Category Archives: Pride Celebration

Happy Trans* Week of Visibility! Free Community Programs Throughout the Week

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San Mateo County Pride Center is proud to be hosting their 3rd Annual Trans* Week of Visibility.  

Join us in celebrating the strength, beauty, and visibility of our Trans* , Non-Binary, and Gender Diverse community! While Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) is on March 31st, we think one day is just not enough. That’s why we’re hosting a full week of events filled with community, joy, and resources to support you. What kind of programs? We’re hosting trainings, the return of our Name and Gender Marker Change workshop, a sunset community hike, a Drag 101 workshop for our youth community members, a mixer for parents and guardians of Trans* Youth and SO MUCH MORE!  We hope you can join us for an event or three!  

For each TWOV event you attend, you’ll get one (1) entry into our prize drawing to win 1 of 3 $75 gift cards available! The more you attend, the better your chances of winning!  

Register for any and all TWOV events here! https://tinyurl.com/SMCPCTWOV2026

Do you need financial assistance with transportation to attend any of these events? Pride Center can provide a limited number of transportation vouchers to those in need. Please let us know when you RSVP or email info@sanmateopride.org for support. 

Special note for our Glitter and Glam Intro to Drag workshop participants: If you would like Pride Center to provide makeup products and tools for you to use, please RSVP by Tuesday 3/24 to ensure we’ll have enough supplies for you. Otherwise, you are welcome to RSVP anytime before the event; and we encourage you to bring whatever makeup, clothes, accessories, and tools you feel most comfortable and fabulous in! 

Trans Week of Visibility programs and events – Monday, 3/23- Tuesday, 3/31 

A Mixer for Families of Trans Kids 

Monday, 3/23 from 6-7:30PM at Outlet (1779 Woodside Road #200, Redwood City) 

Come join us for an evening with community. Are you a parent or caregiver of a trans or gender-diverse child? Navigating the world as a family can be overwhelming and isolating, but you are not alone. Join us for a supportive evening of connection where you can: 

  • Learn about your child’s legal rights, resources, and advocacy options 
    • Hear from a panel of experienced parents and community members 
    • This is a family-friendly event with space for both caregivers and children. 

Legal Name & Gender Change Workshop

Wed. 3/25, 6-7:30pm- Online 

Your name and gender should reflect who you really are—but the paperwork can feel confusing. Let us help! In this workshop, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of updating your identity documents, assist you in filling out court paperwork, and answer all your questions. 
 

Becoming More Visibly You: Gender Affirmation Workshop

Thu. 3/26, 5-7pm – Allcove San Mateo (2600 S El Camino Real, Suite 300, San Mateo) 

Your gender expression should feel like YOU. Whether you’re exploring your identity, refining your style, or just looking for community, this workshop is here to help you affirm, express, and celebrate who you are. 
What to expect:  

  • Free gender-affirming supplies – binders, trans tape, packers, breast forms, and more  
  • Style & contouring tips – learn from experienced trans makeup artists  
  • Hair & grooming consultations – explore gender-affirming haircuts and styling options  
  • Vocal coaching tips – get insights on voice training techniques  
  • Gender-Affirming Closet – browse for free clothing, makeup, and accessories 

Whether you’re trans masc, femme, nonbinary, or somewhere in between, we’re here to support your journey toward feeling more visibly you. 

Belonging In Nature – Sunset Hike at Mori Point 

Friday 3/27 5:45-8:15pm – In Person at Mori Point (775 Bradford Way, Pacifica) 

 Enjoy a beautiful sunset with our partners at the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. We can make the most of the vast variety of our county. 

Register at: https://www.parksconservancy.org/events/register?fid=99&eid=a0wUQ000007obtB 

Glitter and Glam: An Intro to Drag

Saturday 2/28 2:30-5:30 In Person at the Peninsula Jewish Community Center (800 Foster City Blvd, Foster City )

We can’t begin to celebrate our Trans* community without acknowledging the role that gender diverse drag queens, kings, and monarchs continually play in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. In honor of all the icons that have come before and in celebration of drag as an art form, we invite you to join us on March 28th from 2:30 – 5:30 at the Peninsula Jewish Community Center for an afternoon of learning introductory drag makeup and putting on a show that eats the house down.

If you don’t have the supplies to make your drag debut, don’t worry! We will be providing makeup, shoes, and a limited amount of clothing, however we invite folks that have their own supplies to bring them. If you want to come but do not want to participate in the drag course you are more than welcome to come to the Glitter and Glam show and support all of our new drag icons. 

Pronouns 101 Workshop

Sunday 3/29, 10:30am-12:30pm: In Person at the Belmont Public Library (1110 Alameda de las Pulgas) and Online

What are pronouns and why do they matter? Have you ever asked yourself, “did I use the ‘correct’ pronoun for that person”? Our Pronouns 101 workshop will help you feel more confident in any situation! In this workshop, you’ll learn about the history of pronouns, the importance of using them correctly, how to safely and respectfully ask for pronouns, and have a comfortable space to ask your questions about pronouns. Through interactive videos, participant engagement, and pronoun use practice, we will help you become a pro at pronouns! 

Zoom link to be shared after registration 

Trans Day of Visibility Be-YOU-tiful Celebration

Tuesday, March 31st 5:30-7:30pm – Cultural Center at Cañada College

(4200 Farm Hill, Redwood City- Building 17, room 107)

This is your night to celebrate YOU. Show up as your authentic self—however that looks for you—and let’s celebrate together.  What’s in store:  

  • DJ & music  
  • Snacks & refreshments

The world tries to tell us we don’t belong. We say otherwise. Come celebrate the joy, resilience, and beauty of our trans and gender-diverse community.  

To register for all events, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/SMCPCTWOV2026 

Questions? Please contact info@sanmateopride.org or 650-591-0133

Looking for Volunteers for the 2026 SMC Pride Celebration!

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As the months get warmer, we get closer to San Mateo County’s annual PRIDE celebration! This year’s theme is Unite, Empower, Resist, PRIDE 2026, and the celebration will be held on Saturday, June 13th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at San Mateo Central Park.

San Mateo County provides this family-friendly event to uplift our goal of unity and inclusion and show the resilience of the queer community. If you would like to share your time please consider volunteering to support the event. 

Any questions can be directed to Kai Thornton at Kthornton1@smcgov.org.

Photovoice Pop-Up at Pride Celebration Uplifts LGBTQ+ Voices

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On Saturday, June 14th, the Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity’s Pride Initiative hosted their 13th annual Pride event for Pride month. At this event, the Storytelling Photovoice program hosted their first “Photovoice Pop-Up” to celebrate Pride month. The Pop-Up was inspired by San Mateo County Office of Epidemiology and Evaluation’s (OEE) recent study on LGBTQ+ Health. The study found that the LGBTQ+ community is one to experience the biggest health and social disparities . According to their findings, the 29.4% of the SMC LGBTQ+ community has experienced difficulty getting to see a physician in the past year. In addition, 53.9% of the SMC LGBTQ+ community would not know where to access treatment for drug related problems if needed (OEE). The study also found that 56.6% of the LGBTQ+ community has experienced symptoms of depression in the last 2 years. Overall, the OEE’s study concluded that, “Historically, LGBTQ+ individuals have experienced high levels of discrimination, stigma, and barriers to competent health care, which are still impacting the health of this community today.”  

In an effort to address the behavioral health barriers, equity, and stigma experienced by the SMC LGBTQ+ groups, this Pride Photovoice activity encouraged all Pride event attendees and the larger LGBTQ+ community to answer the questions “What does LGBTQ+ wellness mean to you?” and/or “Celebrating Pride is important because…”. Participants could simply write their responses to these questions, or they could pair their response with a corresponding polaroid picture they took at the event. This Pride Photovoice Pop-Up provided participants an outlet to amplify behavioral needs, while learning about BHRS Pride services that are aligned with the LGBTQ+ community. In sharing one’s story, LGBTQ+ community and all Pride attendees had the opportunity to advocate and amplify LGBTQ+ representations it relates to behavioral health needs, destigmatizing one’s behavioral health condition, all while promoting self-affirmation and empowerment during Pride month and beyond. When a participant finished their Photovoice, they had the chance to hang their final project at our booth for other viewers to see, ultimately inspiring and encouraging other Pride attendees to participate in the Photovoice Pop-Up booth. When attendees left the event, they had the chance to take home their final photovoice to keep, or they donated their final Photovoice to the Photovoice program for other clients to see at our office in Belmont.  

Overall, this Pop-Up was a success in amplifying the inequities endured by the LGBTQ+ community. The more that people participated and hung their photovoices, the more that other attendees were drawn to the booth and wanted to participate themselves. Unlike our usual Photovoice, we had a lot of participation from children/youth and their parents. It was immensely impactful to see younger generations share their answers to these very important framing questions. We are thankful to everyone who came to our pop-up, and we look forward to implementing this type of Photovoice activity within other Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity events.  

To see more photovoices from this pop-up, visit our ODE Storytelling webpage. If you are interested in partaking in a full 4-part Photovoice session, please contact our Storytelling Program Coordinator, Nicoletta Kelleher at nkelleher@smcgov.org.