Brief and concise coverage of local, regional, and national news that impacts the lives of the southern California LGBTQIA community.
By LGBTQ San Diego County News Staff
CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH FRIIDAE
In recognition of Black History Month, the City of San Diego Public Library (SDPL) is offering a variety of programs throughout the month, including a “Black History Pride Storytime” event at the Skyline Hills Library.
Featuring local drag persona Friidae, the hour-long storytime will take place at 10:30 am, Saturday, Feb. 17, in the Children’s Nook at Skyline Hills Library.
According to the Library’s website, “Pride Storytime is a family-friendly way of recognizing and celebrating our diversity and individuality through age-appropriate stories and songs. This is a safe space, all families are welcome.”
Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary age children are all encouraged to attend with their families and the programming is classified as (part of Black History) celebration month, community engagement, cultural appreciation, educational and LGBTQIA+.
Skyline Hills Library is located at 7900 Paradise Valley Road.
Other SDPL Black History Month offerings
Black Com!x Day, Feb 3-4, at the World Beat Center, Balboa Park; Martin Luther King Community Choir performance, Feb 10, Rancho San Diego Library; Exploring Identity, Love and Being Black in America in Fiction Writing, with Jason Mott, this is a virtual event, Feb 20; Fearing the Black Body author talk with Sabrina Strings, Feb 25, at the SD Central Library; Afro-Mexicanos: Mexico Finally Recognizes its Black Citizens, at the World Beat Center, Feb 26; a Wikipedia edit-a-thon for Black History Month, at SD Central Library, Feb. 16; many craft events, including paper crafts, mask and quilt making, and much much more.
For a complete list and detailed descriptions of all of San Diego Public Library’s Black History Month programming, visit bit.ly/3Spg5iO.
FIRST ‘CLEAN UP & COCKTAILS’ A GREAT SUCCESS
Nearly 70 community members came together on the cold morning of Saturday, Jan. 20, for the first “Hillcrest Cleanup & Cocktails” event. Co-sponsored by @HillcrestSanDiego, the Kiwanis Club of Hillcrest All-Inclusive, the Hillcrest Business Association, and Urban MO’s, the event was organized to bring community members together to serve the community, while making the neighborhood look a bit better in the process.
Participating volunteers reported coming from not only Hillcrest, but also as far south as San Ysidro, and as far north as Oceanside, with many saying they care about the neighborhood even though they don’t reside there.
During the cleanup, a dozen of the volunteers headed over to Florence Elementary School to assist the kindergarten teachers clean out two sheds and prepare a weeded-over garden for use by the students to create a community garden. The Kiwanis Club of Hillcrest All-Inclusive recently formed a partnership with Florence and will continue to provide cleanup support at future events, and is also developing a program to provide needed supplies and books for the school.
The Hillcrest Business Association provided use of their utility truck and dumpsters, as over 50 bags of trash and recyclables were collected by volunteers. Following the cleanup, all volunteers were invited to Urban MO’s for light bites and the first round of drinks provided by the bar.
Hillcrest Cleanup & Cocktails events will be hosted each quarter of this year, with the next one scheduled for Saturday, April 20. The April cleanup will be in conjunction with I Love A Clean San Diego’s Creek to Bay Cleanup scheduled for the same day. Volunteers will gather at the Hillcrest sign starting at 9 a.m. Urban MO’s has agreed to sponsor the “cocktails” portion of the event throughout the year.
Additional cleanups will be scheduled for August and December. More information can be found on Instagram at @HillcrestSanDiego or the “Clean Up Hillcrest” group on Facebook.
DRAG YOUR VALENTINE OUT
Bring your loved one to an independent drag show this Valentine’s season, when the San Diego Golden Girls perform at The Merrow on Saturday, Feb. 10. Seating begins at 5:30 pm and the performance starts at 6:30 pm.
The San Diego Golden Girls is a group of drag entertainers featuring cast members over the age of 50. The main cast includes Jade, Ajax, Norma, Stephanie, Amber and Aiesha.
“Our mission is to keep the golden age of drag alive,” Jade told LGBTQ San Diego County News. “Our ‘old school’ type of show has caught on with the community and we are in the middle of our eighth year.”
Jade said the group also welcomes younger performers to take part and they enjoy putting the spotlight on newcomers, which helps give them a leg up and the chance to make a name for themselves. The group also supports various San Diego charities. Their last fundraising effort was a food drive for Special Delivery.
Golden Girls Jade Melrose, Norma Braxton and Ajax are scheduled to participate in the Valentine’s show and will welcome guest performers Hypnotica, Evelyn Rose and Victoria Elvatto.
If you can’t make it for Valentine’s week, the San Diego Golden Girls have a residency at The Merrow on the second Saturday of every month. To keep up with their monthly performances and other activities, follow their Facebook page bit.ly/3OraOq6.
NUDE PHOTOGRAPHY VALENTINE POP-UP EXHIBIT
SD Art Advisory in Mission Hills is hosting several love-themed pop-up exhibits to help the community celebrate Valentine’s Day, Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 6-9 pm.
One exhibit features the “Love Parade” pop-up, featuring the work of artist and SD Art Advisory gallery owner, Alexander Salazar.
“Come join us for a fun and heart-filled art pop-up with captivating original artworks, music, drinks and good vibes,” the promo said. “This show will set the mood.”
Also featured is the works of the legendary local artist Joe Phillips. “Join us for some saucy and fun gay comic art, illustrated by local artist Joe Phillips, where you get to explore his original drawings.”
In addition, attendees 18 and over can explore the fine art nude photography of Nolan Dean. “Get captivated by beautiful photographic works of the male body at SD Art Advisory by local gay San Diego photographer, Nolan Dean,” stated a promotion about the event.
Gallerist Salazar encourages couples, friends and singles to attend, mingle, enjoy music and refreshments while taking in all the exhibits in, and “get ready to fall in love with art” this Valentine’s Day.
Admission to the pop-ups and love-themed atmosphere are free, but general admission tickets via Eventbrite are recommended. SD Art Advisory is located at 3977 Falcon St. in Mission Hills. For more information and access to tickets, visit sdartadvisory.com.
‘TREES’ SURPASSES PREVIOUS FUNDRAISING EFFORTS
The 2023 Festival of Trees, held Nov. 19, 2023, at insideOUT in Hillcrest, raised $46,000 for its benefactor, Being Alive San Diego, a local HIV/AIDS service provider.
It was the third year of the festive event, which has filled the community’s holiday void after the popular annual wreath auction at the former Martinis Above Fourth ended its long run.
Hosted by Big Gay California (BGCA), the Festival of Trees fundraiser auctions off Christmas trees of all shapes and sizes, which have been conceptualized, built and then donated by local and regional philanthropists, businesses, and other nonprofits. They also have a popular silent auction. Each year, 100% of the proceeds have gone to HIV/AIDS services.
In 2021, its inaugural year, the “Trees” fundraiser brought in $27,500, and in 2022, the festival raised $40,000 for Being Alive. This year bested that by $6,000. Also announced was the big winner of the night’s silent auction travel raffle: Bill Bleker will soon be taking a trip to Hawaii, courtesy of Festival of Trees sponsor Southwest Airlines.
BGCA will host their fourth annual Festival of Trees on Nov. 24, 2024, and they are moving it to Rich’s Nightclub, also in Hillcrest.
“InsideOUT has been an amazing partner, sponsor and venue, and we wouldn’t have had the successful impact on our local community without their generosity these past three years,” said BGCA Board Chair Bobby Gordon in a press release.
The release explained that due to Festival of Trees selling out the past two years and the “growth and expansion” of insideOUT’s annual Holiday Oasis experience, it only made sense to seek out another venue in the community for their next holiday shindig.
“We’re changing things up to allow for more trees, an expanded VIP experience, a larger silent auction, and more space for people to attend.”
To learn more about this event, and consider participating or being a sponsor in 2024, visit festivaloftreessd.org or email [email protected]. To volunteer or donate to Being Alive, visit beingalive.com.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and hope you will also consider supporting our independent news organization. LGBTQ San Diego County News is one of California’s last LGBTQ print newspapers. But we are in danger of going out of print. During times of crisis, celebration, and mourning, crucial information about our community comes from local reporters and writers. LGBTQ San Diego County News needs your help and support in order to continue printing.
Please consider supporting LGBTQ+ San Diego County News. We are one of just five California based LGBTQ+ newspapers that are still in print. Donate. Subscribe. And if you have a business that’s able to, advertise with us. Your support is critical to sustaining the dedicated journalists serving our communities.
Our local LGBTQ+ newspaper helps keep us safer. We keep an eye on city hall, on corruption, and shady business practices. Together we can ensure our local news is covered for years to come.
-Eddie Reynoso, Publisher
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and hope you will also consider supporting our independent news organization. LGBTQ San Diego County News is one of California’s last LGBTQ print newspapers. But we are in danger of going out of print. During times of crisis, celebration, and mourning, crucial information about our community comes from local reporters and writers. LGBTQ San Diego County News needs your help and support in order to continue printing.
Please consider supporting LGBTQ+ San Diego County News. We are one of just five California based LGBTQ+ newspapers that are still in print. Donate. Subscribe. And if you have a business that’s able to, advertise with us. Your support is critical to sustaining the dedicated journalists serving our communities.
Our local LGBTQ+ newspaper helps keep us safer. We keep an eye on city hall, on corruption, and shady business practices. Together we can ensure our local news is covered for years to come.
-Eddie Reynoso, Publisher
