September 23, 2019

The San Diego Union Tribune: North County LGBTQ Resource Center’s Disposti named Constituent of Month by Rep. Levin

U.S. Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, has named North County LGBTQ Resource Center founder Max Disposti as his Constituent of the Month for September.

“Max’s tireless work to open the Center filled a void in support services and resources for LGBTQ families and has made a positive impact on countless lives in our community,” said Levin in a statement submitted to the Congressional Record.

“With the help of others in the community like Carolyn Bolton, who now serves as Board Chair for the Center, Max was able to provide our LGBTQ neighbors with a safe place to receive resources and feel more comfortable in their community.”

Disposti founded the nonprofit North County LGBT Coalition in 2008. Four years later, the North County LGBTQ Resource Center opened. Disposti now serves as executive director.

The center, a 501(c)3 organization, serves the lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and questioning (LGBTQ) community of North County, which includes Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Rancho Bernardo, Fallbrook, Camp Pendleton and other outlying areas.

Services at the center, 3220 Mission Ave., Suite 2, Oceanside, include support groups for youths, seniors and military service members, HIV and AIDS testing and prevention, counseling, and assistance with housing and meals. The center also provides civil rights advocacy, classes and work groups. Call (760) 994-1690; visit https://www.ncresourcecenter.org.

“Ultimately, one of the most significant benefits of the Resource Center is its ability to make the LGBTQ community more visible in North County,” Levin’s statement continued. “Everyone in our community should feel safe and welcome. Unfortunately, that has not always been the experience of our LGBTQ neighbors. There is much more that we need to do to ensure that LGBTQ individuals have the same rights and protections as anyone else. That’s why I was proud to help introduce and pass the Equality Act to finally, fully end discrimination against LGBTQ Americans. I’m proud to stand with Max and so many others in North County’s LGBTQ community in fighting for equality.”

Levin started the Constituent of the Month program earlier this year to recognize outstanding North County and South Orange County residents. July’s Constituent of the Month was Oceanside Women’s Resource Center co-founder Colleen O’Harra. The August nominee was Doug Gibson, executive director and principal scientist of the Nature Collective in San Elijo.

To nominate a resident of the 49th District to be the Constituent of the Month, visit http://mikelevin.house.gov/services/constituent-month or call (760) 599-5000.

###


Source: By LAURA GROCH