A Note From Your Coordinator

This newsletter is coming to you one day late because I celebrated a birthday this weekend, and it was a great time to reflect on the past year and both the positive and negative aspects within. I don't remember the last time I have felt this fortunate to work for a community that I care so much about, and I hope to continue doing this work for a long, long time. I owe a great deal of gratitude to The Epicenter, to the Our Gente Program, to my fellow staff members, to all collaborators, and especially to the youth my program serves. I give myself a lot to be proud of by creating safe environments for LGBTQ+ youth to create networks of peer support and to simply be themselves. I am so pleased with the direction my life is headed, and I thank everyone who has helped me find that direction. Thank you so much! --Jacob Agamao

Sharing Circle

Continuing our series on peer-led and peer-focused social support, Sharing Circle will take place on November 14th, the usual second Thursday of the month, from 6:30 PM to 8 PM. LGBTQ+ youth are invited to share what's on their mind and listen to what their fellow youth have to say in a comfortable and supportive environment free from judgment. It's been very successful and continues to grow every month. Please join us!

As a reminder, there will not be a Social Support Group on the fourth Thursday of the month, as that falls right on Thanksgiving Day. Enjoy time with family of all varieties and maybe chase some Black Friday sales instead!

Latinx LGBTQ+ Film Festival

We have a date! The 5th Annual Latinx LGBTQ+ Film Festival will happen February 8th & 9th, 2020. We are currently developing our film screening schedule, and we're so excited to bring you even more quality film celebrating the intersection of LGBTQ+ and Latinx identity!

If you are interested in joining our planning committee or volunteering during the festival itself, please contact jacob@epicentermonterey.org for more information.

QTYC Recruitment

Our Gente is currently recruiting officers for our Queer/Trans Youth Collective. Our goal is to develop the future of local LGBTQ+ leadership through peer-led education and sharing. QTYC officers are essential to the development of Our Gente programming, ensuring that our events are truly made for youth, by youth. These volunteer positions require a commitment of only a few hours a month and are compensated via small stipends based on participation and attendance. For more information, please contact jacob@epicentermonterey.org.

LGBTQ+ Research Study

Dr. Shannon Snapp at California State University, Monterey Bay is doing a study called LGBTQ+ Casual Sex: Foundational Investigations for Improving Health and Well-being of Vulnerable Populations. In this study, they hope to understand the hookup experiences of LGBTQ+ young adults in order to better support LGBTQ+ young people and their sexual health. They are looking to interview LGBTQ+ identifying community members that are 18-24 years of age. They are especially interested in having genderqueer, nonbinary, and transgender individuals take part in the study. Interviews will take approximately 60-90 minutes, and participants will receive $20 worth of merchandise of their choice from Amazon.

If you are interested in participating in this study, please email SYPPlab@gmail.com.

Transgender Awareness Week

According to GLAAD, Transgender Awareness Week is a week when transgender people and their allies take action to bring attention to the community by educating the public about who transgender people are, sharing stories and experiences, and advancing advocacy around the issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affect the transgender community.

This year, GLAAD is highlighting trans stories that we've loved this year. Using the hashtag #TransLoveStories, we can all join the conversation and celebrate inclusion and diversity in media and in our lives. Transgender Awareness Week leads into Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th, which we will highlight in next week's newsletter.

To learn more about Transgender Awareness Week, visit glaad.org/transweek!