The First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego’s Peace & Democracy Action group will host The New GI Resistance on Friday, Nov. 13. The event is a presentation about the growing number of GIs who have laid down their weapons and turned their experiences into powerful testimony for non-violent alternatives to war. The event will feature independent journalist and author Dahr Jamail. The First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego is located at 4190 Front St. in Hillcrest. For more information, call 858-459-4650 or e-mail us at peacedemtf@aol.com.

Local HIV/AIDS activists are interested in bringing back ACT-UP San Diego chapter. This is in response to the governor’s cuts in HIV/AIDS funding, says local activist Mike Tidmus. ACT-UP, stands for AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, are a diverse, non-partisan group of individuals, united in anger and committed to ending the AIDS crisis through non-violent direct action. To get involved or for more information, call 949-244-1314 or visit www.actupsandiego.org.

Being Alive and Mom’s Priority Pharmacy will host a ribbon cutting ceremony for it’s new HIV/AIDS Learning Center, a collaborative project between the nonprofit and business, on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at noon.

Recent funding cuts to HIV/AIDS education and support services have negatively impacted the San Diego region. In an effort to provide these desperately needed services, Being Alive has partnered with Mom’s Priority Pharmacy to create the new HIV/AIDS Learning Center. Located in the heart of Hillcrest, the center will serve as a hub of education and service coordination for thousands of San Diegan’s living with HIV/AIDS.

The HIV/AIDS Learning Center is located at 3940 Fourth Ave. in Hillcrest. For more information, call 619-291-1400 or e-mail swagner@beingalive.org.

The Human Rights Campaign’s San Diego (HRC-SD) chapter will host HRC Connect, its monthly social event, at Pomegranate Home in Hillcrest on Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.

The theme for the November HRC Connect event is “Bringing Equality Home” and is the first time HRC-SD has held its monthly social outside of a bar or restaurant. Bite Modern California Bistro and Wine Bar is also partnering with HRC-SD by providing hors d’oeuvres for the event. Admission to the event is always free.

All attendees will receive a 10 percent discount on any store purchase made during the event. Those who join HRC, or renew a membership at the event, will get coupons for additional discounts on all Pomegranate Home merchandise purchased through the end of 2009.

HRC-SD invite you to “Bring Equality Home” as the GLBT community celebrates the historic hate crimes legislation signed by President Obama in October and discuss what else there is to celebrate and anticipate as HRC-SD gears up for 2010.

Pomegranate Home is located at 1037 University Ave. in Hillcrest. For more information, visit www.hrc.org/sandiego.

The Center will host “Me and Social Media,” a workshop on social networking, on Wednesday, Nov. 18. “Me & Social Media: Tools to Empower Your Passions” is a series for beginners to social media and social networking (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc.) on the internet. No prior experience needed, but participants should be comfortable browsing the web and using e-mail. If you have a laptop with WiFi capability, please bring it. Workshop facilitators are Suzanne Aurilio and Liz Lemesevski. This is a free series and all sessions will take place in the library at The Center. The Center is located at 3909 Centre St. in Hillcrest. For more information, call 619-692-2077 or visit www.sites.google.com/site/meandsocialmedia/.

The Hillcrest Business Association hosts Hillcrest Business Forum, the first in a series of workshops and events on the economic revitalization and future of Hillcrest, at Bombay Restaurant on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. UCSD Professor of Urban Studies Mirle Rabinowitz Bussell will be the keynote speaker.

“Imagine if you could get together with a bunch of really bright folks over cocktails, invite the foremost experts in the field and plan the future of Hillcrest” said Hillcrest Business Association Committee Chair and local business owner Glenn Younger. “Well that’s what we’re planning on doing.”

The City of San Diego is planning to update its future development plan for the Uptown district. The Hillcrest Business Association is organizing the business series to get the public involved.

Mirle Rabinowitz Bussell is a lecturer in the Urban Studies and Planning Program at U.C. San Diego. She received her Ph.D. in Urban Planning from UCLA. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture with high honors from U.C. Berkeley and a master’s degree in city and regional planning from Cornell University.

Bombay Restaurant is located at 3960 5th Ave. in Hillcrest. For more information, call 619-299-3330 or e-mail benjamin@hillcrestbia.org.

The Imperial Court de San Diego is hosting the 21st annual Scott Carlson GLBT Community Thanksgiving Dinner at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego on Thursday, Nov. 26 at noon. The dinner will be served in Bard Hall and all are welcome. The First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego is located at 4190 Front St. in Hillcrest. For more information, please contact Joni Moore at jmmooresdca@gmail.com.

The San Diego LGBT Community Center will host its eighth annual San Diego Transgender Day of Remembrance on Friday, Nov. 20. A silent march and candlelight vigil will start at 6 p.m., followed by a program at 7 p.m.. Participants will honor the lives of transgender people who lost their lives to anti-transgender violence. For more information, contact Connor Maddocks at 619-692-2077, ext. 109 or cmaddocks@thecentersd.org.

In an effort to recognize GLBT veterans, local activist Lisa Kove is organizing a pro-GLBT veterans rally and march called Patriots’ Pride in Oceanside on Saturday, Nov. 14 at noon.

Kove is coordinating the event with pro-GLBT organizations nationwide in honor of GLBT veterans who have served in silence hiding their sexual orientation or gender identity due to the United States military’s discriminatory policies such as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT).

“Now, more than ever, it is important that each of us take a stand to end the horrific discrimination that has been on-going, and in fact encouraged by the very existence of the prejudiced legislation that governs our armed forces. As patriots we know our America can do better,” Kove said.

The event will start with a march, followed by a rally. Local community GLBT veterans will share their stories and messages at the rally. Each veteran is encouraged to wear a t-shirt of their service’s color or a t-shirt with the name of their service. Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes, bring water, snacks and signs expressing why DADT and the Defense of Marriage Act are wrong and discriminatory, as well as signs that support pro-GLBT federal legislation.

Patriots’ Pride will take place at 1300 N. Coast Hwy in Oceanside. For more information, visit www.mypatriotspride.org or call 619-316-9197.