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.

How are you? Really?

Help us know better how to create programs for our new post-election world.

Here is the link to our Solano County LGBTQIA2S+ Community Needs Assessment. We need to hear from you what you feel are the biggest needs you have given our new post election political and legal reality. Please take the 3-6 minutes to share your voice!

Letter from the Executive Director:

We are seeing the normalization of anti-Trans sentiment as a function of attempting to enforce the views of what the election has said to America. Sadly, some previous members and supporters of the Trans Community have been sounding more like “Trans Exclusive Radical Feminists” or TERFs, like JK Rowling rather than supporters of the needs of our Trans siblings. We don’t throw any part of the Alphabet family under the bus. While some Trump supporters were quite celebratory of their win, the actual vote count has shown that it wasn’t the national mandate that many of them have been mischaracterizing. In the midst of such hate speech, in the same week we saw the Congress itself, the House of the People, enshrine discriminatory bathroom policies on the first out Trans Congressperson-elect Sarah McBride. The fears I’m hearing from more and more of our Gender Expansive community are real, and express a genuine lack of safety that many experience here in our “redder than we would like” Solano County. Our solidarity needs to expand, not decrease in times like these, and we will need to be more responsive with our Trans-Intersex-Gender-Expansive siblings ask us to be in streets or at the public meeting with them as accomplices, not just as allies.

Upcoming Events:

Plan now to join us on Wednesday, December 11^th, when there will be an Interfaith Queer Holiday Party at the Center to celebrate all of the winter festivals together. We will have altars for Thanksgiving, Chanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Yule, Solstice and other winter festivals. Come for your friends, stay for the queer Christmas carols. Please bring a store bought side dish, dessert or drinks (this helps us be in compliance with health codes).

We are asking those coming to the Holiday Dinner to let us know you are coming, since the Board is paying to have enough turkey and ham for everyone. Use this link to let us know how many will be joining you, and donate if you wish: https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/december-11-2024-holiday-gathering. We ask that you bring a store or restaurant-bought side dish (cranberries, stuffing, gravy, etc, or an ethnic/family favorite: lumpia, tamales, etc.), or a dessert to share. PLEASE NO HOME-COOKED ITEMS.

The festivities begin at 7pm and go until 8:30 pm. So come and join us for food, fun, carols, a silent auction, and friendship.

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! See’s Candy fundraiser going through Friday, Dec 6th.

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

Give Out Day is coming on December 3rd!

Give out Day this year is Tuesday, December 3rd! Can you help us by sharing this link before, during and after that day so we can broaden our outreach? If you’d like to receive the packet of text and images you can use to share on your social media, please email will@solanopride.org. Please share this link: https://givingtuesday.mightycause.com/team/solano.

Here are some images and text to start sharing this week and next!

Every year BAQWA produces an anthology of members’ writing as a benefit for a Bay Area Queer charity

This year proceeds from sales of TOGETHER, the 2024-25 benefit anthology, go to the Solano County Pride Center, which provides support for LGBTQ+ people in the county, offers free HIV testing, and creates Queer Pride events in cities across the county. We hope BAQWA members will come read from the anthology at future SPC events, including the Holiday Dinner. If you’d like to order the book online, the proceeds also help fund our important work here.

Social and Support Groups for many sub groups within our community.

Pan-Pagan/Magickal Support Group (4th Wednesdays from 7-8:30 pm continues Nov. 27th). For those with any form of neo-pagan, polytheistic, or non-abrahamic practice, to explore the intersections of queerness and pagan spirituality. Led by members of SPC Staff. Bring something from your altar to share about, and a drum or percussion rattle if you have one (extras will be available).

Interested in a book group? Let’s read and discuss The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Kline (there’s a sequel called “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” Cerulean Chronicles book 2 we can do afterwards).

V.E. Schwab said of it, “I loved it. IT is like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket. Simply perfect.”

Let’s meet to discuss it for an hour on the first Tuesdays of the month at 7 pm on zoom (registration link here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pde-vqT0iE9xxBfjOxd1aiVD8ZZubxO8k, we will use the same link each time). Read at least the first 3-5 chapters. Will and Colin will be facilitating the group discussion at the first gathering Tuesday, Dec. 3rd at 7 pm.

Other Book Groups in the County:

If you aren’t interested in a Fantasy book, Richard May has been leading a Queer Book Group on the second Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 at the Alibi Bookshop, 624 Marin St. in downtown Vallejo. Copies of the book are still available at the store. They just finished Dancer from the Dance, as you can see at this link. Ask him what’s next!

The Gender Expansive Circle will meet again on Friday, December 6th 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, December 12th in the Conference Room or Center Lobby. 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.

Grief Support Group will next meet in-person gathering on Friday, December 13th 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.

2-SLGBTQ+ Men’s & Masc Social & Support Group (3rd Wednesdays continuing December 18th 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, continuing December 19th. Contact cristina@solanopride.org for more information. Facilitated by Cristina Zaldana and Jim Jones.

Drop in Parent’s group has been discontinued for now. Please look for a Parent’s Survey we will share next week to know when works best to be able to gather parents for social and support needs.

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.

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 Colin for more info, and know that you are not alone. Colin can be contacted at Colin@solanopride.org or by phone or text at 707.408.2458. Next group will be announced as soon as new leadership is announced.

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

HIV Prevention Awareness!

1st Tuesday of the Month at the Solano Pride Center. Except the County ran out of testing kits for December. The next Testing Tuesday, is January 7th from 4-6 pm at 1234 Empire St in Fairfield. This FREE HIV TESTING is now being offered at our Center in the evening.

Thank you. Cristina Zaldana
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!

No Queerios at the Kyle Hyland Foundation until January, as the Teen Center is closed all next week (Nov 26th), and will be closed on Christmas Eve as well.

Rio Vista Teen Pride meets for a special joint Nov/Dec Holiday Party on Dec 6th!(on the 4th Fridays) from 3:30-5:30 pm at Rio Vista Cares in Rio Vista! There’s always Pizza!

Led by Judy Serafini and Zaida Mungaray.

Future Youth Groups in cities around 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. 27th: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Responding-to-Anti-Trans-attempts-to-fracture-our-community–Post-Election-Needs-Assessment–Multicultural-Holiday-Dinner–New-s.html?soid=1141190051998&aid=S-sfYlCLJdM

Wednesday, Nov. 20th: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Post-Election-Needs-Assessment–Multicultural-Holiday-Dinner–New-social—support-groups–and-more—-.html?soid=1141190051998&aid=tanVkqGbm0s

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

Wednesday, Nov. 6th: https://web-extract.constantcontact.com/v1/social_annotation_v2?permalink_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fconta.cc%2F3At05HS&image_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe984a34b901%2F624ec66a-76f5-46bf-9dbd-3c1a955ff797.jpg&fbclid=IwY2xjawGY5DVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYDuVdGK53h4xwPnrcD-g3I9Jod_eP03gySpTIFBcKfdCsnUhrREtaOwfA_aem_O6A3x06ztJsIanW6etI6LA

Wednesday, October 16th: https://web-extract.constantcontact.com/v1/social_annotation_v2?permalink_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fconta.cc%2F4hdWG0c&image_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe984a34b901%2Fa29f3514-edbb-4aee-8c97-2a10faaab37f.png&fbclid=IwY2xjawGQ-dJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHWkTpKXIBe8nRq0G_PArS2FqjOXW42yTmdiUHTMcWZqmhND029g_nm-r2Q_aem_Y2AOm6DO-KvV5AECQ2lFwQ

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!

Thanks also go to Nick Nguyen, manager at the Grocery Outlet on Travis Blvd, in Fairfield who donated food and glow sticks, and Christian Saucedo from Farmer’s Insurance whose spooky decorations made the Halloween Dance what it was! As Trystan shared on our FB page, “We are incredibly grateful for your kindness and support. The party wouldn’t have been the same without you!”

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 14^th (veterans comprise a significant portion of our community). Though we sent our request to the whole City Council on April 17^th, 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

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