Go north about 20 miles or south about 30 miles and you will hit a metropolis which provides the LGBTQ community with numerous social outlets – an LGBTQ Center, community meeting places, theaters, bars, restaurants, etc. However, San Mateo County has been an LGBTQ desert for all of the 14 years that I have lived here. My husband and I have done most of our socializing in San Francisco since that is where we lived before and we knew places to go to meet our needs. I know that San Jose has also been an outlet for many LGBTQ folks in San Mateo since that is the community they know best. However, San Mateo had nothing until an LGBTQ Senior Peer Counselor group was established at Peninsula Family Service about 10 years ago.

Ever since then, a small group of us from PFS have talked about the need for a center in our community. Finally in June of 2017, an LGBTQ Center was opened on El Camino Real in San Mateo, a first for our community brought about through the collaborative efforts of various non-profit groups in the county: Peninsula Family Service, the County of San Mateo Health and Recovery Services, Star Vista, Outlet of Adolescent Counseling Services, and Daly City Partnership and Pyramid Alternatives. The center provides a variety of services for clients of all ages – support groups and workshops for transgender members of our community, workshops on real estate in the county, Friday movie night, and a myriad of other activities. Check out the facebook page at: San Mateo County Pride Center for a listing of all activities coming up at the center.

Needless to say, the center has been a boon to our community as LGBTQ folks no longer have to drive north or south to find resources, they’re right here in our backyard. Check out the calendar and come to the center to participate, enjoy and offer any services or skills you have.