Lambda Archives of San Diego, one of a handful of GLBT archives in the United States, is launching a $10,000 matching grant campaign to build up the organization’s permanent endowment fund. A longtime major donor stepped forward to make this possible. All funds raised in support of the permanent endowment fund will be matched dollar for dollar. Lambda Archives of San Diego is the one of the few institutions in the country to document, preserve and teach GLBT history. To contribute to the matching fund, send a check or money order to: Lambda Archives of San Diego, P.O. Box 40389, San Diego, CA 92164-0389.

Citizens are needed to serve as poll workers in the city of San Diego’s special municipal election taking place on Tuesday, July 26, 2005.

“It is a big election being held at an unusual time of year,” said Haas. “Recruitment has been a challenge, and we will need more than 3,000 citizens to serve the city’s 713 polling locations on Election Day, July 26.”

Poll workers receive between $60 and $100 for their day of service, depending upon the job they are assigned at the voting location. Bilingual poll workers receive an added $5.

“Also, I would like to make a special request for citizens willing to serve who are bilingual in Spanish, Filipino or Vietnamese languages,“ said Haas. He said the county provides voting materials and language-assistance in all three of these languages.

Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and workers are expected to serve the entire day.

“It can be a long day, but a rewarding one,” said Haas. “It’s a great way to get involved, meet the neighbors and provide a very real – and very appreciated – service to the community.”

For details, contact the Registrar of Voters office Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at (858) 565-5800, or after office hours at (858) 694-3462 or (858) 694-3458.

A service in memory of lesbian activist and Democratic Party leader Jean O'Leary will be held on Sunday, July 24, at 3:00 p.m. On June 4, O’Leary died at the San Clemente home of Lisa Phelps, her partner of 12 years. She had been battling lung cancer for the last two years.

The service is open to the public and will take place at the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center at The Village, which is located at Renberg Theater, 1125 N. McCadden Place in Los Angeles. The Village is located one block east of Highland Avenue and a half block north of Santa Monica Boulevard. For further directions, call the The Village at (323) 860-7302.

The Greater San Diego Business Association (GSDBA) will hold its annual Rainbow Pride mixer from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 28, at Bourbon Street, located at 4612 Park Blvd. Considered among the most popular mixers of the year, this year’s event is sponsored by Michael Mack of Bourbon Street, and will include hors d’oeuvres provided by The Abbey, Arrivederci and Festival of Fun Food. Door prizes and live entertainment by Ashley Matte will also be featured.

Admission to the mixer is $5 for members and $7 for guests, which includes the first drink free. For more information, call the GSDBA office at (619) 296-4543.

In addition to an action-packed weekend presented by San Diego LGBT Pride on July 29-31, a series of pre-events will round out this year’s 31st annual celebration that includes theater performances, a Pride concert and a “fun run.”

The Diversionary Theatre’s ongoing Confessions of a Mormon Boy, which runs Thursdays to Sundays through Aug. 21, gives audiences a solo performance written by ex-Mormon Steven Fales. The touring production frames a gay man’s failed attempt to overcome his same-sex attraction through reparative therapy before finding himself excommunicated by the church upon coming out. Pride-goers receive $2 off the regular ticket price when presenting their festival ticket stubs at the box office. For a list of showtimes, call the theater at (619) 220-6830.

A powerful five-group concert entitled “Imagine” is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on July 28 at the University Christian Church, located at 3909 Cleveland Ave. The concert will feature the San Diego Men’s Chorus, the Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego, the San Diego Women’s Chorus, In a Chord and the Hillcrest Wind Ensemble, all of which will perform separately and then together. The cost is $10. Tickets are available at the door or through any of the performing groups.

The annual “Run and Stride With Pride,” presented by Front Runners & Walkers of San Diego, will kick off at 7:30 a.m., July 30, at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Laurel Street in Balboa Park. Participants of all ages can take part in a “fast” and “flat” 5K run, or a non-competitive 1.5-mile walk.

For more information about pre-Pride events, call the Pride office at (619) 297-7683.

Join Henry’s Farmers Markets for their third annual countywide summer food drive. From July 18 to Aug. 14, residents are encouraged to drop off canned food items at participating Henry’s Farmers Markets. Residents who donate 10 or more items will receive a $10-off coupon good toward admission to Legoland. All collected food will benefit the San Diego Food Bank, a program of the Neighborhood House Association.

“Since school is out, many San Diego County children face a special need with the end of school breakfast and lunch programs,” said Jennifer Ames, food drive coordinator at the San Diego Food Bank. “The Henry’s Farmers Market summer food drive will help the Food Bank collect additional food needed during the critical months ahead.”

All types of canned food items are needed. However, the most requested are canned meats such as tuna, chicken and stew, canned fruits and vegetables, chili and soup. In addition, non-food items such as paper goods, toothpaste, shampoo and deodorant are also needed.

For more information on the Henry’s Farmers Markets summer food drive or the San Diego Food Bank, call toll-free (866) 350-FOOD.

The San Diego American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) Chapter and the San Diego Gay Rodeo Association (GSGRA) are the official flag contingent at the San Diego LGBT Pride parade on Saturday, July 30. Both organizations need volunteers to help carry the 50 state flags and the Armed Forces flags.

In addition to carrying the flags, the San Diego AVER chapter is launching the “I Proudly Served” campaign in response to the fact that the Pentagon cannot meet their recruitment quotas yet are still discharging three to four gay and lesbian service members a day. All AVER members and their veteran guests are welcome to join the AVER chapter along the parade route, carrying signs saying what branch of service they served in and what campaigns and wars they were a part of. For example, “I Proudly Served in the U.S. Army, Vietnam War” or “I Proudly Served in the U.S. Marine Corps, Operation Desert Storm.”

To avoid any hardship from their military superiors and risks to their military career, AVER discourages active duty military personnel from joining them along the parade route. If active service members do choose to participate, AVER suggests that they contact Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) for guidance on such participation.

“The purpose of this campaign is to demonstrate that members of the LGBT community served their country and were proud of it. Now that we are out of the military, we have a strong voice for those serving in silence,” said AVER Chapter President Ben Gomez.

The AVER chapter will have a special potluck meeting July 27 at 7:00 p.m. to prepare the signs for the parade. Meeting location is to be determined; chapter members will be informed one week prior to the meeting.

For more information, contact Ben Gomez at (619) 459-1019.