Big changes are happening for lesbian, bisexual and transgender women at The Center. Under the direction of Claudia Lucero, who has headed up the Women’s Resource Center (WRC) since February, The Center is on a roll, offering a multitude of new programs for women, all of which are free of charge.

The WRC’s mission is to provide healthcare, legal and community resources and create social, cultural and educational opportunities for lesbian, bisexual and transgender women and their allies, Lucero said. Resources include housing, employment, healthcare providers, domestic violence assistance and prevention, information on parenting and becoming a parent and legal assistance. The WRC also manages the Toni Atkins Lesbian Health Fund, which is designed to increase access to health care for uninsured or underinsured low-income women by assisting in payment for medical expenses.

“We are very excited about the response we have had to our many programs designed for women and look forward to seeing more community women at The Center at some of our coming events,” Lucero said.

One of those events, an eight-week women’s lecture series that started on March 25 and takes place every Thursday, has been a success. “We teamed up with SDSU’s Women’s Studies Department to offer interesting lectures like ‘Djuna Barnes and Lesbian life in 1920s Paris’, given by Professor Bonnie Scott, and ‘Lesbian Lives in the Context of Culture and Ethnicity’, given by Professor Oliva Espin,” Lucero said.

Besides these, the lecture series has offered “Butches, Ballplayers and the Lesbian Taint: Homophobia in Professional Women’s Sports” and “Envisioning the Lesbian Body: Western Art and Literature 1890-1930.” Next up is “Sex, Crimes, Power and Lesbian Identities in Early Modern Europe”, given by Edith Benkov on April 22 and “The Invisible Woman – An Examination of the Fat Female Body” by Vique Chavez.

The WRC also provides political, cultural and social gatherings such as Moms for Marriage, an evening of marriage activism and letter-writing for LBT moms, women’s movie nights which feature LBT and feminist films, and art and writing workshops where women develop and share their talents. In addition, they offer a quarterly wellness panel for LBT women featuring information, resources and medical advice from a panel of experts with backgrounds in medicine, therapy and holistic healthcare.

They have also launched several new social groups, including a film night, film discussion group, dog-walking club, women’s card night, creative writing group and a political discussion group. Including more female-centered recreational activities encourages empowerment and creativity “within a safe, female-friendly environment,” Lucero said

The California Endowment funded a grant for a San Diego LBT women’s needs assessment study, currently underway, which examines what services the population lacks. “This will likely include increasing access and awareness of already existing services, as well as encouraging the creation of additional, necessary services and programs,” Lucero said.

To participate in the needs assessment or to receive more information regarding the WRC, contact Claudia Lucero at (619) 692-2077 ext. 206 or clucero@thecentersd.org.