Dear Pride Family,
As the new school year begins, I find myself reminiscing about the excitement and nervousness that come with returning to school. Reflecting on my own experiences, I recall how my family’s frequent moves—from city to city and even across countries—made navigating school and understanding my queer identity particularly challenging. Raised in two countries with different languages and cultural norms, finding support and a safe space to be my authentic self was not easy.
Thankfully, times have changed. I am hopeful that more LGBTQIA+ youth are coming out earlier, thanks to increased support at home, at school, or both. However, I recognize that for many LGBTQIA+ youth, this time of year can still be filled with stress and uncertainty. Despite progress in LGBTQIA+ acceptance, many young individuals continue to face bullying, erasure, discrimination, violence, and even threats of expulsion due to their identities. Based on the Trevor Project National Survey, more than half (54%) of transgender and nonbinary young people found their school to be gender-affirming, and those who did reported lower rates of attempting suicide. The support provided to LGBTQIA+ youth varies widely across districts, schools, classrooms, and among faculty, often leaving many feeling vulnerable and unsupported. However LGBTQIA+ young people who reported living in very accepting communities attempted suicide at less than half the rate of those who reported living in very unaccepting communities.
In California, the new AB 1955 SAFETY Act brings promising changes. This legislation mandates that the California Department of Education (CDE) develop resources and strategies to support LGBTQIA+ students and their families. It also prohibits retaliation or adverse actions against employees who support students’ rights or provide instruction consistent with state law and educational standards. Importantly, it prevents employees from being forced to disclose a student’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression without the student’s consent and nullifies any public school policy that requires such disclosure.
Despite these advancements, the SAFETY Act is being implemented amidst ongoing legal battles in Southern California. Here in East County, the Cajon Valley Union School District has removed LGBTQIA+ people from its sexual health curriculum, and just passed a “parental rights” policy on Tuesday of this week, in flagrant violation of state law. These lawsuits debate whether teachers should be required to inform parents if a student changes their gender identity, highlighting the tension between parents’ rights to be informed and students’ rights to privacy. The legal disputes are complex, and the final outcomes and applications of these laws remain uncertain.
I was able to make the most of my school experience by staying true to myself, and I believe you can too. Remember to stay authentic, embrace your style, and surround yourself with people who appreciate and support you as you are. Bring your own pronoun pins and fidget toys, and check out this fabulous zine for additional support and resources.
Liliana Hueso
Youth Programs Manager
She/They/Ella
San Diego Pride raises funds primarily through festival ticket and beverage sales, and through sponsorships, and exhibitor fees. These funds support San Diego Pride’s community philanthropy which has distributed more than $2.5 million in advancement of its mission to foster pride, equality, and respect for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities locally, nationally, and globally.
