Join the Gay & Lesbian Times and Rocket magazine for an evening of wine and hors d’oeuvres with Frank the wine guy on Monday, March 20, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Crush wine bar.

Let Frank Marquez, wine columnist for the Gay & Lesbian Times, and other industry experts teach you about the fine wines you’re drinking, and enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres provided by Crush – all to benefit the Youth Housing Project, a 23-unit transitional housing facility designed to stabilize lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and HIV-positive youth.

The Youth Housing Project is a collaborative of The Center, Walden Family Services, YMCA Youth and Family Services, Metropolitan Community Church of San Diego and Children’s Hospital Chadwick Center. The project aims to help GLBT, questioning and HIV-positive 18-24 year-old youth successfully transition from homelessness.

The facility has already opened its doors to these youth, and will officially open in spring.

All proceeds benefit the Youth Housing Project. Admission is a minimum donation of $30. The Imperial Court has signed on as a $500 sponsor of the event.

Crush is located at 530 University Ave. in Hillcrest.

Call (619) 331-7103 or e-mail editor@uptownpub.com for more information.

A fund-raiser for the B-Cause Breast Cancer Fund at the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation takes place at Hotel Solamar on Saturday, March 18, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. The evening includes dancing, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and prizes for the best wigs. Tickets are $65 per person in advance and $80 at the door. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Alex Sanchez at (619) 291-3383 or alex@sdhdf.org.

San Diego LGBT Pride has begun accepting nominations from the community for its annual Spirit of Stonewall Awards, which are designed to honor local individuals and organizations that have made a positive impact on San Diego’s GLBT community.

Awards will be presented during this year’s Pride week celebration, July 24-30. The awards mark the start of San Diego Pride’s 32nd annual celebration, which includes a rally, parade and festival under the theme “Equality! No Turning Back.”

The award categories are: Champion(s) of Pride – an individual or couple who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the GLBT community over an extended period of years, or who has made an exceptional contribution over the past year; Friend(s) of the Year – an individual or couple who does not identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, but who has stalwartly supported the GLBT community over an extended period of years or the past year; Stonewall Service Award – a group or organization, which may or may not identify as a GLBT member, which has greatly supported the community over a sustained period of time or the past year; Community Service – an individual or couple who is recognized as up-and-coming leaders within the GLBT community, or whose contributions to the community over the past year carried significant impact.

The office is also accepting written suggestions for prospective community grand marshals.

The nomination forms and instructions are available online at www.sdpride.org, by request via e-mail to info@sdpride.org or by visiting the Pride office, located at 1807 Robinson St., Suite 106. The deadline for submissions is March 31.

For more information about the nomination process or volunteer opportunities, call the Pride office at (619) 297-7683.

A new group for HIV-positive crystal methamphetamine users looking for a safe place to discuss issues and get information and support meets at Jewish Family Services on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. A healthy meal will be provided for participants a half hour before the group begins at 6:00 p.m. Jewish Family Services is located at 2700 Adams Ave. Call (619) 325-0522 ext. 102 to reserve a place in the group or for more information.

The fourth annual Women’s Lecture Series, a joint effort between The Center’s Women’s Resource Center and the San Diego State University Women’s Studies Department, begins Thursday, March 16.

The lecture series will take place at The Center, located at 3909 Centre St. All lectures will take place from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Tea and cookies will be provided.

The lineup for the Women’s Lecture Series is: Thursday, March 16, “What is the Lesbian Community? Did It Ever Exist, and How Can We Find One That Fits Our Needs?” presented by Dr. Esther Rothbum; Thursday, March 30, “Lesbian Athletes: Negotiating Homophobia in Sports,” presented by Dr. Susan Cayleff; Thursday, April 20, “Religion and Sexual Orientation,” presented by Dr. Oliva Espín; and Thursday, May 4, “From Invert to Butch: Sex, Gender and the Modern Lesbian,” presented by Dr. Bonnie Zimmerman.

For more information about the Women’s Lecture Series, contact Claudia Lucero at (619) 692-2077 ext. 206 or e-mail clucero@thecentersd.org.

The weekly Men’s Coming Out group at The Center, which meets Thursdays from 7:15 to 8:45 p.m., will feature San Diego psychotherapist Michael Kimmel as a guest lecturer on March 16.

Kimmel specializes in issues specific to the GLBT community, such as coming out, relationships and homophobia. One of the hardest parts of coming out, Kimmel said, is “internalized homophobia, because no matter who you are, we’ve been raised in a heterosexual society and the world isn’t supportive of you. So it’s easy, even if only subconsciously, to think, ‘There’s something wrong with me.’”

Kimmel is also the author of the Gay & Lesbian Times column “Life Beyond Therapy.”

At the March 16 meeting, Kimmel will discuss the use of therapy and how to pick a therapist, as well as when to use therapy and when to stop therapy.

The Men’s Coming Out Group is geared toward men who are in the process of coming out, and gives them the opportunity to be with others who are at similar stages in the coming out process. Group members discuss topics such as coming out to oneself, dealing with anti-gay sentiments at work, the stress on friendships after coming out, feelings of confusion, shame and guilt, and understanding sexual identity. The group also provides information about participating in local organizations and events, and information about gay-friendly hangouts, plays, clubs and activities.

The Center is located at 3909 Centre St. For further information, contact Kimmel at (619) 582-0771 or visit www.lifebeyondtherapy.com.

The San Diego Democratic Club is hosting the Upscale Yard Sale from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 11, at the Banker’s Hill home of attorney Bruce Abrams. The SDDC is using this opportunity to raise funds for GLBT-friendly candidates in upcoming state and local elections. The yard sale will feature quality art, antiques, vintage, retro and collectable items.

Donated items may be delivered to Abrams’ home on Friday, March 10. To obtain the address, for further information on the kind of items desired or to volunteer, contact Larry Baza at (858) 405-9903 or larrybaza@cox.net.

The Center will host “The Center: Growing with San Diego,” its first annual report on The Center’s progress toward meeting the needs of the increasingly diverse San Diego GLBT community, on Monday, March 20, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

“This first-of-its-kind meeting allows us to update our stakeholders about The Center’s efforts to reflect the wonderfully diverse community of San Diego in all aspects of its work,” said Joel Valenzuela, chair of the Ernest Green Diversity Council of The Center’s board of directors.

“We view this as a vitally important conversation that will allow us to examine the growth of our community and ensure that we continue to make progress toward representing and serving all of LGBT San Diego,” Valenzuela said.

The Center also provides stakeholders with graphic breakdowns of its demographics in its annual report, available online at www.thecentersd.org/donate.asp.

The fourth annual California Walk for Recovery takes place Sunday, March 26. The event is a 3-mile walk benefiting dozens of mental health organizations and alcohol and drug rehab programs throughout Southern California.

Sponsored by Mental Health Systems Inc., the walk route will include entertainment stops featuring cultural and traditional music, marching bands, rock climbing, cheerleaders, bagpipes, fiestas, dancers, clowns and more.

Live bands, a community resource fair, celebrities and noted community leaders will participate in the festival, and over 10,000 walkers of all ages are expected.

The walk begins at 8:00 a.m. at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Laurel Street. Adult registration is $25, and $15 for children. For more information or to register, call (858) 573-2600 or (866) 910-2600. Online registration is available at www.walkforrecovery.org and closes on March 17 at 9:00 a.m.