PVUSD Harvey Milk Day Pride Flag Raising Event

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District celebrated Harvey Milk Day on May 22nd with their fourth annual Progress Pride Flag raising event. A large crowd of adult allies joined 4th through 12th grade LGBTQ+ and ally students from six different PVUSD schools as they spoke about Harvey Milk, the history of the Progress Pride flag, and their personal experiences. Among the student speakers were 2024 QYLA awardee Eli Romero-Ortigosa, who shared movingly in Spanish about how meaningful it is for marginalized students to see visible shows of support from adults at school, and 2024 QYLA nominees Mark Mendoza Luengas, Bella Umeki-Martinez, Evan Jacques-Maynes, Sadie Maher, and Jonathan Escobar. New PVUSD Superintendent Dr. Heather Contreras made it clear that she is a strong ally to queer and trans youth, stating, “I’m looking forward to the fifth year, the 10th year and even the 30th year as we grow this participation in years to come.” – Jen Salinas-Holz, PVUSD GSA/QSA Advisor