para personas sin seguro médico o sin proveedor de atención médica.
- Las vacunas contra MPOX están disponibles sin cita previa o con cita previa en Balboa Park Golden Hill Community Clubhouse.
- Para recibir notificaciones sobre la disponibilidad de vacunas, regístrese en el sistema de alerta MPOX enviando un mensaje de texto con COSD MONKEYPOX al 468-311.
Hemos actualizado nuestras preguntas frecuentes sobre MPOX en nuestro sitio web, de acuerdo a las preguntas que hemos escuchado de nuestra comunidad. Para leer las preguntas y respuestas completas, visite nuestro sitio web.
Los Esfuerzos de The Center:
- Prevención: The Center continúa educando a nuestra comunidad con la información más reciente sobre MPOX. Continuamos respondiendo llamadas de miembros de la comunidad y brindando orientación para acceder a las vacunas MPOX y los recursos de prueba.
- Educación: La página de recursos de MPOX en nuestro sitio web esta en ingles y en español y hemos estado enviando información más reciente en nuestro E-News y en Facebook, Instagram y Twitter. Hemos actualizado nuestras preguntas frecuentes con las últimas preguntas frecuentes de nuestra comunidad.
- Abogacía: The Center esta participando en las reuniones del MPOX Task Force del Grupo de Planificación del VIH de San Diego, y The Center permanecerá involucadro para garantizar que nuestra comunidad esté representada.
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Compartiremos información cada semana del Condado de San Diego, Departamento de Salud de California, y del CDC y proporcionaremos enlaces a los próximos eventos de vacunación.
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Read the latest about COVID-19 including travel, vaccines, treatment, prevention and more. Resources to help you and yours stay healthy include:
Updates from The Center for Disease Control (CDC) including risks, vaccines, symptoms, and more.
Visit sandiegocounty.gov to schedule your vaccine and booster appointment today! Find a location and schedule appointments on My Turn.
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