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What’s Happening at the Spahr Center in Marin
October Newsletter
Client Advisory Committee
The HIV Client Advisory Committee will have their next meeting later this month. The committee’s co-chairs, Wade Flores and Bobby Moske, want all clients to know that an email address has been set up for anyone who would like to reach the committee hivclientadvcomm@thespahrcenter.org. The email goes directly to a committee member who is coordinating communications.
Volunteer Opportunities
We need a few volunteers to help out at our front desk. This involves answering a multi-line phone system, connecting callers with staff members, greeting clients, providing information and assisting pantry shoppers and syringe exchangers. Our volunteer receptionists are the face and heart of The Spahr Center; we’d love to have you join our wonderful team!
The available shifts are Tuesdays 9 am – 1 pm or 1pm – 5pm; Wednesdays 9am – 1pm; or Fridays 1pm – 5pm. If you are interested please call Bri at 415-457-2487 or email her here.
Hear from one of our front desk volunteers
From a post on GivePulse written by one of our Service Learners from Dominican University
“Today I was a bit more comfortable in my position than I was last week since I had a bit more experience…. In the needle exchange, we provide the clients with clean needles and other supplies to help reduce spreading of infections or diseases…. Today, one of the clients came in and he was talking to me about how he was embarrassed to have to come in to pick up the needles and carry them down the street. This was interesting to me, because I hadn’t really thought about that before. Even in a paper bag or a backpack where the needles were covered up, he was worried that people were going to judge him. He told me he imagined that I never thought I would be surrounded by people like him…. I hoped that he knew that I was not judging him. I’m only here to serve and to gain new learning experiences, not to judge anyone or their choices. It was a very impactful moment to me, because I hadn’t been worried that clients would feel as if I was judging them. Being here allows me to learn about myself and being aware of what I am doing. It helps me to remember that I am here to support clients and serve them as best as I can and to assure them that I am not here to make judgements, only to help them.”
Resources for Family Caregivers
Are you caring for a loved one? You give lots of support, but you deserve support too. Click here to find a variety of helpful information, in-person and online groups for people providing caregiving to a family member. Family Caregiver Alliance has partnered with Smart Patients to create a new Caregivers Community. You can join for free to learn, share and interact with other caregivers in a safe, supportive environment. Be well!
Day of The Dead
We will have a community altar for Dia de los Muertos. If you would like to place something on the altar to honor a loved one or someone who is no longer with us, please bring your remembrance to our office. The altar will be in our community room starting Wednesday October 31st through Friday, November 2nd.
Not In Our Town – Novato
Presents a screening of the film Light in the Darkness
Not In Our Town: Light in the Darkness tells the story of residents of a Long Island village taking action after a series of anti-immigrant attacks by local teenagers ended with the hate crime against a local immigrant Marcelo Lucero. While starkly revealing the trauma of hate, the film provides a blueprint for people who want to do something before intolerance turns to violence.
This event is free and open to the public
Date: November 8, 2018
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Unity in Marin 600 Palm Drive, Novato, CA 94949
Hosted by: NIOT Novato, Novato Charter School Many Hearts Committee
In cooperation with: The Novato Unified School District, Novato Police Department, City of Novato and Unity in Marin.
Gender Awareness and Education
In collaboration, The Marin County Office of Education, The Spahr Center and Domincan University invite you to three special events on November 14th and 15th.
All 3 events are free of charge and open to the public; however space is limited and you are encouraged to register.
For more information please contact Bri at 415-457-2487
LGBT Senior Discussion Group Update
Buz Hermes, the facilitator of our Corte Madera discussion group, reports that the group has grown every month since it started last January! Now, Buz says, the goal is to add more lesbian, bisexual and transgender women to the group. The monthly meeting is on the second Wednesday from noon to 2:00 pm in the community room at Corte Madera Town Center. Click here for more information
Save the Date for our next Senior Luncheon!!
Our next LGBT Senior luncheon will be Wednesday, November 28th at The Marin Yacht Club. Stay tuned for more details!!
Through the Eyes and Ears of an Artist
Until Next Time..

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Halloween Dance Party! at the Sebastopol Senior Center Saturday October 27

Hey LGBTQI and friends community: You are all invited to a spectacular & fun Halloween Dance Party!
It’s being held at the Sebastopol Senior Center.
You don’t have to be gay or a senior to attend, all adults are welcome! Multiple rooms will be set up of your enjoyment.
We have a DJ in our largest room, with a Drag Show scheduled for 9pm, with Joseph singing his hit Halloween song “I Put a Spell on You.” You can also enjoy complimentary Palm Readings with George, Tarot Card Readings with Susan, and our super cool Black Light Room (wear white to shine bright).
Those in costume will be eligible to win prizes in our Costume Contest!
Finger foods provided. Beer and Wine for purchase.
$10 admission.

Saturday, October 27, 2018 at 6:30 PM – 10 PM
Sebastopol Area Senior Center
167 N. High St., Sebastopol, California 95472

https://www.facebook.com/events/302852093644905/

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OUTwatch – Wine Country’s LGBTQI Film Festival Brings the Best of International Queer Cinema to the North Bay

OUTwatch – Wine Country’s LGBTQI Film Festival is thrilled to announce our move to Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol.  We join an impressive list of film festivals that call Rialto Cinemas home, including the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival. The weekend of October 12 – 14, we will present seven critically-acclaimed films and the first of two exciting additions to the festival. Sunday Cinematic Salons, a discussion of queer film, and LGBTQI Classic Film Revival, a presentation of groundbreaking films that changed the landscape of cinema.

OUTwatch is determined to bring the best of International LGBTQI Cinema to the North Bay.  This year, the schedule is: Friday, October 12 7:30 p.m.  Mapplethorpe An unflinching look at the life of acclaimed photographer Robert Mapplethorpe from his rise to fame along with best friend rocker Patti Smith in the 1970s to his untimely death from AIDS in the 1990s.  Saturday, October 13 Noon  Man Made Follow four men, their partners and families through the challenges and joys of transitioning as they prepare for Trans FitCon, the world’s only transgender bodybuilding competition.  2:30 p.m.  Ideal Home A glamorous foodie couple’s (Steve Coogan; Paul Rudd) lives are turned upside-down when a 10-year-old grandson shows up and threatens to change their lifestyle forever in this hilarious and endearing comedy. 5 p.m. The Rest I Make Up  María Irene Fornés, was a lover of Susan Sontag and an integral member of New York’s experimental theater scene. Grappling with memory loss, she still radiates inquisitive curiosity and unquenchable creativity in this emotional documentary.  Sunday, October 14 1 p.m. Dykes, Camera, Action! This important documentary explores what happened when lesbians picked up cameras and changed how queer women are seen in film. Includes insightful interviews with pioneering filmmakers like Su Friedrich, Cheryl Dunye, Yoruba Richen, Rose Troche, and Barbara Hammer. Afterwards, Film scholar Jane Winslow will lead a discussion about the topics and issues raised in the film. 3 p.m. The Watermelon Woman OUTwatch is thrilled to bring this newly restored lesbian classic to the big screen.  Cheryl and Tamara are making a video about their search for the mysterious film actress from the 1930s known only as the ‘Watermelon Woman.’

Tickets available at the theater or at www.outwatchfilomfest.org.

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Go Purple for Spirit Day October 18
October is Bullying Prevention Month and Thursday, Oct 18 is #SpiritDay, a tradition started in Oct 2011 after a number of LGBTQ young people were lost to bullying & suicide. To visibly let our LGBTQ youth know they are loved & supported by a community that cares, we wear purple (the color for Spirit on the rainbow flag) and, since 2012, we’ve been making a big, beautiful, community collage!

Visit our website for full details on these 3 ways you can get involved this year and show support for LGBTQ youth:

  1. “Go purple” for #SpiritDay, Thursday, October 18!
  2. Drop by our Napa or Santa Rosa purple-party open houses on October 18!
  3. Make a donation to help us address bullying & support more LGBTQ youth in Napa & Sonoma counties!

Octubre es el mes de prevención del acoso y el jueves 18 de octubre es el #DíaDeEspíritu (#SpiritDay), una tradición que comenzó en octubre del 2011 cuando fallecieron varios jóvenes LGBTQ debido al acoso y al suicidio. Para proclamar visiblemente a nuestras/os jóvenes LGBTQ que son amadas/os y apoyadas/os por una comunidad a quien si le importan, nos vestimos de morado (el color de Espíritu de la bandera del arco iris) y, cada año desde 2012, ¡hemos creado una gran y hermosa colección de fotos comunitarias!

Aquí hay 3 formas en que Ud. puede participar este año para mostrar su apoyo a jóvenes LGBTQ:

  1. “¡Vístase de morado” para #SpiritDay, jueves 18 de octubre!
  2. ¡Venga a nuestras fiestas moradas al estilo de casa abierta en Napa o Santa Rosa el día 18 de octubre!
  3. ¡Haga una donación para ayudarnos a enfrentar el acoso escolar y apoyar a más jóvenes LGBTQ en los condados de Napa y Sonoma!
More Info / Más Info

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Project Nunway: Nunlimited Happens October 12 at the River

Nunway 8x11 2018
Greetings and Welcome to the First Annual Russian River Sisters Project Nunway! This event was first created by the San Francisco Sisters over ten years ago by Sister Babra Ganesha and has become a world wide phenomenon! It has spawned hundreds of events around the globe with the same premise: to create a new and unique Haute Couture designs out of recycled and/or recyclable materials called “Trashion” or “Garbage Couture”. And what better place to do it but the Russian River, a place known for it’s River Clean Up and recycling efforts.

Members of the Sisters have been paired with designers from all ilks: San Francisco and New York fashion houses, LED sculptors, master fabricators, Renaissance costume designers, cage builders, corset constructers, Burning Man Installation artists, etc.

Our theme, To Infinity and Beyond, evokes magnificent winged magical Beasts, the Gods of Olympus, Superheroes above a great Metropolis, fanciful fluttering faeries and glittering glowing insects, the Cosmos and the Stars within, the possibilities are Infinite!

Come share the spotlight with us!!

Starring the Russian River Sisters and the World Wide Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, with your emcees Sister Sara Femme Fatale and Sister Phyliss Withe Litaday
With Illusionist Dustin Coupe
Ella DuGoode LED hoop display

Special Guest Celebrity Guest Judge Bruce Vilanch of Broadway, Hollywood Squares, and Oscar writer
Special Guest Judge Tom Orr of Dirty Little Show Tunes
Guest Judge Vira The California Mermaid (R)
Guest Judge Christina Pappan
Guest Judge Sister Atilla D’Nun

Proceeds benefit Positive Images https://posimages.org

VIP seating $40.00
Standard seating $25.00

Organic Slushie Bar and Gourmet popcorn by Shamanastary
No Host Bar 

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RR Sisters HOst Anthem Closet Ball October 6 at R3

It’s that time of the year again! The Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (with a tiny bit of help from Purple Stardust Productions) are throwing a big drag contest. Yes! Closet Ball is coming!
anthem
Join us on Friday, October 6th at the R3 Hotel for the 15th incarnation of this amazing show. 
This show is, at its core, an amateur drag competition and fundraiser.

While our contestants, Earl Gilbert, Renee Ledford Combes, Joe Young and Nay Hulsey are the heart and soul of our effort, we’ve got an amazing variety show to entertain y’all while they are getting up in their drags.

Support their fundraising here: https://www.rrsisters.org/closet-ball-2018

After you meet the contestants at the end of our show opening, we’ve got drag kings, several many live singers, drag queens, and of course our Empress of the Microphone, Sister Sara Femme Fatale!
We have our ever growing troupe of local performers joining us, including Tom Orr, Lyra Hawkins, Nicholas Joseph Carrigan, Rodger A. Jensen, Diva D, Matthew Parkhurst, Joseph Bullock, Kara Z’Matick, Peghan Ritual, Kristina McGraw and Buddy Russell.

Traveling from far and wide we have Sister Phyliss, Dean DeeLeit, Mitchell Brothers, Alotta Boutté and Rahni NothingMore.

This show is six months in the making. We’ve poured all we’ve got into giving y’all a great experience.

Every penny you spend on a table, every tip you throw onto the stage, every dollar you tuck into the waistband of a performer… It’s all a fundraiser for the Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Grants Fund.

Buy a seat, buy a table… come on down and join your community for a KICK ASS show.

https://anthem.brownpapertickets.com

Need more info? Contact Sister Sara Femme Fatale at sistersara@rrsisters.org

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OUTwatch – Wine Country’s LGBTQI Film Festival Brings the Best of International Queer Cinema to the North Bay

OUTwatch – Wine Country’s LGBTQI Film Festival is thrilled to announce our move to Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol.  We join an impressive list of film festivals that call Rialto Cinemas home, including the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival. The weekend of October 12 – 14, we will present seven critically-acclaimed films and the first of two exciting additions to the festival. Sunday Cinematic Salons, a discussion of queer film, and LGBTQI Classic Film Revival, a presentation of groundbreaking films that changed the landscape of cinema.

OUTwatch is determined to bring the best of International LGBTQI Cinema to the North Bay.  This year, the schedule is: Friday, October 12 7:30 p.m.  Mapplethorpe An unflinching look at the life of acclaimed photographer Robert Mapplethorpe from his rise to fame along with best friend rocker Patti Smith in the 1970s to his untimely death from AIDS in the 1990s.  Saturday, October 13 Noon  Man Made Follow four men, their partners and families through the challenges and joys of transitioning as they prepare for Trans FitCon, the world’s only transgender bodybuilding competition.  2:30 p.m.  Ideal Home A glamorous foodie couple’s (Steve Coogan; Paul Rudd) lives are turned upside-down when a 10-year-old grandson shows up and threatens to change their lifestyle forever in this hilarious and endearing comedy. 5 p.m. The Rest I Make Up  María Irene Fornés, was a lover of Susan Sontag and an integral member of New York’s experimental theater scene. Grappling with memory loss, she still radiates inquisitive curiosity and unquenchable creativity in this emotional documentary.  Sunday, October 14 1 p.m. Dykes, Camera, Action! This important documentary explores what happened when lesbians picked up cameras and changed how queer women are seen in film. Includes insightful interviews with pioneering filmmakers like Su Friedrich, Cheryl Dunye, Yoruba Richen, Rose Troche, and Barbara Hammer. Afterwards, Film scholar Jane Winslow will lead a discussion about the topics and issues raised in the film. 3 p.m. The Watermelon Woman OUTwatch is thrilled to bring this newly restored lesbian classic to the big screen.  Cheryl and Tamara are making a video about their search for the mysterious film actress from the 1930s known only as the ‘Watermelon Woman.’

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Body of San Francisco Man Reported Missing Found in Russian River

Sonoma County dive teams found the body of a 29-year-old San Francisco gay man in the Russian River at Guerneville on Aug. 20, 2018.

The body of 29-year-old San Francisco man who had gone missing in Guerneville over the weekend was found in the Russian River Monday morning, and Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office investigators are trying to determine if he drowned accidentally.

The man, whose name was not released, was vacationing in a rental home with his ex-husband and some friends, and when he failed to show up for dinner Sunday they called 911 at around 8:40 p.m., police said.

The missing man’s sandals and t-shirt were found on nearby dock overlooking the river, and it was near that dock that search and rescue dive teams discovered his body Monday at about 11 a.m.

The body was found in about 12 to 15 feet of water.

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LGBTQ Connection To Hold Training for Professionals Who Work with Spanigh-speaking LGBTQI Youth

Many local organizations and individuals have worked with us over the years to improve their understanding of LGBTQ identities and their commitment to competently serve LGBTQ people in the community. Have you thought about how to do that in Spanish? Of course, many concepts apply across languages, but if we don’t consider the unique context of language and culture, we’re missing out.

LGBTQ Connection is proud to offer this unique, free, upcoming, LGBTQ training for professionals that serve Latino and Spanish-speaking youth and families (other interested community members are welcome, too) on the morning of August 29 in Napa. Space is limited, so please register soon. This training will be conducted mostly in Spanish.

Please also share this invitation with your colleagues and networks that would find the information and resources useful.
Full details are below.

Register here: http://bit.ly/2MkRPyF
Querida comunidad,

LGBTQ Connection está organizando un nuevo taller en Napa,  “LGBTQ En Español: Una Capacitación Para Profesionales Que Apoyan a Jóvenes y Sus Familias”, y ¡Ud. está invitada/o! Con su base en las capacitaciones muy solicitadas de LGBTQ Connection, esta capacitación está diseñada para aumentar las habilidades de profesionales que sirven a jóvenes y familias. La capacitación destaca maneras de apoyar las identidades de jóvenes latinas/os que también son lesbianas, gay, bisexuales, transgénero, queer, o explorando su identidad y como mejor entenderlas y discutirlas.

Los detalles:
Hora: 8:30a – 12:00p
Día: 29 de agosto de 2018
Ubicación: Synergy Medical Fitness Center, 3421 Villa Lane, Napa, Piso 2

Están invitadas/os las/los profesionales de habla hispana quienes trabajan con jóvenes y familias. Esta capacitación educacional, interactiva, y divertida es especialmente para las/los profesionales quienes quieren aumentar su competencia para servir a gente LGBTQ. Hay cupo limitado, por lo tanto reserve su espacio lo más pronto posible.

Objetivos y Actividades:

  • Explorar la diferencia entre la identidad de género y orientación sexual y como discutirlas en español;
  • Nombrar varios factores estresantes que enfrentan jóvenes LGBTQ;
  • Interactuar con un panel de jóvenes Latinos LGBTQ;
  • Aprender varias maneras de abordar los retos que enfrentan jóvenes LGBTQ con mejores prácticas definidas por la comunidad y basadas en investigación;
  • Practicar situaciones basadas en las experiencias de las vidas reales de jóvenes LGBTQ;
  • Ganar más conocimiento de los recursos e información de referencia para gente LGBTQ.

Favor de compartir esta invitación con tus redes y colegas. Gracias a financiamiento de parte de Horizons Foundation y Napa County Mental Health, podemos ofrecer esta capacitación a la comunidad de forma gratuita.

Inscríbase aquí: http://bit.ly/2MkRPyF
Para más información, comuníquese con ian@lgbtqconnection.org.

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Positive Image to Host Meeting About LGBTQI Mental Health

As I’m sure you know, even though we live in a fairly progressive county, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure our LGBTQ community members are getting the resources, support, and respect we deserve. We are currently working on a policy map to identify all the areas in Sonoma County where things could be better for LGBTQ people. As we move forward with this project over the next three years, we are looking to build a task force here in Sonoma County of community members, program leaders, advocates, youth, and anyone else who is looking to get involved. The commitment isn’t huge, join us for six task force phone calls per year and a willingness to show up and take action when the time is right.

To kick things off, we are having an in-person meeting on Friday, August 31st from 11am-4pm at Positive Images in Santa Rosa. Our task force leaders from Sacramento will be facilitating most of the meeting, and it should be a great jumping off point if you are interested in learning more and getting involved. The details of the day are covered below. If you can only join us for part of the day, no worries! The most important portion will be the Task Force meeting from 2-4 pm. The advocacy workshop in the morning will also be offered as a webinar starting on August 21st. If you’d like more information on the webinar just let me know and I’ll send it your way.

We are really hoping to bring together an action-oriented, change-making, group of champions and hope you’ll consider being a part of it! Please get in touch with any questions. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Based on the doodle poll, our in-person meeting will be on Friday August 31st. Please RSVP and share the invitation far and wide. Anyone interested in LGBTQ mental health equity is definitely invited to attend.

#Out4MentalHealth is a statewide project that engages LGBTQ people throughout California to develop a mental health equity agenda and offer tools and resources that address these disparities and make our shared goals a reality.

Schedule:

10:30 am – 11:00 am Networking (Coffee and pastries provided by #Out4MentalHealth)

11:00 am – 1:00 pm Advocacy Workshop (open to all)

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Working Lunch (provided by #Out4MentalHealth)

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm #Out4MentalHealth Sonoma County Task Force

Advocacy Workshop Description:

Learn how to be a more effective advocate for LGBTQ mental health by better understanding the system and how/where to engage in change efforts. Participants will learn to articulate the right to LGBTQ affirming and culturally appropriate care, how mental health decisions are made in local communities, and practical steps for engaging in advocacy,

Task Force Description:

#Out4MentalHealth Task Forces support local community members and organizations with engaging in LGBTQ Mental Health advocacy at the county, state, and federal level. The Sonoma County task force is led by Positive Images and LGBTQ Connections. It is open to everyone interested in advocating for LGBTQ mental Health Equity. We meet via phone about every six weeks and hold at least one in-person meeting each year.

 

Please RSVP and share the invitation far and wide.

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