Do you get our weekly eBlasts on Wednesday afternoons? If not, or if you need to update your email, follow this link to register for our weekly eBlasts. Look below for some of our latest eBlasts.
Upcoming Events:
Need to contact one of our staff? Would you like to drop by to check out a book from our Queer Library? Contact us this way.
Our Current Fundraiser! Give Out Day is coming on December 3rd!
Help Solano Pride Center turn candy into cash.
Please copy and paste this link in your emails and social media posts to share with your friends and chosen family:
https://www.yumraising.com/secure/solanopc_solano_pride_center12/WilWil9150/candy
Social and Support Groups for many sub groups within our community.
| The Gender Expansive Circle will meet again on Friday, November 15th at 5:30 pm, in the Conference Room. GEC meets on the first and third Friday’s of each month unless noted. This group is for Trans, Intersex, Non-binary, Gender non-conforming and those questioning their gender identity or expression. The group will be led by Kacen Cosmos and Cristina Zaldana! Questions can be directed to Kacen Cosmos at kacen@solanopride.org. |
| Military/Veterans LGBTQ+ Support Group (2nd Thursdays of the month from 7:00 to 8:30 pm). Next meeting is tomorrow night, Thursday, November 14th in the Conference Room. We hope this group becomes a great social and support group for all active duty military or retired veterans in the queer community. Contact the facilitators by email by following these links: Will McGarvey,Jim Dailey & Ray McIntosh. |
| 2-SLGBTQ+ Men’s Support Group (3rd Wednesdays continuing November 20th from 7:00 to 8:30 pm). This group is for all those who identify as male/masc, and is trans inclusive, led by Will McGarvey & Milton Heath Solórzano. Contact us by email for more info at will@solanopride.org or miltonheath@solanopride.org. |
| The HIV Positive Support Groupwill begin as a zoom group on the 3rd Thursdays of the month from 6:00 to 7:30 pm, beginning November 21st. contact cristina@solanopride.org for more information. Facilitated by Cristina Zaldana and Jim Jones. |
| Drop in Parent’s group on Tuesdays continues Nov. 19th at 6 pm at the Center.” Drop by our Lobby Door on the south side of the building and give a knock to join. If we can find enough families to register with our Clinical Director, Colin Amato, at colin@solanopride.org, we may be able to start in mid November in the closest town to the participants. Colin and board member Stephan Clifford have created a beautiful 8-week program for the families and friends of those transitioning in the Conference Room, while Student Counselor Ray McIntosh and I will lead the conversation and activities for the youngsters in the lobby. |
| Grief Support Group will next meet in-person gathering on Friday, November 22nd from 10-11:30 am in the conference room at the Center’s building. Rachel Wilson and Timothy Meyer will be the facilitators for the group that will meet in person on the 2nd and 4th Fridays, and will find another time in the early evening on another day of the week for zoom meetings. Rachel can be contacted at rachel@solanopride.org or by phone or text at 707.681.1887. |
| A new supportive gathering for those who experience Chronic Illness and Chronic Pain. See the new dates and times for the zoom and in person groups on the flyer! Contact Ray for more info, and know that you are not alone. Ray can be contacted at ray@solanopride.org or by phone or text at 707.408.2458. |
Other groups are being prepared, including: Women’s Group, LGBTQ+ 12-Step Group, and a Bi/Pan/Omni support group. Contact will@solanopride.org if you are interested in helping facilitate any of these groups.
HIV Prevention Awareness
| As we expand our HIV Prevention Awareness we are calling on Volunteers to help spread the word at local venues in the evening, By tabling at these venues we can reach more people to “Get Tested.“ This is our goal! We offer FREE HIV TESTING. with qualified testers from the Solano County Department of Public Health. FREE TESTING is offered every 1st Tuesday of the Month at the Solano Pride Center. The next Testing Tuesday, is December 3rd from 4-6 pm! Normally at 1234 Empire St in Fairfield, but this month we are looking at hosting an event at the Fairfield Solano Community College campus, so look here on the site, or follow this link to register for our weekly eBlasts. This FREE HIV TESTING is now being offered at local venues in the evening. As a volunteer, you are in charge of the testing booth and registering folks that would like to get tested. You will not do any testing. We are asking for 4 hours of your time. Thank you. Cristina Zaldana |
Senior Programs!
Next week is Friday, November 22nd, and the Zoom Senior Group will be meeting online. Contact marlette@solanopride.org to get the link to join the fun!
There will be no Senior meeting on the 5th Friday, November 29th!
Our next Senior Lunch will be Friday, December 6th in the Conference Room at the Center. There will be a short presentation from Rhonda Smith from the Volunteer Center presenting, with Discussion on Emergency Preparedness.
Solano Pride Center offers counseling and psychotherapy to the LGBTQ+ community of Solano County.
There are openings available for those who wish to be seen for counseling services right now! We are able to see clients for up to six months at no cost to clients, helping you make sense of life as a queer person, get support coming out, or deepening your self confidence by talking about your past. Please call our confidential line to make an appointment at: 707-389-4520.
In addition Solano Pride Center is accepting application from Associate Clinicians (AMFT and ACSW) in addition to trainees needing practicum sites who are interested in providing therapy to the LGBTQ community. Please contact our Clinical Director Colin Amato at colin@solanopride.org for more information.
Youth Programming! Now, All Over the County!
Calling All Volunteers!
Calling all volunteers! If you want to be a volunteer at Solano Pride Center, please let us know!
Our next Volunteer Training is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 29th at 6 pm on Zoom. If you are interested in volunteering, just for special events or on a more regular basis at the Center, please email cristina@solanopride.org with the best times that work for you to be trained. These trainings are necessary for anyone who wishes to volunteer at the Center, in one of our Programs, or even for short term events like our Pride celebrations being planned now! Don’t miss this informative background on how to help, knowing our best practices and Community Agreements!
Weekly Eblasts – Links below:
Do you get our weekly eBlasts on Wednesday afternoons? If not, or if you need to update your email, follow this link to register for our weekly eBlasts.
Wednesday, Nov. 13th: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Queering-Faith-series-postponed-tonight–Trans-Day-of-Remembrance–New-social—support-groups–and-more—-.html?soid=1141190051998&aid=cg5s_bfMSKg
Thanks to all of our Donors for the Silent Auction at the Poetry Slam and beyond! Please do shop at these Gay owned businesses, and our supportive Allies!
Solano Pride Center
The Board of the Solano Pride Center shares our sadness that the Mayor of the City of Vacaville continues to use his position to give cover for the discrimination many in our community experience there. Like we did for every city, our Executive Director sent proposed language to use in a proclamation that actually gives an account of our history of discrimination and need for civil rights protections from our elected leaders.
This year we sent the request early, and attempted to hear back when the proclamation would be shared, and have not had that time confirmed. In preparing the so-called “Proclamation,” the Mayor’s office produced a document to be signed by the Vice Mayor that was similar to those of previous years, but with no proclamation that June 2024 would be Pride Month in the City of Vacaville. We also noticed a change to the text, including the deletion of the phrase “celebrate and build”, which was changed to “while building,” without an actual declaration of Pride Month. The language is so vague that it could apply to any other community, without addressing the violence members of our community experiences every day. Every other city we have received Proclamations from have adapted the language we have offered, but has still included the historical portions because that was the point. The language the Mayor used further white washes the history of America as if our country wasn’t created with the legality of slave states and the second class citizenship of women.
Furthermore, our biggest frustrations have centered around the lack of notification of when the flag was to be raised, as we experienced in almost every other city of the county today. Because we were not notified of the time of the flag raising, our community was denied the opportunity to be in attendance and participate to mark the moment. We understand that the Pride Flag has been raised on the School Street site, and will remain except for a day to honor the Army on June 14th (veterans comprise a significant portion of our community). Though we sent our request to the whole City Council on April 17th, we have had to ask for responses rather than a friendly sharing of events. The lack of communication feels intentional.
The erasure of our community happens on a daily basis, and the policies coming out of the Mayor’s office continues to discriminate against our civil rights and treats us like second class citizens. We call upon the good people of Vacaville to remind their Mayor that his oath of office is to serve all of the city, and not just those of his particular religious tradition. Leading Vacaville together means including your LGBTQ+ family and protecting their civil rights.
Will McGarvey
Executive Director
On behalf of the Solano Pride Center’s Board of Directors, June 2024
The Center Team
Will McGarvey
Executive Director
Colin Amato
Clinical Director
Cristina Zaldana
HIV Prevention Manager and Senior Case Management
Trystan McReynolds
Intern and Program Assistant
Kacen Cosmos
Associate Clinical Social Worker