Transgender activist, author and historian Leslie Feinberg will participate in the San Diego Youth Pride March, at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 1, from the Hillcrest Youth Center to The Center’s parking lot. Feinberg is also scheduled to speak at the Youth Pride Festival, which begins immediately after the march and continues until 6:00 p.m. The daylong event is restricted to ages 14-24, and features live entertainment, games and food.

Feinberg is known worldwide for authoring Transgender Warriors and Stone Butch Blues and captivated audiences several years ago when speaking at San Diego Pride’s Spirit of Stonewall rally. This year’s Youth Pride theme is “SuperQueer”. The celebration also includes a free intergenerational “Family OUTing” from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m., on Friday, April 30, in The Center’s auditorium. The event is open to the entire community and will feature a special appearance by openly gay actor Wilson Cruz of the Fox Network television program “My So-Called Life”.

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

Sylvia Flanagan, M.A., Registered MFT Intern and Tom Wall, M.A., Registered MFT Intern, announce the formation of Joining in Growth, “a counseling partnership for everyone in our community”. The counseling partnership, hosted by First Avenue Counseling Centre, at 2333 First Ave., was formed to offer a wider range of psychological services for the GLBT community.

In addition to individual, couples and family therapy, Joining in Growth offers three unique groups: Breathing Through Worry, a meditative exploration to increase relaxation and awareness; Lifestyles in Transition, a substance-use group based on the harm reduction model available for both men and women who want to cut down their alcohol/drug use, create a healthier lifestyle, want to quit, or just aren’t sure; and 20s Process Group, which targets gay males in their 20s and will explore issues facing today’s young gay male.

For more information on groups, individual, family or couples counseling, contact Tom Wall at (619) 708-7126 or Sylvia Flanagan at (619) 318-1901.

Looking to meet new people for friends, activity partners or dates? It’s all possible at 5 Minute Man. Family Health Centers of San Diego’s Gay Men’s Health Program invites you to attend 5 Minute Man, a fun and interactive alternative to meeting guys in San Diego. Events are held at the Joyce Beers Community Center (by Trader Joe’s, in Hillcrest) at 7:00 p.m. on the first Sunday of every month. This is a totally free event, and refreshments will be served. Come check it out this Sunday, May 2.

For further information or questions, contact Bailey at (619) 515-2424 ext. 2913.

VAGINA (Vibrant Activist Grrrls Invoking National Attention), proud producers of VaginaFest and the San Diego Dyke March, will be sponsoring “Lesbian Her-Story Lessons: San Diego Lesbian Activism from Stonewall to the Present”, facilitated by Wendy Sue, a San Diego lesbian activist for over 25 years, on Friday, April 30, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The event will also feature local lesbian activists in a lively panel discussion of the community’s past. This “her-storical” event will be held at Bienestar, located at 3020 North Park Way. Call (619) 295-2192 for information.

As the renovation of Diversionary Theatre enters it final phase, the theatre has announced the opportunity for supporters to have their names included permanently as part of the new facility. The centerpiece of the newly renovated building will be the main courtyard directly in front of the box office. The theatre is offering the opportunity to have the paving stones in this courtyard engraved with the name or message of patrons.

The 16-inch square paving stones are being sold for $1,000 for a full stone and $500 for a half stone. In both cases, the purchaser will be able to have the stone engraved. The stones will form the courtyard of the theatre, the centerpiece of the renovation that also includes refurbished steps and an extended façade and marquee.

The theatre is also offering the chance for recognition on the building itself, with naming opportunities available for the lobby, the box office, the entire courtyard and other architectural elements.

For more information on how to purchase a paving stone or have your name placed on the building, please call (619) 220-6830.

The Center’s May Community Coalition Breakfast will focus on the challenges facing San Diego’s GLBT youth. The breakfast will take place Friday, May 17, at The Center, 3909 Centre St., from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m.

The Community Breakfast panel will include: Katherine Nakamura, board member, San Diego City Schools; Shaun Travers, UCSD LGBT Resource Center; Miccaela Baird-Rosecrans and Chilan Ta, UCSD Queer People of Color (QPOC); Mindy Watrous, executive director of Walden Family Services; and Dr. Heather Berberet, LGBT Youth Sheltering Project.

For more information contact AJ Davis at (619) 692-2077, ext. 212.

The project to redevelop the historic North Park Theatre into a state-of-the-art performance space for local arts organizations received a much-needed boost on April 12 when the City of San Diego’s Redevelopment Agency voted to grant an additional $3.3 million to the developer.

The $3.3 million is more than half of the $6.3 million needed to complete the project. To date, another $1.8 million has been raised by Lyric Opera San Diego, the lead organization in the theatre project that will become its managing tenant. Fundraising efforts continue, and the newly restored North Park Theatre is expected to celebrate its grand opening in Fall 2005, with a gala performance by Lyric Opera San Diego.

Now that the additional funds have been granted, construction can move into the next stage, with conveyance of the property from the city to the developer expected in May.

For more information please contact Stephanie Thompson, (619) 840-7353.

In preparation for its biggest parade ever, San Diego Pride will present two free float-building workshops at 12:30 p.m. on May 8 and 7:00 p.m. June 10, at the Pride office, located at 1807 Robinson St., Suite 106.

Mark Van Milligan of Reliable Parade Floats and Consultants will conduct the workshops as he shares creative ideas for acquiring colorful materials and utilizing them to build eye-catching floats. This summer’s 30th annual Pride parade is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on July 31, beginning at University Avenue at Normal Street and heading west to Sixth Avenue and then south to Ivy Lane.

Those interested in attending the workshops are asked to RSVP in advance by calling the Pride office at (619) 297-7683.

San Diego LGBT Pride has also made available a “parade scholarship fund” to help nonprofit organizations create their floats for the July celebration. Awards range from $250 to $750 for groups with annual operating budgets of less than $50,000. Applicants must mail or drop off a written plan and proposed budget for their entries to the Pride office by May 10.

For more information call (619) 297-7683.