The Hillcrest Youth Center will host its second car wash of the season at the San Diego LGBT Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proceeds from the event will go to funding HYC’s The Other Prom, San Diego’s only GLBT youth-friendly prom. The car wash will take place in The Center’s parking lot. The Center is located at 3909 Centre St. in Hillcrest. For more information, call 619-692-2077 or e-mail alupian@thecentersd.org .

Documentary “…Brings Light to a Subject that Remains Very Much in the Shadows”

The San Diego Public Library, the San Diego chapter of PFLAG, The San Diego LGBT Community Center and the Media Arts Center San Diego will host a Community Cinema preview screening and discussion of Ask Not, directed by award-winning Bay Area filmmaker Johnny Symons. The film will screen Sunday, May 3, at 2 p.m. in the 3rd floor auditorium of the Central Library, located at 820 E Street in Downtown San Diego. This event is free to the public.

Ask Not is a rare and compelling exploration of the effects of the U.S. military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. A provocative portrait of bravery amid exclusion, Ask Not reveals the personal stories of Americans willing to risk their lives for a country that criminalizes the act of coming out. Current and veteran gay soldiers reveal how “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” affects them during their tours of duty, as they struggle to maintain a double life, uncertain who they can trust.

The film also explores how gay veterans and youth organizers are turning to forms of personal activism to overturn the policy. From a national speaking tour of conservative universities to protests at military recruitment offices, these public events question how the United States military can claim to represent democracy and freedom while denying one segment of the population the right to serve.

Interspersed with the principal storylines, the film reveals rare archival footage and key historical interviews with policy experts to explain the history and implementation of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Ask Not provokes thoughtful dialogue about the merits of banning those who are honest about their sexual orientation from serving their country.

Community Cinema is affiliated with the independent media organization ITVS or Independent Television Service. ITVS Community Cinema is a monthly screening series that pairs independently produced documentary films with leading organizations working to resolve related social issues in communities across the country. All film content featured in ITVS Community Cinema will broadcast nationally on the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens. Ask Not will air locally June 21 on KPBS. Check local listings.

For information on the San Diego chapter, visit www.pflag.com. To learn about other events at the San Diego Public Library’s Central Library and 35 branches, find links to numerous additional resources, or search for materials in the Library’s catalog online at www.sandiegolibrary.org.

The San Diego LGBT Community Center and the San Diego Food Bank will provide free food to those in need at The Center’s parking lot on Tuesday, May 5 at 9 a.m. Organizers encourage those interested to arrive an hour early, since a line emerges by 8 a.m. and food is normally gone by 10 a.m. Food- stamp assistance will be available starting at 8 a.m. There is no requirement to receive food. Products such as fresh fruits and vegetables and assorted canned goods will be distributed. The Center is located at 3909 Centre St. in Hillcrest. For more information, e-mail jschmoll@thecentersd.org or call 619-692-2077.

Volunteers of all ages showed their love for a clean San Diego today by taking part in the 7th Annual Creek to Bay Cleanup. These dedicated community members volunteered their time at 63 cleanup sites spread out countywide, proving that “green” starts in San Diego.

With cleanup site totals still trickling in, coordinators at I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) expect to surpass last year’s volunteer totals with more than 4,000 participants countywide. Temporary dumpsters were filled to the brim countywide, with many inland sites reporting thousands of pounds of debris. The most common items collected included cigarette butts, plastic grocery bags and plastic bottles, proving that single-use disposable items continue to plague our region. Hundreds of discarded tires and abandoned hazardous waste were identified at many inland cleanup sites. On the other hand, most unusual items this year included a trophy from 1911, a disco ball and a wallet full of money.

ILACSD’s army of volunteers make a tremendous impact by donating just a few hours of their time, while setting a positive example each year to an expanding cross-section of community members. With more and more volunteers joining in at this event each year, San Diegans embody an infectious spread of environmental stewardship and community pride.

I Love A Clean San Diego hosted the Creek to Bay kickoff event at Southcrest Community Park in an effort to shed some light on an often overlooked problem facing San Diego’s watersheds. Urban runoff and debris not only cause health concerns for affected neighborhoods, but this debris eventually travels to the coast through rivers, creeks, and storm drains, where it contaminates the ocean. Approximately 80 percent of marine debris originates at such inland areas and ILACSD is proud of all volunteers today; especially those who helped stop this harmful pollution upstream.

More than 350 volunteers at Southcrest Community Park were greeted by KFMB Channel 8’s Natasha Stenbock and Carlo Cecchetto to kick off the event, before heading out to cleanup the park, the nearby portion of Chollas Creek, and surrounding neighborhood. In addition to the clean up, volunteers beautified the community through planting activities and storm drain stenciling. By stenciling a warning message, “No Dumping, Goes to Ocean” on storm drain inlets, volunteers will prevent future incidences of littering and illegal dumping in order to preserve all of their hard work. I Love A Clean San Diego coordinates the stenciling program year round for volunteers through a partnership with City of San Diego Think Blue.

For more information about I Love A Clean San Diego, visit www.cleansd.org or call 800-237-BLUE.

When the California Supreme Court announces its decision on the challenge to Proposition 8, local marriage-equality supporters will meet at Sixth Avenue and Laurel Street in Balboa Park at 5 p.m. If Proposition 8 is upheld, attendees will march south down Sixth Avenue and then west on Broadway to the Hall of Justice, where a rally will be held. If Proposition 8 is invalidated, attendees will march up Sixth Ave. to University Avenue and then east to Normal Street for a block party. The San Diego Chapter of Marriage Equality USA, San Diego Alliance for Marriage Equality, and the San Diego Equality Campaign are organizing the event. For more information, visit www.dayofdecision.com.

The Saturday after the California Supreme Court renders its decision on Proposition 8, statewide activists and organizations will meet at Fresno City Hall at 1 p.m. Why Fresno? Marriage equality has to be fought, not only in gay-friendly cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles but in towns like Fresno, where the population is far more reflective of national attitudes toward GLBT equality. Buses and caravans will be available but those with transportation are encouraged to carpool. Fresno City Hall is located at 2600 Fresno Street in Fresno, Calif. For more information, visit www.meetinthemiddle4equality.com.

The California Supreme Court must rule on the challenge to Proposition 8 before Wednesday, June 3. Decisions are announced on Mondays and Thursdays. If the court makes it’s decision on a Monday, the court will notify the public on Friday at 10 a.m. If the court decides on a Thursday, the court will notify the public on the Wednesday before at 10 a.m.