The San Diego Equality Campaign (SDEC) will join people nationwide to protest the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on Jan. 10.

DOMA does not require states to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages, and does not allow the federal government to recognize same-sex unions as marriages.

The SDEC – which formed after voters approved Proposition 8, a November ballot initiative that banned same-sex marriage in California – is finalizing the route for the march, which is expected to begin at 11 a.m., following a 10 a.m. rally. Organizers ask that participants stay peaceful and positive. For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1097.

The San Diego LGBT Community Center will host a “What’s Next for Marriage?” forum on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 6 p.m. in The Center’s auditorium.

Throughout the state, in each of the major geographic regions, there will be gatherings of interested community members and organizations to help craft strategies for moving forward in the fight for marriage equality.

The Center and The Center Advocacy Project hosted an in-person community town hall the week following the election in order to solicit campaign comments, criticisms and feedback, and to begin to collect ideas for moving forward in San Diego. More than 350 people attended, and The Center Advocacy Project Web site continues to collect and record any and all feedback and suggestions

For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1097.

San Diego Pride is seeking community participation for its 2009 marketing committee. Volunteers with experience, knowledge, as well as specialized skills in areas such as marketing, advertising, public relations, graphic design, media and journalism, or Web design, are invited to contact Pride for more information.

Committee volunteers will design and create the look and feel of the campaign, including print advertising and collateral materials. Volunteers will create and produce television, radio and internet commercials.

A redesigned Web site is also a top priority and volunteers with Web design experience are needed to tackle the job of designing a state-of-the-art site.

Experience and a desire to volunteer are key. Participants have the opportunity to shape the marketing campaign for the fifth largest Pride celebration in the United States.

San Diego Pride is a volunteer-driven organization. Volunteers work year round on various committees planning and organizing the Pride celebrations. Who are these volunteers? They are teachers, activists, writers, students, graphic designers, programmers, Web developers, youth workers, firefighters, entertainers, bankers, accountants, city employees, real estate agents, consultants, copy editors, and more.

For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1097.

In gearing up for its 30th anniversary, the Greater San Diego Business Association has scheduled Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis as keynote speaker for a celebration scheduled for June 11, at the Hard Rock Hotel in Downtown San Diego. The event will feature dinner and cocktails, a VIP reception and awards given by the GSDBA to various local businesses.

“Greg is an iconic figure in the LGBT community and an excellent business person,” said Joyce Marieb, chief executive officer of the GSDBA.

Louganis won his first Olympic silver medal in diving in 1976. Later, at the age of 24, he won two Olympic gold medals in platform and springboard diving. Then in 1988, competing against divers half his age, he became the first to win double gold medals for diving in two consecutive Olympics.

In his New York Times best-selling autobiography released a few years later, titled Breaking the Surface, Louganis outlined his illustrious diving career and the challenges he faced along the way as a gay man. Also an avid dog lover, he most recently published For the Life of Your Dog.

Louganis has also appeared often on Hollywood Squares and in other television shows, movies and theater over the past 20 years. As an activist, he speaks out for numerous organizations and causes such as youth clubs, drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs and organizations for the dyslexic.

Tickets for the GSDBA anniversary celebration will be made available in early 2009. Sponsorships for the event are still being accepted. For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1097.

San Diego Pride is seeking original designs from local artists for a giant, eye-catching balloon it plans to include in its 35th annual Pride parade, scheduled for July 18. Artists of all ages and skill levels are invited to submit up to three designs that best capture the essence of Pride in San Diego without being limited to any particular theme.

The balloon will stand 14 feet tall so that it can be seen from dozens of feet away as it lumbers down the mile-long parade route through the heart of Hillcrest. Bright colors are strongly encouraged, and the designs must be visually appealing from all sides. Lewd or offensive images will not be accepted. In addition, designs that depict particular people or children must include a signed waiver by those being represented.

“The balloon contest is part of an effort to increase community involvement in the parade while adding an exciting element to the event,” said Ron deHarte, executive director of San Diego Pride.

Entries must be submitted by Jan. 23, in a medium of the participant’s choice: digital e-mail, CD, or 3-D models no larger than 24 inches high by 18 inches wide; and printed hard-copy images no smaller than 12 inches by 14 inches. Copyrighted images, logos or fonts are not permitted. The winner will be announced on March 6.

For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1097.

On Saturday, Jan. 17 the 11th annual free San Diego Multicultural Festival will celebrate cultures from around the world, through performances including storytelling, music and activities, and a variety of food, merchant, informational and educational booths ranging from local to international organizations. Students from three local schools will build Global Villages, which highlight customs and ways of life from around the world. A new addition to the festival is the Downtown Education Fair, a special section of booths showcasing many of downtown’s unique learning opportunities

This family-friendly free event will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17 along the Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade between Fourth Avenue and Market Street on Harbor Drive. For more information about the festival, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1097.

The 92103 Awards set for January 2009 are now taking nominations, and anyone can nominate friends, co-workers, businesses or bars that reside, work or have business in the 92103 zip code.

The 92103 nomination night, when the community will learn who the 2009 nominees are, will be held at The Flame.

Nominees can be straight or gay.

The 92103 categories are: Best Pizza, Best New Business, Top Chef 92103, Best Mexican Food, Best Asian Food, Best 92103 Neighborhood Bar, Best Coffee Shop, Best Business, Best Waiter, Best Waitress, Best Fast Food, Best Restaurant, Best Bar Owner, Best Manager, Best Pharmacy, Best Adult Business, Best Realtor, Best Thrift Store, Best Burger, Best Brunch, Best Bartender-Male, Best Bartender-Female, Best Publication-Mainstream, Best Publication-GLBT, Best Chiropractor, Best Florist, Best 92103 Event, Best Hotel, Best Hair Salon, Best Male Centerfold, Best Female Centerfold, Best 92103 Couple, Mayor of Hillcrest, 1st Lady of Hillcrest and Queen of Hillcrest.

For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1097.