August 2026
- pflaghuntingtonbea
- Aug 1
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 5
SUPPORT:
Join Us! PFLAG Huntington Beach Support Meeting, Pasta Night & Special Guest Speaker:
Date: 8/13/26
Time: 6:30-8:00pm
Location & RSVP: For details email us @ pflaghuntingtonbeach@gmail.com
Ben Greene is a transgender advocate and educator who has spoken internationally on topics surrounding transgender inclusion. After coming out at 15 in a small town, Ben has devoted his career to spreading empathy, education, and storytelling around the trans experience. Whether it's for NASA, Johnson & Johnson, or over 200 PFLAG chapters, Ben leads with joy. He is the author of the substack "Good Queer News", as well as the book "My Child is Trans, Now What? A Joy Centered Approach to Support". He has been nominated for a GLAAD media award and is a fierce advocate for transgender youth and their families, regularly speaking in their defense at the Missouri State Capitol. He is passionate about leading with joy and educating others from a place of compassion—no matter where they’re starting from.
Community:
Upcoming Events!
Stay connected with August LGBTQ+ events happening in Orange County & Long Beach
August 8: Speaker training for new Speakers Bureau
Breakfast & Lunch will be served
Time: 9:00am-1:00pm
Location: Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church 2845 Mesa Verde Drive East Costa Mesa, CA
August 9: Disability Pride Month Fundraiser
Time: 3:00-6:00pm
Location: Queens Lounge 515 N Main St. Santa Ana, CA 92701
August 13: PFLAG HB Support Meeting
See details above.
August 22: Back-up Speaker training for new Speakers Bureau (if you attend on 8/8, you do not need to attend this additional session.)
Breakfast & Lunch will be served
Time: 9:00am-1:00pm
Location: Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church 2845 Mesa Verde Drive East Costa Mesa, CA
MYTE Summer Days 2026 – July 9–Aug 13, 2026 – A summer series of community gatherings, workshops, and celebrations hosted by The LGBTQ Center Long Beach
Education: In The News...
The top news impacting the local LGBTQ+ community in the past month.
Federal:
Child Welfare & Healthcare Rule Changes: The Administration of Children and Family Services formally removed rules from the Code of Federal Regulations that previously required child welfare and foster agencies to maintain designated affirming placements for LGBTQ+ youth.
Gender-Affirming Care & Medicare Rules: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CMS confirmed they are continuing regulatory review on proposed conditions for hospital participation in Medicare and Medicaid regarding youth gender care, keeping health policy and administrative requirements top of mind for health systems nationwide.
California:
Several state measures passed in previous legislative cycles went into effect on July 1, 2026, alongside mid-year budget priorities:
School Gender-Neutral Bathrooms
Student ID & Crisis Support
State Budget & Legislative Support: Includes the allocation of $26 million for a Gender-Affirming Care Trust Fund to support provider stabilization and Medi-Cal billing pathways. Related bills related to data privacy and interstate protections for care providers.
Long Beach:
Long Beach Pride Organization Governance:
Following administrative and permitting disputes between event organizers and the City of Long Beach that disrupted 2026 festival events, Long Beach Pride leadership held public accountability meetings. They published a detailed timeline and commit to structural governance and financial reforms ahead of future planning.
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