San Diego Feeling Good is celebrating 20 years of dedication to enhancing the sobriety of the GLBT community, their families and friends. The annual roundup, taking place Sept. 3-5 at the Handlery Hotel and Resort in Mission Valley, features out of state speakers from the recovery community. This year’s theme is “Keep It Simple”.

Events at SDFG kick off on Friday, Sept. 3, at 3:00 p.m. with meetings, workshops and entertainment scheduled throughout the weekend. Workshops and meetings will cover a range of recovery-related topics that are of interest to newcomers as well as old-timers. Items on this year’s program include annual favorites such as the Men’s Workshop, Women’s Workshop, Traditions Workshop, Relationships Workshop, Step Meetings, Sponsorship, Financial Matters, a “God-Box” workshop and many others.

For more information or to register, contact SDFG by email at info@feelinggood.org.

Stepping Stone of San Diego’s Positive Support Services and The Center’s Positive Action program announce the formation of a new group for HIV-positive men. The “HIV and Spirituality” group offers participants a chance to explore their spirituality by learning about many different belief systems and types of spiritual practices. Group meetings will take place at The Center every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.

Thomas “X-Ray” Robinson and Dr. Gabriel Estrada will facilitate the group. Robinson, a certified addiction specialist, is a member at Midtown Church of Religious Science, and is an ordained minister with expertise in African-American and African spiritual traditions.

The group operates on a drop-in basis, so pre-registration is not necessary. Interested individuals are encouraged to attend a meeting or call Carolyn Hunt at The Center, at (619) 692-2077 ext. 133, or Chris Thomas at Stepping Stone, at (619) 521-1356 ext. 100.

Family Health Centers of San Diego’s Gay Men’s Health Program presents this month’s “5 Minute Man” on Sunday, Sept. 5. The event is designed to be a fun, free, safe and entertaining way to increase your social circle. It takes place at the Joyce Beers Community Center from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Call (619) 515-2424 ext. 2912 for further information.

In aChord begins its fifth season with open rehearsals on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at University Christian Church, 3900 Cleveland Ave. in Hillcrest from 7:00 to 9:30 pm. Singers with an interest in auditioning are encouraged to attend. The men’s ensemble sings a repertoire of jazz and pop, with approximately 16 members under the artistic direction of Kenny Ard. For more information, call (619) 501-1071.

The Peace and Democracy Action Group of the First United Universalist Church present an evening with special guest speaker Ann Fagan Ginger on Tuesday, Sept. 21, at 7:00 p.m.

The broadest coverage of human rights violations ever attempted appears as a new book, Challenging U.S. Human Rights Violations Since 9/11 in March 2005, published by Prometheus Books.

Ginger is a nationally known lawyer, teacher, writer and political activist. Author of numerous books and articles, she lectures widely on civil liberties and peace law under the statutes of the U.S. and the U.N.

The discussion takes place in Bard Hall at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego, located at 4190 Front St.

Family Health Centers of San Diego’s Gay Men’s Health Program is holding its fifth Gay Men’s Relationship and Empowerment Retreat Sept. 10-12 in Julian. Participants will get a chance to address relationship issues important to gay men in a safe and supportive environment. One of the goals of this retreat is to allow individuals to learn from each other’s past experiences and break down some of the stereotypes associated with gay relationships. Another goal is to provide an environment that will allow gay men to implement positive change in their community through empowerment. This is a free event; food and lodging will be provided.

Call (619) 515-2424 ext. 2912 for more information.

Equality California (EQCA) invites the entire community to help with their new Family Media Project. EQCA is seeking out families to participate in creating a booklet of stories explaining why marriage access is important to kids. The stories will be shared with the public, elected officials and other fair-minded, non-gay people. EQCA is asking families and children to send letters explaining what children of gay parents have said about the issue of same-sex marriage, including testimonials and drawings that depict the real life struggles and joy of their families.

Along with any poems, letters and drawings, EQCA is asking for a picture of the family to be included. For more information, contact Marina Gatto, intern coordinator for the EQCA Family Media Project, at marina@eqca.org.

In an effort to offer better healthcare to the San Diego community, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine is opening a low-cost community acupuncture clinic Sept. 9.The community clinic will conduct treatments in a group setting and will focus on specific disorders, such as back pain, headache and asthma. The community clinic will be available to local businesses, employees of local companies and those who have few affordable health resources available to them.

The community acupuncture clinic will take place every Thursday from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the college’s Mission Valley campus. The cost for appointments will be approximately $15 per treatment.

For more information about Pacific College’s new clinic or to make an appointment, call (619) 574-6932.

The Center’s Positive Action program has formed a writing group for HIV-positive men, beginning Friday, Sept. 3. No formal writing experience necessary. The group meets at The Center on Fridays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and operates on a drop-in basis, so there’s no need to reserve a space.

Fergal O’Doherty, a professor of English at Palomar College, will lead the workshop. O’Doherty taught a series of creative writing workshops for people with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles from 1996 to 2004, and received his doctorate in literature from the City University of New York Graduate Center in 1995.

Call Carolyn Hunt at the Positive Action office at (619) 692-2077 ext. 133 for more information.

Family Health Centers of San Diego’s Transgender Health Project is researching the needs of the San Diego County transgender community. Funded by The California Endowment, the project is currently conducting a comprehensive needs assessment to document the specific needs of this community. The results of the project will culminate in the San Diego Transgender Healthcare Needs Report. Many transgender people live below poverty level with yearly incomes less than $10,000. Additionally, many health and social service agencies lack the training and experience to meet the specific needs of this population. The needs assessment acts as a blueprint for developing much-needed services. All individuals who identify on the transgender continuum are asked to participate in the needs assessment by contacting Tracie Jada O’Brien at the (619) 515-2411 or tracieo@fhcsd.org. There is an incentive for all who participate.