San Diego Pride has launched a monthly e-newsletter to provide Pride-goers with updated information on events and developments for the 2007 Pride celebration. The free newsletter, sent to subscribers via e-mail, can be obtained by signing up for it on the Pride Web site at www.sandiegopride.org.

The Pride Web site features an online survey that community members are encouraged to take. Organizers will be monitoring survey results throughout the Pride season in an effort to gain feedback and ideas for upcoming celebrations.

In addition to collecting feedback online, Pride will host an open house from 5:00–7:00 p.m. on Feb. 28 at the Pride office.

The event is an opportunity for the community to share its thoughts and learn more about the planning process for this year’s Pride celebration July 20-22.

Last year, Pride attracted 200,000 participants to the parade and two-day festival.

The Pride office is located at 1807 Robinson St., Suite 106.

For more information or to sign up to volunteer at this year’s Pride, visit www.sandiegopride.org.

The Center recently announced that Ben Gomez will join its board of directors. Gomez is the community relations director for San Diego News Group, Inc.

Gomez served in the U.S. Navy during Operation Desert Storm. He was also part of the United Nations’ humanitarian efforts during the Bosnian conflict. He is a member of the Stonewall Citizens Patrol, Momentum San Diego, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and American Veterans for Equal Rights.

“We are thrilled to have Ben Gomez join The Center’s board of directors,” said Todd Gloria, chair of the board. “Ben brings tremendous passion and energy to the fight for our full equality. We look forward to Ben’s contributions as we continue to work together to strengthen The Center.”

Gomez became a paralegal in 1998 and has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Diego. He lives in San Diego with his partner of 10 years, Jeffrey Redondo.

Stepping Stone of San Diego and the Human Dignity Foundation will present the Universal Rhythms event on Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park. Community members are invited to be part of an exclusive VIP party in the VIP lounge at 6:00 p.m. The Universal Rhythms event will follow at 7:00 p.m.

This year’s theme is “Strength Through Diversity: Laying a Foundation for a Healthy and Secure Tomorrow.”

Guests will have an opportunity to mix, mingle and eat, while listening to the sounds and rhythms of diverse cultures from around the world. Foods from a variety of cultures will be served, including Cajun Creole, Pacific Rim, Brazilian and Southwestern flavors.

Entertainment will be provided by The WorldBeat Cultural Center.

In addition, guests will enjoy live and silent auctions and be able to view the art at the museum while helping to make a difference in the lives of others.

Eric Collins and Maria Arcega-Dunn from Fox 6 News will serve as masters of ceremonies.

VIP tickets are available for $250 and general admission is $125. Tickets are available at the Universal Rhythms Web site.

For more information or to RSVP, call Jim Ginelli at (619) 278-0777 or visit www.universalrhythms.info.

The Center and the Imperial Court de San Diego are now accepting applications for the Nicole Murray-Ramirez LGBT Student Scholarship Fund.

The Nicole Murray-Ramirez LGBT Student Scholarship Fund was established in 1979 by the Imperial Court de San Diego to assist San Diego area LGBT students in achieving their educational goals. Named after longtime community activist and San Diego City Commissioner Nicole Murray-Ramirez, the fund is a project of the Imperial Court and is administered by The Center.

These scholarships are for LGBT students who have been accepted to or are matriculating at a post-secondary college, university or vocational institution within the state of California. Priority will be given to San Diego County residents and those with the greatest financial need.

Students interested in applying must complete an online application available at www.thecentersd.org and submit the required accompanying materials by March 15. Late materials cannot be accepted. Recipients will be notified by May 1.

For more information about the application process, contact Patrick Loose at (619) 692-2077 ext. 125 or via e-mail at ploose@thecentersd.org.

The theme of this year’s San Diego Leather Pride Week is “Together at Last,” beginning with kick-off event “All Club Night.” The kick-off event is set to take place on March 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Joyce Beers Community Center.

All Club Night is designed to offer organizations the opportunity to reach out to community members who are newer to or interested in becoming part of the leather/ BDSM/ kink/fetish communities.

Activities are designed to encourage an atmosphere of fun, excitement and camaraderie between the local area clubs and organizations. This includes the “Leather Olympics,” where clubs and organizations will field a team to compete for bragging rights and prizes. Club photos will be taken toward the end of the event.

Admission for the All Club Night is $3. All proceeds from the All Club Night will benefit Being Alive and the Tom of Finland Foundation.

The Joyce Beers Community Center is located at 1230 Cleveland Ave.

For more information, visit www.mrsandiegoleather.net.

The San Diego Center for Children (SDCC), the community’s oldest accredited nonprofit organization helping kids with issues succeed, will host the Walk for Kids on March 24 along De Anza Cove on Mission Bay. Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m., and the walk begins at 9:00 a.m.

SDCC offers one of the nation’s most comprehensive programs for kids with behavioral, emotional, social and educational issues.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Children’s Fund, which provides the resources that support nontraditional programs designed to help the children at the center develop a healthy sense of self-worth and provide hope for the future.

The distance for the walk is 5K (3.1 miles), beginning at De Anza Cove and continuing south to the Tecolote Shores North area, where walkers turn around and return to the starting point.

There is no registration fee to participate in the walk. Team captains who raise more than $1,000 are eligible for prizes. Individuals who raise more than $150 will receive a free T-shirt.

To register online or to make a donation, visit www.centerforchildren.org. For additional walk information or to become a sponsor or team captain, please call Steve Porter at (858) 277-9550 ext. 244.

The Greater San Diego Chapter (GSDC) of the Golden State Gay Rodeo Association (GSGRA) recently announced this year’s event will take place June 1-3. This year will mark the 19th Annual San Diego Rodeo to be held at the Lakeside Rodeo Grounds and the Four Points by Sheraton, San Diego.

The event, sanctioned by the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA), will be one of 18 gay rodeos scheduled for 2007 throughout the United States and Canada.

The primary objective of the GSDC is to promote the country-western lifestyle within the GLBT community, as well as support amateur sportsmanship through participation, competition and recognition. The nonprofit organization has given more than $178,000 back to the community through charitable contributions since 1988.

For more information about the GSDC, call (619) 298-4708 or visit www.sandiegorodeo.com.

San Diego Pride is accepting nominations for its Spirit of Stonewall Awards, which honors individuals and organizations that have made significant, positive impacts on San Diego’s GLBT community. The awards will be presented at a reception at the W Hotel on July 16 as part of this year’s Pride celebration.

Those submitting nominations should consider volunteers, employees, fund-raisers or organizations that support the GLBT community through their work or actions.

“They don’t have to be well-known names, but rather anyone who’s performed a service to the community that deserves recognition,” said Ron deHarte, executive director of San Diego Pride. “We rely on members and friends of the GLBT community to tell us about those unsung heroes working among us.”

The award categories are: Champion(s) of Pride, to be awarded to an individual or couple who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the GLBT community over an extended period of years or the past year; Friend(s) of the Year, to be awarded to 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, to be awarded to a group or organization, which may or may not identify as specifically GLBT, but which has greatly supported the community over an extended period of years or the past year; and Community Service, for an individual (or couple) recognized as an up-and-coming leader within the community, or whose contributions to the community over the past year carried a significant impact.

Submission forms are available on the Pride Web site and at the Pride office, located at 1807 Robinson St., Suite 106. The deadline for turning in nominations is March 2. For more information, call (619) 297-7683 or log on to www.sdpride.org.