SAN DIEGO -- With Tax Day approaching, many people are scrambling to get their tax returns filed by the April 17 deadline.

For many same-sex couples, filing a tax return can be extra challenging because of the various state and federal laws that affect them.

The San Diego LGBT Community Center will host a LGBT Tax Filing Seminar on Thursday, March 22, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Representatives from the office of California State Controller John Chiang, the IRS and the Franchise Tax Board will discuss some of the most common questions that LGBT couples have on state and federal taxes.

SAN DIEGO -- As part of its efforts to help prepare the next generation of LGBT and allied equality leaders, The San Diego LGBT Community Center, through its Young Professionals Council (YPC), will launch the first YPC Academy this year.

Applications are now being accepted for the inaugural YPC Academy, which will consist of six leadership development courses, held on the weekend, over a three-month period this spring. Each course will be a full day of training and discussion and will focus on a specific area of leadership development.

Ian Johnson does it all! Not only does he volunteer for numerous community organizations, but he also works at The San Diego LGBT Community Center helping to organize special events, as a manager at Martinis Above Fourth (where he helps organize and MC the annual charity wreath auction and AIDS Walk "Summer Splash" fundraiser), and he appears on the weekly online talk show, "They Said."

Ian, who is 36 years old (and said "wow, I'm 36" when sharing his age), is from Diamond Bar, California and has been in San Diego for nearly 16 years. He is single.

Looking back, 2011 seems to have been a year where many of us lost loved ones.

Whether it’s just our age group, or life slapping us in the face, it seems to be happening all around us.
 
What if you were to die today?

I know it's not a fun topic, but it's a necessary conversation to have.

Many individuals recognize the benefits of planning for the future.  Such efforts often uncover problems and frequently provide the motivation to make needed changes. 

For the most part, the issues involved are positive and enjoyable (i.e. retirement, well–educated children, etc.).