The San Diego Men’s Chorus recently announced familiar and groundbreaking partnerships with Cal State San Marcos, The Westwind Brass, Qualcomm and The Cosmos as part of its holiday season.

The ensemble is pleased to report that it will return to Cal State San Marcos for the 2007-2008 Arts and Lecture Series. Merryl Goldberg, series coordinator, said, “We are so pleased to have The San Diego Men’s Chorus back with us at CSU San Marcos. Their music is an inspiration and truly serves as a way to build understanding to the community at large. Our faculty and staff remember their last visit during the 2001 holiday season and are excited that our current students will get the opportunity to experience their eclectic and unique choral presentation.” The San Diego Men’s Chorus will perform at CSUSM on Sunday, Nov. 18.

The ensemble’s 2007 holiday concert, “Sassy! Classy! Brassy!,” will take place at the new Irwin Jacobs Theater at Qualcomm’s main campus in Sorrento Valley. The chorus will spearhead an outreach program for all San Diego County Fine Arts Students as part of its concert weekend starting Saturday, Dec. 8.

The SDMC’s holiday concert will take place later that evening with a second performance on Sun., Dec. 9.

More information about the San Diego Men’s Chorus is available online at www.sdmc.org.

San Diego Pride At Work, the GLBT constituency group of organized labor, will host a reception for its National Marriage Organizer Sandra Telep at the home of Larry Baza, 3412 28th St., on Tuesday, Sept. 25 , at 6 p.m. Telep will discuss her work in California and around the country to engage unions in support for marriage equality. For more information, contact Brian Polejes at 619-865-6784.

Transgender Advocacy and Services Center (TASC) will co-sponsor the fourth annual Transgender Communities BBQ on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2007. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Balboa Park, just beyond the Sixth Avenue and Upas Street entrance. A transgender flag will guide participants to the event. Attendees are encouraged to bring a side dish to share. For more information, contact Tracie at 619-515-2411, or Paola at 619-515-2446, ext. 2943.

The San Diego LGBT Community Center’s Men’s Coming Out Group has announced it will host a special panel featuring three local gay male therapists discussing coming out issues. The forum will take place on Thursday, Sept. 20 from 7:15-8:30 p.m. at The Center, 3909 Centre St. The event is free and open to the public

The three therapists are Michael Kimmel, M.A., M.S.W., L.C.S.W.; Paul Sussman, Ph.D.; and Dan Offner, L.C.S.W. They will discuss how therapy can help men overcome issues like shame, depression, low self-esteem and addictions and become more comfortable, whole and happy. They will also offer pointers on how to find, interview and select therapists.

The Center’s Men’s Coming Out Group meets every Thursday from 7:15-8:45 p.m. at The Center. The group is led by three volunteer co-facilitators who are “graduates” of the group, and is absolutely confidential. For more information about The Center’s Men’s Coming Out Group, visit www.thecentersd.org/menscomingoutgroup.php or contact Ted May at 619-692-2077, ext. 210 or tmay@thecentersd.org.

The San Diego LGBT Center invites the community to mingle with San Diego’s A-list glitterati at The Center’s 34th Annual Gala on Sat., Oct. 13 at the Marriott Hotel & Marina, located at 333 West Harbor Dr. The Center Gala is known as LGBT San Diego’s premier black tie event. Last year, more than 700 San Diegans attended the sold-out event and raised more than $100,000 for The Center’s programs and services. Only a few tables remain. Interested attendees are encouraged to purchase tables or tickets online immediately. More information and tickets can be purchased at www.thecenter.org.

The San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center (The Center) has announced that the September LGBT Community Coalition Breakfast will feature U.S. Rep. Susan Davis. The LGBT Community Coalition Breakfast will take place on Friday, Sept. 21 from 7:30-9 a.m. at The Center, located at 3909 Centre St.

Rep. Davis will provide an “Update from Washington,” including information on Congressional efforts on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the federal hate crimes bill.

Davis represents California’s 53rd Congressional District, and has earned a reputation as a bipartisan consensus builder. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee and is chair of its Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Davis also sits on the House Education and Labor Committee and the House Administration Committee. She has spent her time in Congress focusing on issues of defense, education, election reform, the environment, health care and veterans affairs.

Davis has a 100 percent lifetime voting record with the Human Rights Campaign. She is a co-sponsor of legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” end workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, allow Americans to sponsor their domestic partner for immigration purposes and create federal protections for victims of hate crimes based on sexual orientation. For many years, she has participated in numerous San Diego GLBT community events, including Pride, The Center’s Gala and AIDS Walk San Diego.

She obtained her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California at Berkley and her master’s degree in social work from the University of North Carolina.

The Community Coalition Breakfast takes place the third Friday of each month. Its mission is to bring together fair-minded individuals to network, educate and discuss the diverse issues of concern to LGBT and allied neighbors and citizens of San Diego. A full breakfast is available for a $10 donation; coffee and tea are complimentary.

More information is available online at www.thecentersd.org

The San Diego LGBT Community Center (The Center) has announced that Family Matters will host the Big Family Summer Barbecue on Sunday, Sept. 16. This annual event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Trolley Barn Park (on Adams Avenue, between Park Boulevard and Texas Street).

“This is our biggest event of the year,” said Marci Bair, coordinator of Family Matters. “We’ll have great activities for the whole family, including clowns, face painting, jumps, slides, a climbing wall and great food. This is really an opportunity for LGBT parents to bring their children – and their extended families – to join in this traditional celebration of all our families.”

Tickets are $10, and all kids ages five and under are free. Tickets are now available online at www.thecentersd.org/familyBBQ and will be available on the day of the event.

The Family Matters’ Big Family Summer Barbecue is sponsored by Diversionary Theatre, San Diego LGBT Pride, Mary Stockton/New York Life, Math Monkey, Lyric’s Daycare and Rainbow Babies.

For more information, contact Marci Bair at 619-692-2077, ext. 121 or mbair@thecentersd.org.

Different Strokes Swim Team hosted the first-ever “Gaytorman,” an unofficial swim meet on Sept. 8 at the Tierra Santa Recreation Center. Local GLBT swimmers, along with more than 60 participants from the Long Beach Grunions and San Francisco Tsunami took part in the “fun meet,” which included relays and games not normally found at swim competitions.

“There were fun games, such as balancing a martini glass on a kickboard while swimming across the pool. “The grand finale was a ‘drag’ race that required swimmers to wear a drag outfit, swim 50 yards and then transfer the outfit to the next swimmer in their relay. It was hilarious,” said Johanna Schroeder, Different Strokes team captain.

The Long Beach Grunions took home the championship for the event, which Schroeder said the team plans to make an annual event.

A social at Bourbon Street followed the competition, where participants received awards and began planning for next year’s event.