Mark and Linda Pennington will open their home on Saturday, March 27 for a 10 a.m. brunch with former city councilmember and candidate for the 76th Assembly District Toni Atkins. Atkins will talk about California’s future. The event is free and is paid for by Toni Atkins for State Assembly. RSVP by calling Linda Pennington at 619-563-4014 or e-mail gizmopennington@cox.net. The Pennington’s home is located at 2609 Tuberose St in Azalea Park. For more information, visit www.atkinsforassembly.com.

The 12th annual Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Breakfast will take place at the San Diego Convention Center on Monday, March 29 at 7 a.m. This year’s theme is El Arte de la Inspiracion or the Art of Inspiration. The breakfast will focus upon the inspirational qualities of the legacy left to us by a great American hero, Cesar E. Chavez.

Each year several scholarships are awarded to San Diego and Imperial Valley youth in grades nine through 12. Additional scholarships are available to migrant education students. The breakfast celebration always includes a focus upon our youth and our community leaders who practice the spirit of service and social justice. For more information, visit http://sdchavezcommittee.info/breakfast.htm.

The Greater San Diego Business Association (GSDBA) recently passed a motion endorsing the Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR3962), which was passed by the House and Senate, but remains in political debate until finalized remains in political debate until finalized.

“The bill will be very beneficial to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community on many levels,” said Tom Luhnow, chief executive officer of GSDBA, adding however that GSDBA stands firmly against the anti-choice provisions in the bill.

The GSDBA’s board cited several advantages in the bill including, tax equity for health plan beneficiaries; insurance companies being required to provide coverage regardless of preexisting conditions or current illness and insurance companies would be required to cover routine checkups and preventative care at no additional cost.

For more information on the GSDBA, visit www.gsdba.org or call 619-296-4543.

San Diego Councilmember Todd Gloria will speak at Two Cents with Aaron Heier at the San Diego LGBT Community Center on Tuesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. Two Cents is an entertaining, informative and interactive social event featuring Center personality Aaron Heier interviewing the men who move San Diego’s GLBT community. Enjoy an informal talk show-style format followed by a mix and mingle cocktail hour that allows up-close and personal face-time with the month’s special guest. For more information, e-mail jwergeles@thecentersd.org.

The California Western School of Law and the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University bring together 12 of the nation’s top legal scholars and experts for Defense of Marriage Act: A Symposium on Federalism and Interstate Recognition of Same-Sex Relationships on March 19-20.

The symposium, hosted at California Western School of Law (225 Cedar St, San Diego, CA 92101), offers a variety of perspectives from legal scholars and experts from across the country.

The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) symposium is free and open to the public. Programming runs from 1-6:15 p.m. on Friday, March 19 and on Saturday, March 20 from 9-11:15 a.m. No RSVP is required to attend either day.

Notable speakers include Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders’ Mary Bonauto who has won cases in Vermont (civil union) and Massachusetts (marriage) allowing rights for same-sex couples, California Western School of Law’s Barbara J. Cox who has written

numerous articles on interstate recognition of same-sex relationships, adoption and marriage, Northwestern University’s Andrew Koppelman whose scholarship focuses on intersection of law and political philosophy, Belnap Law PLLC Founder and Marriage Law Foundation President Monte Neil Stewart and Lynn Wardel from J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University who teaches and writes about family law and comparative family law.

For more information, call 619-515-1541 or e-mail jromero@cwsl.edu.

The 4th annual Sleepless San Diego Benefit Sleepout will take place at Liberty Station on Saturday, April 24 at 3 p.m.

Spend a night under the stars, learn about those in need and make a difference in the lives of the 10,000 homeless men, women and children in San Diego. Anyone can be affected. Your involvement makes a big difference and will help to create support for San Diego’s 10,000 homeless men, women and children.

Learning about the issues and joining efforts to help the homeless, gives us the ability to develop solutions and make positive changes that assists our citizens, so they don’t become homeless. The registration fee is $25 and goes toward the $55 goal per fundraiser. The Sleepless San Diego Benefit Sleepout takes place at Liberty Station at 2772 Historic Decateur Rd. in Point Loma. For more information, visit www.sleeplesssandiego.org.

Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gay (PFLAG) San Diego is accepting applications for scholarships in the amount of $1,000 to $2,500 to LGBT students in San Diego. Students at any point in their post secondary education are welcome to apply. Applications are due March 26. For more information, visit www.pflag.com.