San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride will add a karaoke stage to the list of attractions planned for this summer’s 30th anniversary festival in Balboa Park, scheduled for July 31 and Aug. 1. The stage area will be co-hosted by Laura Jane of Fish on a Stick Talent and Eric Swanson of Blockbuster Video in Hillcrest.

According to Jane, the musical offerings will feature more than 5,000 songs ranging from Big Band tunes to contemporary hits. Additionally, a special “teen hour” will be presented from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., July 31, along with a performance by local karaoke pros beginning at 7:00 p.m. that evening.

The anniversary weekend theme is “30 Years of Pride: Strength in Numbers.” Festivities will include a Spirit of Stonewall rally at 7:30 p.m., July 30, at the Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park and a mile-long parade at 11:00 a.m., July 31, beginning along University Avenue from Normal Street and moving south onto Sixth Avenue. The two-day festival runs from 12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m., July 31, and 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Aug. 1. A special concert by k.d. lang will be held at 9:00 p.m., Aug. 1, at the Starlight Bowl. For more information about events or volunteer opportunities, call (619) 297-7683.

Deputy Mayor Toni Atkins and The Center will host their April Community Coalition Breakfast on Friday, April 16. The LGBT Community Coalition Breakfast starts promptly at 7:30 a.m. The April breakfast will focus on healthcare. Speakers will include representatives from the County of San Diego Office of AIDS Coordination, Priority Pharmacy and local providers. The cost is $6 per person and includes a full breakfast, panel presentation, Q&A and open networking. RSVPs are not required. Organizations or individuals interested in adding an event to the Community Calendar or placing Community Announcements should contact AJ Davis at (619) 692-2077, ext. 212 or email adavis@thecentersd.org at least ten days prior to the event.

The Women’s Resource Center at The Center will begin hosting Sapphic Cinema films by, for and about lesbian, bisexual, transgender and feminist women. Films will feature and celebrate LBT and feminist women in a fun and welcoming environment. All movie nights are free and open to the public. Concessions will be available for sale, with proceeds benefiting the Women’s Resource Center.

Movie nights will be held on the fourth Friday of every month beginning on Friday, April 23, at 7:00 p.m. For movie listings or more information, please contact Claudia Lucero at or (619) 692-2077 ext. 206 or sign up to receive The Center’s newsletter for the full movie schedule.

The Institute For Transgender Education (ITEINC) and the Transgender Law Center in San Francisco are teaming up to present learning seminars on the use and understanding of AB 196 (Gender Nondiscrimination Act of 2003) here in San Diego. Chris Daley from the law center, who helped shape the law, will be the featured speaker. The events are fundraisers as well, and all proceeds go to ITEINC, which is a 501 c3 nonprofit charity.

The first event is for employers and landlords and will be held at the Adams Avenue Studio of the Arts in Normal Heights on Tuesday, May 4, at 7:00 pm. Free parking for the event is available at the Mattress Makers lot across the street from the studio. Donations for this event are $20 for GSDBA members, and $30 for all others. Space is limited, so please RSVP.

The second event is for the entire transgender community and its friends, partners and family, and will cover the same topical matter with an emphasis on transgender rights and recourse. It will be held Wednesday, May 5, at 7:00 pm at The Center in Hillcrest. Gina Lance, publisher of Girl Talk Magazine, will attend and be signing copies of her magazine. There is no charge for this event. Voluntary donations will be accepted, and a collection hat will be passed during the event.

For additional information, questions or RSVPs, please call Sharon May of ITEINC at (760) 522-1114 or e-mail her at Sharon@iteinc.org.

Five years ago, Dr. Janette Gray and her partner, Mary Golden, decided to open a medical facility that offered more than just traditional medicine, and the Center for Health & Wellbeing was born. This unique integrative medical practice has thrived, and now they are poised to open a second location in Hillcrest, at 3501 4th Ave., this month.

The Center for Health and Wellbeing offers traditional, allopathic medicine along with a host of other Eastern services, such as acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, aromatherapy and naturopathy – the newest addition to complementary and alternative therapies.

To learn more about the center, their services or staff, call them at (858) 454-9771 to set your next appointment.

The San Diego County Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and San Diego Voices of Women (VOW) are jointly sponsoring a lecture/discussion featuring internationally acclaimed Chicana feminist activist Elizabeth “Betita” Martinez. The event takes place at San Diego’s WorldBeat Center in Balboa Park on May 16 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Martinez’s talk, “The Insurgency in Iraq and the Impact on Women and People of Color,” promises to be a thought-provoking exploration of the gender, race, and economic dimensions of the war on Iraq.

This event is co-sponsored by BIENESTAR, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, the WorldBeat Center, and the Peace and Freedom Party. Other organizations interested in co-sponsoring this event should contact SD NOW at (619) 238-1824 by April 30 at 5:00 p.m. A $5-10 donation is suggested at the door; however, no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Refreshments will be available for purchase. Sign language interpreters and Spanish language translators will be available upon request by calling (619) 238-1824 before May 8.

On May 16, the night before the historic Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling granting equal marriage rights to same-sex couples is scheduled to go into effect, more than 100 households across the country will host parties in support of the marriage equality work of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force.

The parties will be linked to each other via a national conference call, to listen to a State of the Union address from Task Force executive director Matt Foreman and other special guests.

For information about participating in the night of marriage equality parties across the country, contact Charles Robbins at crobbins@TheTaskForce.org or call (323) 857-8746.

Maureen Steiner and Aida Mancillas, who recently married in San Francisco, are celebrating their marriage by hosting a reception at The Center on April 18. They would like to invite any GLBT couples that married in San Francisco to join them as participants (or guests) in their reception. If you are interested, please contact Maureen Steiner at maureenon@aol.com or call (619) 269-8176 for more details.

San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride has awarded three nonprofit organizations the opportunity to raise funds for themselves through water vending at this year’s 30th anniversary Pride festival in Balboa Park.

The organizations are Condoms Now, a free condom distribution program for the community that was founded in 2001, Christ Chapel of North Park, a full gospel non-denominational church, and PFLAG, which promotes the health and well being of GLBT persons, their families and friends. Additionally, water along the parade route will be sold by the America’s Finest City Softball League, which has taken part in the fundraising opportunity for the past 10 years.

For more information about San Diego Pride, call the Pride office at (619) 297-7683.