“Organizers estimate some 7,000 people attended this year's Pride Parade and Festival, celebrating the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. And about 60 groups participated in the parade to honor the community's "trailblazers," who were the earliest to march, said Adam Spickler, former president of the Diversity Center of Santa Cruz.” Read more and view photos from the event in the Santa Cruz Sentinel … [Read more...]
LGBT State News: LGBT Conference Empowers Students to Push Back Against Harassment
This past Saturday at Edison High School in Fresno, CA over 100 students took part in a conference meant to connect adults and teens with the purpose of encouraging safe schools and pushing back against harassment inflicted on LGBT students. Events such as this promote solidarity among High School GSA’s across California. To read more and watch a video visit YourCentralValley.com … [Read more...]
LGBT Local News: Hundreds Walk for Santa Cruz AIDS Project
“Hundreds of people walked roughly 6 miles Saturday to remember those who died of AIDS and to show support for the Santa Cruz AIDS Project.” Read More at KSBW … [Read more...]
GSA Summit
Santa Cruz County LGBTQ youth meet to network, encourage one another SANTA CRUZ -- Heather Turley and Anissa Balderas stood face to face Saturday during an ice breaker at the Gay-Straight Alliance Summit. "Remember your first coming out day?" said Turley, 16, a student at Watsonville High School. "There were really awkward moments and no one was talking." Balderas, 16, who was also a student at Watsonville High School, smiled and the two laughed. They were two of 20 middle school and high school students from across the county attending … [Read more...]
3rd Annual “Dine Out for Queer Youth” at Saturn Café
Community members turned out for another successful outing at the Saturn Café for the third annual "Dine Out for Queer Youth" -- dining with family & friends while raising funds for queer youth projects in Santa Cruz County. Some of the raffle prizes for adults included two (2) Mount Hermon Redwood Canopy "Zip Line" Tours, Value $180, Fused Glass Platter from Patsy's Studio, Value: $60, Artisans Gallery necklaces, Value $65 each and more. Some of the raffle prizes for youth included a Saturn Café T-shirt, Peet's Coffee & Tea Gift Cards, … [Read more...]
2013 Good Times Community Fund Nonprofit Recipients Announced
September 16, 2013 (Aptos) – Four Santa Cruz County Nonprofits Will Get Help Through Annual Fund Drive. Four local nonprofits will get year-end help raising funds and awareness for their programs through the Good Times Community Fund drive. With matching funds from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, we're again joining forces with the Good Times to help kids and families through the work of these nonprofits. Soon, we'll be asking you to give to one or more of these four groups to help them reduce youth and domestic violence, stop … [Read more...]
Youth Empowerment Summit 2012
For the third consecutive year, The Queer Youth Task Force worked with students from twelve Gay-Straight Alliance student clubs and their advisers, administrators from Santa Cruz City Schools (Eileen Brown) and Pajaro Valley Unified School District (Murry Schekman) and community member Mike Dively to send 66 students from Santa Cruz County to the Youth Empowerment Summit (YES) in San Francisco on December 15th via two chartered buses. A wide range of leadership, health and safe school workshops were provided to the youth so that they could … [Read more...]
Youth Empowerment Summit 2011
The Queer Youth Task Force worked with students from seven Gay-Straight Alliance student clubs and their advisers, administrators from Santa Cruz City Schools (Eileen Brown) and Pajaro Valley Unified School District (Murry Schekman) and community member Mike Dively to send 81 students from Santa Cruz County to the Youth Empowerment Summit (YES) in San Francisco on December 10th via two chartered buses. Read more in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. … [Read more...]