LGBTQI History: A Sonoma County Timeline 1947-2000.
Wednesdays 1:30-3pm. Online via Zoom. Join us Wed. 11/2,
when we will be looking at the history of local Lesbian Culture.
Contact me to enroll and receive a Zoom link: cdungan@santarosa.edu
Join North Bay LGBTQI Families, Our Family Coalition, Amor Para Todos, and Positive Images LGBTQIA+ Center on Tuesday, November 1 from 7-8:30pm for the final session in our series of three online workshops for parents and caregivers on how to advocate for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in schools!
During this session, we will focus on how to talk to schools about the importance of LGBTQIA+ inclusive health & sex education, and provide background information on relevant state law requirements and curriculum resources.
$50 stipends are available to a limited number of parents and caregivers for workshop attendance.
Please sign up using the form below!
bit.ly/lgbtqia-school-workshops
[Image Description: An image graphic with a purple background featuring a gradient purple, pink, orange, and yellow diamond shape, and white text listing the event details from the caption above. The logos of the four sponsoring organizations are included in a row along the bottom. Image 1 is in English, Image 2 is in Spanish.]
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Acompañe a North Bay LGBTQI Families, Our Family Coalition, Amor Para Todos y Positive Images LGBTQIA + Center el martes 1 de noviembre de 7 a 8:30 p. m. para la sesión final de nuestra serie de tres talleres en línea para (pa) madres / guardianes sobre cómo abogar por la inclusión LGBTQIA + en las escuelas!
Durante esta sesión, nos centraremos en cómo hablar con las escuelas sobre la importancia de la educación sexual y de salud inclusiva LGBTQIA +, y proporcionaremos información básica sobre los requisitos de la ley estatal y los recursos curriculares relevantes.
Estipendios de $ 50 están disponibles para un número limitado de (pa) madres / guardianes para asistir a los talleres.
¡Regístrese utilizando el formulario a continuación!
bit.ly/lgbtqia-school-workshops
[Descripción de la imagen: un gráfico de imagen con un fondo morado que presenta una forma de diamante degradado de color morado, rosa, naranja y amarillo, y texto blanco que enumera los detalles del evento del pie de foto anterior. Los logotipos de las cuatro organizaciones patrocinadoras se incluyen en una fila en la parte inferior. La imagen 1 está en inglés, la imagen 2 está en español.]
LGBT+ and Friends! Halloween Dance! Saturday, October 29th, 6:30-10 p.m.
This dance is for all ages 21 and up.
We are transforming the Senior Center into creepy circus with creepy clowns! Come be dazzled and energized with outstanding live DJ dance music, and a video dance room as well where you can dance to your favorite Stars. We will also have fortune tellers, and beer and wine for sale, $6. Advance tickets: $15; at-the-door: $20
Purchase at the Sebastopol Senior Center or call 707-829-2440.
LGBTQI History: A Sonoma County Timeline 1947-2000.
Wednesdays 1:30-3pm. Online via Zoom. Join us Wed. 10/26,
for a presentation and discussion of the historical significance
of Halloween in the LGBTQI community. Contact me to
enroll and receive a Zoom link: cdungan@santarosa.edu
Sonoma County LGBTQI Timeline at Central Santa Rosa Library
EXHIBIT RECEPTION THIS SATURDAY, 10/22, 1-3PM
Curated by two local LGBTQI historians, Tina Dungan & Shad Reinstein, the Sonoma County LGBTQI Timeline will be displayed at the Central Santa Rosa Library all of October for LGBTQ+ History Month!
Meet the members of LGBTQI+ LEGACY Sonoma County and learn about their work to preserve, collect, and archive historical materials from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex communities of Sonoma County, California, through the year 2000.
Share your pride and record an oral history for the Here + Queer, Sonoma County project! Your story will become part of the library’s digital collections.
LGBTQ+ history materials from the History & Genealogy Library will be available for the public to review. Get a chance to see primary sources up close!
LGBTQI History: A Sonoma County Timeline 1947-2000.
Wednesdays 1:30-3pm. Online via Zoom. Next Wed. 10/19,
we will be talking about SCRAP 6, the local group that helped to defeat John Briggs’ attempt to make it illegal for gays and lesbians to teach in California schools. Contact me to enroll and receive a Zoom link: cdungan@santarosa.edu
| SECOND TUESDAY! In-person at Mgt Todd Senior Center 1560 Hill Road, NovatoHill Community Room, behind the main building / see site map below new people warmly welcomed! October 1112:30 to 1 pm brown bag1 to 2:30 pm discussion Topic: RESILIENCYpresented by Dana Pepp and the Marin Center for Independent Living |
Fourth Tuesday! West Marin LGBT Senior Town HallComing to San Geronimo Valley CC We had a great first time out at our Fourth Tuesdayevent. There were twelve participants which included a West Marin community member we haven’t seen in quite awhile and a person new to Spahr who only learned about us through our event publicity there. We shared meaningful conversation, laughter, a sense of community and a commitment to spreading the word about our next gathering on October 25th. On the Fourth Tuesday of every month, The Spahr Center’s LGBTQ+ Senior Program will be hosting an event for West Marin LGBT seniors at the San Geronimo Valley Community Center. The Center has given us a big roomy space & we’ll have windows & doors open. We also encourage people to wear masks if you wish. Let’s be safe together! |
UPCOMING EVENTSall events are free(more info below) October 2LGBTQIA+ Meetup **Mill Valley Plaza  October 4LGBTQ & HIV+ Grief Support Group **at the Spahr Center (mostly-) & on zoomPlz email Nikki: nmillet@thespahrcenter.org October 11Second Tuesdayat Mgt. Todd Senior Center, Novato Topic: Resiliency presented by Dana Pepp & MCILwatch for more details* Social Committee event, RSVP required;to RSVP or get on their email list, write to them atsocialcommittee@comcast.net;find a link to their calendar and flyers below ** See flyer below |
To join the Spahr Senior Groupon ZoomMondays, 7 to 8 pm, &Thursdays, 12:30 to 2 pm,click the purple button below the Butterfly Heart or here: |
| New participants are warmly welcomed!If you’re zoom-challenged, let me know and I’ll work with you! |
| Topical Thursdays12:30 to 2 pm October 6Change & How We Handle ItIt’s said that the only constant is change. We often don’t have control over what those changes are that appear on our horizon. We do, however, have some control over how we respond to them. How do you respond to change? Let’s share our experience & wisdom as we face changes in our lives and our world around us. |
Living Room Mondays7 to 8 pm We share with each other about how we’re doing and have unstructured conversations focused on listening from our hearts and deepening community. |
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| Coronavirus Updates The Spahr Center has coronavirus rapid home test kits & masks and they are available for free in the office – 150 Nellen Avenue, Suite 100, Corte Madera 94925; 415/457-2487. The office is open 10 am – 3 pm weekdays. Only vaccinated people may come to the office and masks must be worn inside the building. Any staff person can direct you to the kits. This is a great resource we are pleased to offer, please don’t hesitate to get these kits! In order to keep track of new infections, the County asks that we report self-test results here. To see Marin County’s latest pandemic information, click here. The mask recommendations of the Mask Nerd– an aerosol scientist who studies mask effectiveness – are featured in this article and highly informative video. May we all be safe and well! |
| Community Notices |
| Social Security Opens to Survivors of Same-Sex Couples Who Could Not MarryThe Social Security Administration now allows lesbians and gay men to receive survivor’s benefits if we can show that we were in a committed relationship and would have married had that been possible. More information here. |
| The Spahr Center’s Food Pantry is open to seniors who need support in meeting their nutrition needs. We want to help! Items such as fresh meats, eggs and dairy, prepared meals, pasta, sauces, and canned goods are delivered weekly to people who sign up. |  |
| Contact The Spahr Center for more information: info@thespahrcenter.org or 415/457-2487Space for your Community Notice here. Email Bill with information at bblackburn@thespahrcenter.org. |
| The Northbay LGBT+ Senior Social Committee has been consistently offering fun events to offset the boredom of the pandemic. Everyone born in any month will be celebrated in that month’s email – including your birthday if you’ll let them know when it rolls around! Please RSVP ahead of time as participation is limited to 20 people. They request that participants please be vaccinated and healthy. Watch here for their October calendar. To see their September calendar & flyers, click here. To sign up for their emails or register for events, click here. |
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| Vivalon Resources for Seniors Whistlestop, now renamed Vivalon, offers many resources for us seniors, now listed in this easy-to-print one-page guide. Access to rides, food, classes, activities, resources, referrals, and more. Membership not required for most classes and services during the pandemic. Some in-person events are being planned. To get Vivalon’s listings, click here. They also provide access to resources including rides for older adults. Please note: there is a 3-week registration process for the ride program so register now if you think you may need rides in the future. Click here for their website. The Jackson Cafe has great specials, a roomy dining room, small tables and big round tables for groups. Open 11:30 to 1:45; $8 for members, $10 for guests, with takeout readily available. You can find their daily changing menu and more information here. |
| Building Community in the Midst of Sheltering-in-PlaceSee old friends and make new ones! Join us!The Spahr Center’s LGBT Senior Discussion Groupscontinue everyMonday, 7 to 8 pm& Thursday, 12:30 to 2 pm on zoom |
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| To Join Group by Video using Computer, Smart Phone or TabletJust click this button at the start time, 6:55 pm Mondays / 12:25 pm Thursdays:Join GroupAlways the same link! Try it, it’s easy! |
| To Join Group by Phone CallIf you don’t have internet connections or prefer joining by phone,call the following number at the start time,6:55 pm Mondays / 12:25 pm Thursdays:1-669-900-6833The Meeting id is 820 7368 6606#(no participant id required)The password, if requested, is 135296#If you want to be called into the group by phone, notify Bill Blackburn at 415/450-5339 |
| California Department of Aging ResourcesThe CDA has a website that is packed with information and resources relevant to the lives of seniors in our state. From Covid-19 updates to more general care for age-related health issues, access to legal assistance to getting home-delivered meals to help with housing, you may well find answers to your questions by clicking: here. |
| Adult and Aging Service’s Information and Assistance Line, providing information and referrals to the full range of services available to older adults, adults with disabilities and their family caregivers, has a new phone number and email address: 415/473-INFO (4636) 8:30 am to 4:30 pm weekdays473INFO@marincounty.org |
Questions? Assistance? Suggestions? We have resources and volunteers for:grocery deliveryfood assistanceproviding weekly comfort calls to check in on youplus more! Bill BlackburnLGBTQ+ Senior Program Managerbblackburn@thespahrcenter.org415/450-5339 Funding for this program, at least in part, is made available by the Older Americans Act, administered locally by the Marin Department of Health & Human Services, Aging & Adult Services. |
LGBTQI History: A Sonoma County Timeline 1947-2000.
Wednesdays 1:30-3pm. Online via Zoom. Next Wed. 10/12,
we will be talking about non-traditional jobs in the SoCo
Food for People/Not for Profit movement. Contact me to
enroll and receive a Zoom link: cdungan@santarosa.edu
Pinot on the River! Festival at Old Courthouse Square in downtown Santa Rosa featuring a day of tastings from some of the west coast’s best Pinot producers! Small-production artisanal wineries join with guest artisan food vendors from 11-3p. on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, to celebrate all things Pinot Noir. Meet the winemakers and other Pinot-loving consumers.
Use promo code WeAreFamily and save 10% on your tickets
The Spahr Center announces the forthcoming departure of its executive director, Adrian Shanker, who has been appointed by the Biden-Harris Administration to serve in the role of Senior Advisor on LGBTQI+ Health Equity in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Shanker joined The Spahr Center in April 2022 and in this short time has led an organizational rebranding with a new logo and website, an expansion of programs for LGBTQI+ families, and the launch of the organization’s Training Institute. He has also been a critical advocate for MPOX vaccine access in Marin County.
Shanker has been serving in a voluntary capacity in the Biden-Harris administration as a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS since 2021. He joined The Spahr Center after founding and leading Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania for more than seven years.
Executive Director of The Spahr Center, Adrian Shanker comments:
“It has been a tremendous joy to work with the team at The Spahr Center to enhance and expand programs and services for LGBTQI+ and HIV+ community members in Marin. When I started at The Spahr Center, I did not anticipate a short tenure, however I am confident that the organization is in a strong position to continue its positive momentum in service to Marin’s LGBTQI+ and HIV+ communities. I am deeply humbled by the invitation to join the Biden-Harris Administration in this role and I look forward to supporting the administration’s efforts to advance health equity for the LGBTQI+ community.”
Chair of The Spahr Center’s Board of Directors, Denny David, comments:
“When we hired Adrian we knew we were bringing someone in with tremendous expertise in LGBTQI+ health. It turns out that The Biden Administration agrees. For decades, the LGBTQI+ community has fought for a seat at the table and we have seen the devastating consequences of being ignored. While we are sad to lose Adrian, that sadness is tempered by a tremendous amount of community pride. We are glad to have a champion for the health of our community heading to Washington to advise the administration, and at The Spahr Center, we will continue to seamlessly offer the services and programs our community needs.”
The Board of Directors is committed to leadership for the agency through the transition. Today, the Board announces the appointment of Cindy L. Myers, Ph.D., as interim executive director. Dr. Myers brings 30 years of executive leadership experience in the behavioral health and human services fields to The Spahr Center. She has served as an interim Chief Executive, Chief Operating and Chief Clinical Officer for a diverse range of businesses and organizations, including the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR).