The California Democratic Party unanimously approved a resolution supporting civil marriage for all couples regardless of gender on April 17 during their annual convention, held in Los Angeles this year, which drew over 2,000 delegates and party leaders.

“Civil marriage is a legal institution recognized by the state in order to promote stable relationships … but the gender-specific definition of marriage that the Legislature previously adopted specifically discriminates in favor of different-sex couples and, consequently, discriminates against same-sex couples,” the resolution reads. “The California Democratic Party supports equality under the law regardless of the gender or sexual orientation of the partners … our Party must support efforts to end the pernicious practice of marriage discrimination in California while upholding guarantees of the First Amendment and of Section 4 of Article 1 of the California Constitution to free exercise of religion and enjoyment of religion without discrimination or preference … Therefore be it further resolved that the California Democratic Party supports public policies guaranteeing civil marriage equality for all people who choose to make a marriage commitment as a couple with full rights, responsibilities, privileges and protections that are conveyed by full legal marital status within the marriage license requirements.”

California is the fourth state in which Democrats have officially called for marriage equality. Massachusetts, New York and Washington Democrats have adopted similar resolutions.

The fifth anniversary of the Tijuana police raid on Sam Warren’s Villa Playas bed and breakfast, in which eight men were arrested and imprisoned on trumped-up charges after police seized pornographic videos and photographs of nude men, takes place at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 24, at Casa Machado Mexican Bar & Grill, located at 3750 John J. Montgomery Dr. The event will feature a book signing by Sam Warren, who wrote Tales from Tijuana Jails, and guest speakers, including human rights activist Emilio Velàsques and Mexican attorney Francisco Bazàn.

Admission is $25. All proceeds go towards attorney fees to release Richard Wilson, the last of the group still imprisoned in Mexico. Call (619) 531-0765 to RSVP and obtain further information.

The next San Diego PFLAG meeting takes place Monday, April 25, at 7:00 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 4190 Front St. in Hillcrest.

The San Diego meeting will consist of support groups followed by a cookie social. George (Jorge) Carnes, an administrative account representative for Kaiser in Southern California and a Pride co-chair, will speak following the cookie social.

His talk, “Being Jorge,” will center on his experience of coming out at 19, and his young adult life afterwards. Carnes was born in Managua, Nicaragua, and grew up with his mother and two older brothers.

The next Carlsbad PFLAG meeting takes place at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, April 24, at Pilgrim United Church of Christ/Pilgrim Hall, located at 2020 Chestnut St. Carlsbad PFLAG meetings are always held on the fourth Sunday of the month.

Call PFLAG’s San Diego office at (619) 579-7640 for more information.

A Cinco de Mayo fiesta and the annual Mr., Miss & Ms Cinco De Mayo contest to benefit the Imperial Court’s Tijuana AIDS Fund takes place Saturday, April 30, at The Hole, located 2828 Lytton Ave.

This event features a traditional Mexican buffet starting at 6:00 p.m., and includes enchiladas, fajitas, rice and beans, and desserts. The show and contest begins at 7:30 p.m., with special guest emcees, and includes entertainment, an auction and a raffle.

Cinco De Mayo 2005 is presented by Emperor Carlos Silva and friends in conjunction with the 33rd reign of the Imperial Court de San Diego, to benefit the Tijuana AIDS Fund. A $10 contribution is requested at the door.

For more information, contact Paloma Ole at (619) 280-8773 or Carlos Silva at (619) 692-9076.

The Transgender Community Coalition will host its second annual Transgender Day of Empowerment on Saturday, April 30, at 6:00 p.m. at The Center.

The event is designed to bring together transgender and allied communities in an effort to foster increased support, respect and empowerment within San Diego.

Transgender Day of Empowerment will feature two keynote speakers, Valerie Spencer and Chris Daley. Spencer is a well-known transgender empowerment activist and longtime member of the Unity Fellowship Movement. Daley is a non-transgender gay man with experience providing direct legal services, analyzing policy and preparing high-impact litigation related to the transgender community.

The Transgender Day of Empowerment event will also include musical entertainment, presentations of several community service awards and a resource table providing information on services available to the transgender community of San Diego. The evening is sponsored by The Center and Family Health Centers of San Diego.

This year’s evening-long event will take place at The Center. Admission is free and refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact AJ Davis at (619) 692-2077 ext. 212 or adavis@thecentersd.org.

Ben Vereen, the Tony and Emmy award-winning star of the TV miniseries “Roots,” will perform a benefit concert in San Diego on Sunday, May 1, at 5:00 p.m. to celebrate 35 years of the local organization San Diego Youth & Community Services (SDYCS).

San Diego Youth & Community Services is a nationally recognized, comprehensive nonprofit organization that has helped stabilize the lives of more than a half-million San Diegans and their families since 1970. They administer 15 different programs from 11 centers located throughout San Diego County.

The opening act for Vereen will be the SDYCS dance troupe known as ELEVATE. The troupe is comprised of high school students who participate in the organization’s NFL Youth Education Town Program in City Heights. Tickets are $150 for a cocktail reception with show and dinner, and $200 for a cocktail cruise reception with Vereen.

Contact Tom Brown of Production and Celebrity Entertainment at (619) 295-8822 or tebrown101@aol.com for more information.

On Friday, May 6, Mama’s Kitchen teams up with 65 of San Diego’s finest restaurants for Mama’s Day 2005 “Mama Goes Wild.” The 14th annual celebration will feature entertainment, a silent auction and an Absolut martini bar. This year, dozens of San Diego’s most well-known celebrity chefs will provide guests with a culinary adventure, showcasing their most popular and lavish specialties to help support Mama’s mission: providing food and nutrition to people affected by HIV/AIDS throughout San Diego County.

It is estimated that in San Diego County alone over 5,400 individuals and families are struggling to survive with AIDS, and an estimated 15,000 people are infected with HIV.

Mama’s Kitchen was founded in 1990 when volunteers from the AIDS Assistance Fund, a food bank for people with AIDS, discovered that many of their clients were becoming too ill to take care of themselves. They realized that a reliable home meal-delivery service was needed to ensure that these individuals would continue to receive nutritious food. Today, Mama’s Kitchen prepares and delivers three meals a day every day of the week to about 300 men, women and children affected by AIDS in San Diego County.

Mama’s Day 2005 is set to draw close to 1,000 people, making it the biggest Mama’s Day event that the nonprofit organization has ever put on.

Mama’s Day 2005 begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla. Tickets are $125, with all proceeds benefiting Mama’s Kitchen. For further information or to purchase tickets, call Richard De Lancey at (619) 233-6262 ext 104.

“Cherchez Les Femmes: Monte Carlo,” The Center’s third annual Women’s Night fundraiser benefiting women’s programming at The Center, takes place Saturday, May 7, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the historic El Cortez Hotel, located at 702 Ash St. in downtown San Diego.

The French Riviera-inspired evening will feature gambling, French cuisine and drink stations, and live entertainment and dancing courtesy of Haute Chile. Awards honoring local women who have made a difference will also be presented.

Tickets are $125 each, or $250 VIP. Monte Carlo VIP tables are available for $1,500.

For more information about the event or to nominate San Diego women who have contributed to the betterment of the GLBT community, contact Summer Morse at (619) 692-2077 ext. 247 or email her at smorse@thecentersd.org.