PFLAG hosts an evening of sharing with friends in a relaxed holiday atmosphere on Monday, Dec. 27, at 7:00 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 4190 Front St. December is a time to celebrate the holidays with family and loved ones – an appropriate time to share about accomplishments and achievements, the good things that happened and being there for those who need PFLAG’s support.

Though there is no featured speaker this month, there will be a brief annual meeting followed by support groups. Join them for fun, friendship and special holiday treats. All are welcome. Doors open 6:45 p.m.

Parking is free. Place a dated parking pass on your dashboard. Passes are available at PFLAG meetings, or you can request an email copy ahead of time from harwoodsd@sbcglobal.net.

The Center’s Women’s Resource Center is looking for volunteers to help with various aspects of running and shaping the programs, including clerical and reception duties, and dance, fitness and arts/crafts instructors. If you’re handy with a computer and don’t mind research and data entry, volunteers are needed for miscellaneous administrative duties, as is anyone available to fill desk reception shifts; hours for both are flexible. If you’re good at arts and crafts, a talented dancer or educated in fitness, contact the resource center about being a class instructor. The resource center is looking to start workshops and regular classes in a variety of disciplines, including woodwork, knitting, wire art, sculpture, clay play, yoga, kickboxing, pilates, martial arts and dance. Contact Claudia Lucero at (619) 692-2077 ext. 206 or clucero@thecentersd.org.

A GLBT Latino/youth of color discussion and action group takes place at the Voz Alta space from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The gathering, which takes place the second and fourth Monday of every month, is called Arco Iris Lounge, and welcomes youth 24 and under and their friends and family to mingle and network. The next meeting takes place Monday, Dec. 27. Voz Alta is located at 1544 Broadway. Call (619) 230-1869 for more information.

HIV-positive youth are encouraged to attend the 12th annual Ryan White National Youth Conference on HIV and AIDS (RWNYC) in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 19-21. RWNYC is the only national conference dedicated to building the HIV prevention and advocacy skills of young people living with HIV, peer educators and activists, as well as adults who work in support of young people. Conference participants will attend workshops highlighting programs and intervention, providing comprehensive, youth appropriate services for those at risk for HIV and for those who are living with it. RWNYC is an opportunity to learn about what works, share challenges and successes, and network with others who seek to end the AIDS crisis for America’s youth.

The Positive Youth Institute is a daylong conference for HIV-positive youth on Feb. 18, the day before the conference begins. The institute is led by HIV-positive staff from the National Association of People with AIDS and is designed to build leadership and advocacy skills among young people living with HIV. The goals of the institute are to build a sense of self-awareness, to foster a connection with other HIV-positive young people and to lessen the feelings of isolation. There are no additional fees for RWNYC participants who attend the Positive Youth Institute. For more information, call (202) 898-0414.

Linda Martinez, 50, a registered nurse with a master’s degree in counseling, has launched a rare healthcare survey of aging lesbians. The survey, part of her current master’s thesis in a nurse practitioner’s program, runs through December.

Few healthcare studies of older lesbians exist because they remain one of the most closeted groups of individuals, according to some reports. The largest study to date of lesbians and women over 45 was conducted with only 100 women over the age of 60 in 1986.

Martinez hopes to exceed the number in the 1986 survey and create a larger study of aging lesbian healthcare needs with the help of community groups, encouraging open attitudes and by using the Internet as part of the academic research.

Surveys are anonymous. For more information, call (770) 953-3154 or send for a survey copy: ASU Department of Nursing, Attn: Dr. Marianne McCarthy (women’s survey), P.O. Box 872602. Tempe, AZ 85287. You will not be asked to identify yourself.

The Sea Breeze Rainbow Deaf Society of San Diego is hosting a New Year’s Eve party Friday, Dec. 31, from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. at the Inn Suites/LaFayette Suite Hotel, located at 2250 El Cajon Blvd. Semi-formal dress is required. There will be a buffet-style dinner, dancing and a DJ. Tickets are $60 at the door. Email SBRDSSanDiego04@aol.com for further information.

Over 15,000 people are expected to attend the seventh annual San Diego Multicultural Festival taking place Saturday, Jan. 15, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. along the Martin Luther King Promenade in downtown San Diego’s marina – across from the San Diego Convention Center, and around Fourth Avenue and Market Street on Harbor Drive.

Conceived of by the Centre City Development Corporation, the festival features a variety of ethnic food, merchandise and community information booths; two stages of multicultural performances and entertainment; an artist’s circle and a children’s area with free hands-on activities. The aim of the festival is to bring together people and ideas from all different cultures and corners of the globe to celebrate and learn from their differences.

Admission is free. Contact Jacki Taylor at (619) 533-7145 or via email at taylor@ccdc.com.

A Cal State University San Bernardino master’s study seeks to understand how gay and lesbian parents are treated and perceived in their children’s schools. Gay and lesbian parents are still needed for the research study, which is anonymous. The study aims to understand the complexities that gays and lesbians experience as parents with children in the public or private school systems and to explore areas in which the current system does not meet their unique needs. The more responses they get, the better the data will be and the better the study can draw conclusions on how best to improve conditions for gay and lesbian parents.

Link to the brief online questionnaire via San Diego News Briefs at www.gaylesbiantimes.com, or call Dr. Brian Heisterkamp at (909) 880-7665.

If you’ve been keeping an eye out for information about a San Diego Women’s Chorus concert and have come up empty-handed, don’t fret. The Women’s Chorus is hard at work preparing for their upcoming February concert, with special guests the Black Storytellers of San Diego. The performers present “Women Rising: Our Legacy Through Story and Song” at The Center on Feb. 26 at 2:00 p.m. in celebration of Black History and Women’s History months. Mark your calendars now and look for additional details in the next few weeks about this exciting concert celebrating Women’s History and Black History months. For more information, call (619) 381-9966.

The Center’s Positive Action program offers a writing group for HIV-positive men, led by Fergal O’Doherty, who taught a series of creative writing workshops for people with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles from 1996 to 2004, and is currently a professor of English at Palomar College in San Diego. No formal writing experience is necessary. The next meeting takes place Friday, Jan. 7, at The Center at 11:00 a.m. Call (619) 692-2077 for more information.