South Bay LGBTQ Center

OUR CALENDAR

Follow us to get up to the minute details on future events and information

WEEKLY GROUPS & ACTIVITIES

Spectra: LGBTQ+ Adults Group
Date: Mondays

Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm

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This group welcomes all LGBTQ+/Queer adults in their 20s-30s but anyone is encouraged to join. We strive to honor the work of notable members of our LGBTQ+/Queer community through cultural awareness, community building, and encouraging powerful self-love.

We're currently starting off as an organic peer-support group to help us understand the needs and wants of our South Bay LGBTQ+/Queer community. As a brave space, we invite you to hang out with us in this very chill but purposeful atmosphere.
 

SPECTRA LEADERSHIP TEAM APPLICATION: 

Interested in being part of the Spectra Leadership Team for the 2020-2021 term? Apply today! Applications are due March 30th at 11:59PM.

Click on the link to apply: https://forms.gle/GLjosPedSGLX7a1d8
 

Night of Games
Tuesdays

4:00pm-10:00pm

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Come enjoy a great time with fun & games.  Join in on many of the games we have here at the Center, or bring your own game! Everyone is welcome.   Refreshments available - sodas, water, coffee, tea, and snacks.

PFLAG Meetings
Manhattan Beach Community Church

1st Tuesdays

7:00pm-9:00pm

PFLAG support group meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month from 7pm-9pm.  

Meetings will be held in the Fireside Room at Manhattan Beach Community Church located at 303 South Peck Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

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Support group meetings are the cornerstone of the PFLAG organization. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender expansive, non-binary and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals, and parents, families and friends of those who identify as LGBTQ+ are invited to attend PFLAG meetings.

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All are welcome to express needs, fears, questions and offer support in a compassionate and caring environment.  We are the extended family of the LGBTQ+ community in the South Bay. If you or someone you care about is LGBTQ+ we invite you to join us!  

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For more information about PFLAG South Bay, please visit: https://www.pflagmanhattanbeach.org/

FREE 2B LGBT Teens Group
Wednesdays

5:00pm-7:00pm

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Free 2B LGBT is a peer support group for teens focused on exploring sexual and gender identity issues in a safe and supportive environment. Membership is open to teenagers 13-18 years old and from all walks of life. Identification as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer is not required to attend. Membership is open to anyone desiring a safe space to talk, share and grow together.

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What is a support group?

There are many benefits to peer support groups. For example:

• Support groups can help people feel less alone and more understood.

• Support groups can empower people to solve their problems.

• Members can act as role models for each other.

• Support groups can offer encouragement and inspiration.

• Members are equals, which can make opening up about personal matters easier.

• Support groups can reduce anxiety, improve self-esteem and help improve overall well-being. They also have been shown to lower incidents of crime, suicide, and other social maladies in the community.​

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The main objectives of FREE 2B LGBT are to:

• Build friendships

• Discuss sexuality, gender identity, bullying, depression, anxiety, etc.

• Develop life and social skills

• Participate in new experiences and share opportunities

• Learn how to lead safe and healthy lives

• Develop a voice

• Increase self confidence

• Develop greater personal resilience

• Explore aspirations

• Celebrate diversity

Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, Non-binary, Gender Fluid

Social Support Group
Wednesdays

7:00pm-9:00pm

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Join us every Wednesday, from 7pm - 9pm, for our Transgender, Gender Nonconforming and Non-binary Support Group. This is a group for all trans people at all stages and gender variance, and for anyone who is questioning their gender identity and need someone to talk to.

Friends and family members of transgender people are welcome. This is a place to discuss issues in a safe, welcoming atmosphere of inclusion.

Bi & Beyond
2nd & 4th Thursdays

7:00pm-9:00pm

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Join us every 2nd and 4th Thursday from 7pm-9pm, for a friendly social and support group for Bisexual and Pansexual people in the South Bay and South LA area.

A social conversation group where people who identify as bisexual, fluid, pansexual, bi-curious, queer or questioning, along with partners and allies, can discuss topics on different degrees of attraction and other matters and meet people in a safe, nonjudgmental space.

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This group will include introductions to learn about each other, followed by a group discussion - a great way to discover oneself, learn more about bisexuality and other identities, make new friends and get support on issues like coming out and integrating your awareness into your everyday life in a holistic, safe way. This group will sometimes discuss pre-determined topics, followed by an open forum where people of all self-identifies are able to share ideas and topics that are on their minds.

Pathfinder RPG Society Organized Play
Saturdays

1:00pm-10:00pm

Pathfinder Society is a worldwide fantasy role-playing campaign that puts you in the role of an agent of the Pathfinder Society, a legendary league of explorers, archaeologists, and adventurers dedicated to discovering and chronicling the greatest mysteries and wonders of an ancient world beset by magic and evil.

In Pathfinder Society Organized Play, you play a member of the Pathfinder Society, seeking fortune and glory all over the face of Golarion. At the same time, your character works for one of the competing factions, all with their own motivations and secret agendas. Play is organized into Seasons, throughout which the actions and achievements of you and your fellow Pathfinders create an ongoing story line. Each season consists of at least 28 Pathfinder Society scenarios (short, 4-hour adventures) set in a variety of exotic locations across Golarion.

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You don't need a developed character to play. The Center has level one characters so new players can see how to play. If you would like help on creating a character, we have many experienced people that can help with your character creation.

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For more information, contact Raymond at raymond.havili@yahoo.com

Join the Pathfinder Society and create your character now!
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety

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Sign up at: 

Women's Group

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This group is open to all women - lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and allies. This group provides a fun, safe and inviting environment for women to meet other women, socialize and enjoy stimulating conversations. Come celebrate, support, promote, and empower other local women. Contact our Women's Group at

Men's Group

This group is  for all men - gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and allies. This group provides a fun, safe and inviting environment for men to socialize and enjoy stimulating conversations. 

ABOUT THE SOUTH BAY CENTER

Our Mission

Our mission statement:The Lesbian, Gay, Bi & Transgender Community Organization's mission is to provide a focal point for the members of our community in the South Bay for education, social interaction, personal growth, and political power, and to foster public understanding of our community.

Our History

“The South Bay Lesbian and Gay Community Organization, Inc.” came into existence during the second half of 1989 after a series of community meetings   where need and interests were discussed, and various committees formed to implement a formal organization.

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As the group searched for a facility, activities were planned and held in private homes,  rented public places, and out-of-doors. Soon a newsletter was published and mailed to a large mailing list. That publication continued each month until the organization made the decision to go electronic in 2008.

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By November 1989, a steering committee had created and filed the necessary paperwork with both state and federal agencies to incorporate the new organization as a non-profit educational organization, The “501(C)3” status allowing it to receive tax deductible donations was granted soon thereafter. At the same time, an initial Board of Directors was formed, and the first “home” opened on Artesia Boulevard in Redondo Beach.

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Over the years the name has evolved to include “Bi” and later “Transgender”, recognizing the actual diversity within the organization and the community it serves.

The organization is currently located in a mini-mall at 16610 Crenshaw Boulevard in Torrance, and is more commonly known as “The South Bay LGBT Center”

Our Board

Alphonzo Hicks, President and Board Chairman

Alphonzo Hicks is the current President and Board Chair of the South Bay LGBTQ Center.  He also sits on the board of the Manhattan Beach / South Bay chapter of PFLAG.   Alphonzo is  a devoted lead volunteer at the Center, heavily involved in the organization’s social media efforts, art shows, other social events, and more. A businessman who ran his own coffeehouse in Long Beach, he has served as board president for his condominium’s homeowners association and has been active in LGBT organizations since the early 1990s, serving in many different capacities. While attending Long Beach City College, he was president of the school’s Rainbow Alliance, where he helped organize both on-campus and off-campus events. Later, while completing his Bachelors of Arts degrees, he was vice president of UC Irvine’s LGBT student group. With the South Bay Center, he has participated in LGBT parades and AIDS Walk events, and World AIDS Day, and organized regular HIV testing dates, art shows, and youth events with El Camino College. He currently lives in the Willowbrook/Lynwood area.

Contact Alphonzo at ahicks@southbaycenter.org

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Gary North, Vice President

Gary North is currently South Bay LGBT Center’s vice president. He is a co-founder/past president of BiNet USA; founder of the first U.S. national bi newsletter (Bisexuality: News, Views, and Networking); longtime journalist and former president of L.A. Newspaper Guild Local 69/TNG-CWA AFL-CIO (the guild is now part of CWA Local 9400); co-founder of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association L.A. Chapter; and a founder/leader of numerous bi support groups, including the Bi & Beyond group at the South Bay Center. He is married to a woman who was an assigned AIDS caregiver for his husband, who died in 1993. Through her three grown children, Gary is a grandfather of eight and great-grandfather of at least two.

Contact Gary at gnorth@southbaycenter.org

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Mary Simun, Treasurer​

Mary Simun is a recently retired high school science teacher who is active in the local community, having served as president of Friends of the Redondo Beach Library and sponsored the Gay-Straight Alliance for several years at Redondo Unified High School. Raised by parents who were active in civil rights issues, she was 5 years old when she was handing out fliers encouraging people to avoid buying table grapes and head lettuce because farm workers were being exposed to toxic pesticides, and she has been active in civil and human rights ever since. She also made possible the Center’s bright building sign that can finally be seen from Crenshaw and 166th. She and her wife live in the South Bay area. 

Contact Mary at msimun@southbaycenter.org

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Frank Davis, Secretary

Known to many of us as “Frankie,” Frankie was born and raised just a few blocks from the Center’s current Torrance location.  A recent graduate from the University of California, Irvine with a Bachelor’s in Arts for Psychology and Frankie also plans to pursue a career in clinical counseling or therapy for people with mental health disorders.  Frankie would like to promote love and acceptance towards everyone that walks into our center looking for help/assistance.  Frankie is also a member of Q-Faith community a faith group that meets at the Center every Sunday morning.

         Contact Frank at fdavis@southbaycenter.org

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Edwin Aceves, Events Coordinator

Edwin Alfonso Aceves is a resident of Hawthorne, California. He has lived in the South Bay for most of his life.  

He attended Lennox Middle School, Hawthorne High School, Animo Leadership Charter High School, and El Camino College.  He considers himself to be a very proud and active member of the queer community.  At a very young age, Edwin knew he was gay and knew exactly what environment he would have liked to grow up in. He feels it’s important that our community supports one another and grows together. His goal is to make sure he is helping to contribute to the queer community. At the end of the day Edwin wants to help his community and create the queer spaces that he wishes he had when he was growing up.  Contact Edwin at eaceves@southbaycenter.org

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