Ebony Pride San Diego hosts the second annual Ebby Awards on Saturday, June 12, at The Center from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. The Center is located at 3909 Centre St. Tickets are $35 for individuals, $60 for couples and $260 for tables of eight. The entire community is welcome to come join in the fun. Tickets may be purchased from any Ebony Pride member or through ebonypride.org.

One of the most important events the Hillcrest Youth Center sponsors each year is the “Other” Prom. Held in The Center's auditorium, the Other Prom is a unique opportunity for GLBT and questioning high school students and recent graduates to experience a prom where they are free to be themselves without fear of harassment or discrimination.

The event is organized by and for GLBT youth and will take place on Saturday, June 19. Many GLBT youth experience enormous isolation in high school, as most high school social events, such as homecoming and the prom, are based upon a presumption of heterosexuality. For GLBT youth, the Other Prom will be the first time that they can attend a formal event and dance with the partner of their choosing, whether that person is of the same or opposite sex.

This year, The Center is seeking donations to ensure that the Other Prom will continue to be a successful and memorable event for GLBT youth. To help make the Other Prom even more successful this year, consider making a donation by contacting Zac Mikles at (619) 692-2077, ext. 246.

A community meeting to discuss a controversial proposal to eliminate all parking along University Avenue from Park Boulevard to Boundary Street will take place at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, June 12, at Claire De Lune coffee shop, located at 2906 University Ave.

Discussions have been going on for two years, but most local businesses have only just learned of this proposal. The loss of parking along University Avenue is an attempt to ease traffic congestion in the area.

The meeting will include a discussion on how the lack of parking will affect businesses on University Avenue that have no rear loading or alley access, and how residents will be impacted by the extra parking outside their homes on the side streets. North Park business owners and residents are very concerned that this proposal will negatively impact both traffic and income to the area.

This will be the last public meeting on the issue. North Park business owners and residents are circulating flyers, signing a petition against this proposal and mounting a telephone and email campaign to Deputy Mayor Toni Atkins.

On Monday, June 28, the San Diego chapter of PFLAG will get ready for Pride with a viewing of the movie Queer Son by Vickie Seitchik. The film is a compelling portrait of parents coping with their children’s lesbian or gay sexual orientation. The parents and children interviewed each come from different social and ethnic backgrounds. Some of the parents accepted their children’s orientation easily; others had grief compound their ordeal.

For the parents of lesbian and gay children, Seitchik’s support and acceptance of her own “queer son” provide a deeply personal and moving backdrop to this important documentary. She invites viewers into the homes and lives of families of the GLBT community and reveals the personal and emotional journeys taken by parents towards unconditional love and acceptance.

The meeting will be held at the First Unitarian Universalist Church located at 4190 Front St. in Hillcrest. For more information, call the PFLAG helpline at (619) 579-7640.

POPplanet, a new video pop club, will have its grand opening on Tuesday, June 15, at Rich’s (1051 University Ave.) and will continue each Tuesday thereafter. This weekly event features DJ Ray Rhodes (Los Angeles), Boy University student body dancers and the biggest pop music videos from around the planet. Complemented by Rich’s large dance floor, video screens, pool tables, smoking patio and $2.75 well drink specials until 10:30 p.m., this is a totally new club experience awaiting patrons.

The grand opening night features Britney Spears videos with special guest host Angel Benton, star of the film Britney Baby, One More Time. POPplanet is a 21 and over event and is open from 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. For more information, call (619) 295-2195.

The Greater San Diego Business Association will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a mixer and audio-video historical presentation at 5:30 p.m., June 17, at Top of the Park, located at 525 Spruce St. in Hillcrest.

Since it was founded in 1979, the organization has become the third largest chamber in the country that is comprised of GLBT and gay-friendly business owners. Its membership includes more than 700 businesses, with about 28 percent of them identifying as non-gay.

The celebration includes an introduction of new GSDBA board members by Assemblymember Christine Kehoe, speaker pro tempore of the California State Assembly.

Tickets for the event are $10 at the door. For more information, call (619) 296-4543

In gearing up for its 30th anniversary, San Diego LGBT Pride will present keynote speaker Nadine Smith and a commemorative musical “drag tribute” at the Spirit of Stonewall rally, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., July 30, at the Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park.

Smith is the executive director for Equality Florida, a highly influential organization that provides information and training on fundraising strategies, policy drafting, youth support and interpretations of laws affecting the GLBT community. She is also a syndicated columnist for such publications as Essence and Self Esteem magazines, and was the first openly lesbian African-American to run for Tampa’s city council, for which she garnered 42 percent of the vote in her 1991 campaign.

The outdoor rally, which officially kicks off San Diego’s Pride weekend, will also feature a unique drag tribute with songs that frame the eras of the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and today. For more information, or to inquire about volunteer opportunities, call (619) 297-7683.

On Saturday, June 12, Cubs Club of California will be celebrating its one-year anniversary with a day of fun and frolic in San Diego. Cubs Club of California is a social/spiritual service club for Bearcubs and their admirers.

The day begins with a barbeque/beverage bust and “Erotic Carnival” at Pecs bar, located at 2046 University Ave., from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. The fun continues at Wolfs bar, located at 3404 30th St., from 9:00 to11:00 p.m., with a beverage bust, prize raffle and Wet Cub contest; all are invited to stay for Wolfs’ famous Backroom Night, beginning immediately afterward.

Proceeds benefit Cubs Club of California and San Diego Boys of Leather. For more information call (619) 281-1770.

Standup For Kids San Diego has announced the reopening of their outreach center at 1039 Park Blvd. following the completion of a major renovation by Design with a Purpose, a nonprofit group dedicated to improving the living environments of children in distress. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Friday, May 28, at the center, located at 1039 Park Blvd., with guest speaker Rick Koca, founder of Standup for Kids.

Standup For Kids is a national, nonprofit organization founded in 1990 to help rescue homeless and at-risk youth living on the streets. The intent and purpose of the all-volunteer San Diego outreach center is to provide a safe and protective environment for homeless and at-risk youth. They provide immediate necessities such as food, clothing and personal hygiene. Services offered include identification and education support, and referral services for jobs and community programs. In addition to the center services, the center supports a street outreach program that places volunteer counselors on the street, helping homeless and at-risk kids each weeknight.