May 21 through the 23 marks the fourth anniversary of the S.D. boys of Leather Club’s annual San Diego Leather Daddy and boy contest. The S.D. boys of Leather are still looking for contestants and it is open to all Daddies and boys.

The weekend kicks off with a meet and greet at the San Diego Eagle at 7:30 p.m. Contestants and judges will meet and socialize at San Diego’s premiere leather bar located at 3040 North Park Way. The San Diego Leather Daddy and boy Contest will be held at Pecs on Saturday, May 22, at 4:30 pm. There will be auctions, entertainment and some great fun. Pecs is located at 2046 University Ave.

For more information about the contest and all of the weekend’s events, call (619) 364-6845.

Learn how to be healthy at the 2004 City Heights International Village Celebration Community Health Fair. The health fair, which takes place on Saturday, June 5, as part of the 2004 City Heights International Village Celebration (IVC), will feature free screenings and representatives from local health services organizations. The IVC also features four stages of live multicultural entertainment and vendors selling merchandise and international food. For more information, contact Victor Payan at (619) 584-1535 ext. 114. The IVC takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on University Avenue between Fairmount and Euclid. Admission is free.

May 17 will mark a historic first for the GLBT community. Massachusetts will begin to issue marriage license applications to same-sex couples on that day, and The Center is going to celebrate.

This national victory for equality comes on the heels of a tremendous win here at home. After five years of litigation, led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of San Diego & Imperial Counties, a federal district court ruled against the Boy Scouts on all issues regarding their preferential lease with the City of San Diego – a critically important victory for all fair-minded San Diegans.

To celebrate progress – both nationally and locally – The Center invites everyone to join them for a grand victory celebration on Monday, May 17, at 7:00 p.m. at The Center, 3909 Centre St. This wedding-like reception will be complete with appetizers, wedding cake, champagne, music and merriment.

While there is still a tremendous amount of work to do to secure equality for GLBT Americans, these two wins – one in Massachusetts and one here in San Diego – are the realization of years of work. These gains are historic ones, and deserve to be celebrated. The Center is proud to host this community-wide celebration and urges everyone to join them.

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

San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride has named its grand marshal for this summer’s 30th anniversary Pride parade. Heading the mile-long parade at 11:00 a.m., July 31, will be Nicole Murray-Ramirez, who brings to the celebration as grand marshal a career in social activism, fundraising and politics spanning more than 35 years. Also a longtime newspaper columnist who writes for the Gay & Lesbian Times, Murray-Ramirez participated in San Diego’s earliest Pride marches and was among a handful of activists who took to the microphones at San Diego Pride rallies throughout the 1970s.

Murray-Ramirez currently chairs the Chief of Police Advisory Board and is president of the International Imperial Court System, which consists of 70 chapters throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. In addition to serving on myriad state and national boards, Mayor Dick Murphy recently appointed Murray-Ramirez city commissioner, and he was the first San Diegan elected to chair the board for Equality California. He remains a powerful fundraiser for gay-friendly politicians and social organizations.

The North Park Spring Festival, set for Sunday, May 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on University Avenue from 30th to 32nd streets, is an annual celebration of arts, culture, dance and entertainment that attracts over 30,000 people to the historic heart of the North Park community. This free event features five stages of entertainment ranging from cultural and theater dance groups to visual artists, comedy, world music and local talent.

In addition, the event features more than 150 booths and produces an Art Village, an interactive community of artisans displaying and creating works of art, and a unique children’s area where kids engage in interactive arts activities. Taking place each May, the festival showcases the diversity of the neighborhood through a variety of arts presentations and demonstrations.

On Sunday, May 16, The Center will host the first annual GLBT Latin Awards recognizing outstanding contributions from members of San Diego’s Latino GLBT community. The beneficiaries of the event include Bienestar Human Services and the Azteca Project. The show starts at 6:00 p.m. and tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Seating is open, but VIP tables of 10 can be purchased for $125. For more information contact Rafael Holguin at (619) 523-9500, ext. 22 or Carolina Ramos at (619) 295-2192.

The San Diego Human Dignity Foundation presents their 2004 Gala, “Springtime in the Park: The Musical” on Saturday, May 15, at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Experience music and theatrics from some of Broadway’s most popular film and stage productions.

Tickets for this night of music, fun, food and fantasy are now available. General admission to the main event, which starts at 7:30 p.m., is $135. VIP tickets that include a rooftop reception starting at 6:30 p.m. are $250. To purchase tickets or to donate an item for the silent auction, call the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation at (619) 236-1257.

Fern Street Circus promises to whisk you away like the White Rabbit on a delightful adventure as they present their 14th annual show in Balboa Park, Alice In Circusland, for 12 performances only, Friday, May 21, through Sunday, May 30. Fern Street’s new artistic director, Cheryl Lindley, has combined San Diego’s own circus with the whimsy of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale of a young girl exploring a world filled with never-ending surprises, to create a topsy-turvy world familiar from all our childhoods, made enchantingly visual and physically challenging.

Alice In Circusland features multiple aerial artists, comedy, balancing and a magic act. Returning favorites are juggling, tumbling, hula hoop, contortion, twirl sport/knife spinning and clowns, clowns, clowns. A perfect day for the entire family!

The opening night gala is on Friday, May 21, at 6:00 p.m. with the performance at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children and are available at the door. For information and a complete schedule of show times, call (619) 235-9756.