Organizational Ally to Queer Youth – Awardee:
Niji Dojo | Awardee
Niji Dojo lives up to its name and is a safe haven for all youth who learn there. “Niji ” means “rainbow” in Japanese, and the martial arts school was aptly named to highlight its inclusivity. Niji stands out from other schools like it is for its unparalleled affirmation and undertaking of queer advocacy issues. Instructors welcome students sharing their pronouns at the start of class, and the staff stays alert to ensure that no student is misgendered, outed, or referred to in a way that’s uncomfortable to them. Studio decor includes symbols of diversity, including pride flags, which helps promote a feeling of warmth and safety. While it primarily focuses on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the dojo offers yoga, striking and trauma-informed self-defense classes. The latter are free and accessible to all.
Organizational Ally to Queer Youth – Nominees:
Raíces y Cariño Family Center | Nominee
Raíces y Cariño Family Center (RC Fam) is a hub of inclusive community support and services for all families in Watsonville and the tri-county area. The Center hosted the first Drag Story Time event in Watsonville last May, and continue to do so, despite being targeted by anti-LGBT+ protesters. It also hosts a support group for Spanish speaking families of gender diverse kids, in collaboration with TransFamilies of Santa Cruz County. This January, it hosted the first local LGBTQIA2S+ inclusive wedding fair. RC Fam provides a gender and family inclusive lactation support group, birth education, and parent support. The Center recently received grant funding to bring cultural- and language-inclusive LGBTQIA2S+ groups to the area. RC Fam was also instrumental in mobilizing support for Pajaro families during the flooding that devastated their community in 2023.
Rainbow Defense Coalition of Santa Cruz County & Pajaro Valley | Nominee
Rainbow Defense Coalition of Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley (RDC) was launched in May 2023 to keep the first Watsonville Drag Story Time event safe. The coalition provides its volunteers with training in nonviolence, empathic de-escalation, and self-defense. These volunteers then respond in “brigades” to local events supporting queer youth as needed. The brigades display rainbow flags and umbrellas to create a festive, joyful atmosphere that expresses queer joy while also creating safety by their presence. In the first nine months, over 90 volunteers signed up. RDC responded to over 15 local events in their first year, including Glitter Kids Camp; Queer, Trans & Allied Student Summit; and Understanding Gender Summit. A documentary film about Drag Story Time and the origin of RDC was featured in the 2024 Watsonville Film Festival.
San Lorenzo Valley Middle School (SLVMS) Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) | Nominee
The San Lorenzo Valley Middle School Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) provides safe spaces on campus for LGBTQIA2S+ students and is a safe space for anyone in the entire student population. Members meet every Friday for lunch, where they share a welcoming place for all students. GSA members promote the club on campus with posters they designed and create posters with inclusive messaging that are made visible to all students to remind them that they have safe spaces and people on campus to support them. For the school’s annual winter carnival this year, GSA club members petitioned a teacher and the principal to be at the center of a water balloon-throwing event to raise funds for charities, which included $210 for The Trevor Project.
Scotts Valley City Council | Nominee
Scotts Valley City Council members unanimously show allyship to LGBTQIA2S+ youth in many ways. The Council’s actions demonstrate a dedication to showing LGBTQIA2S+ youth that they are safe and supported in Scotts Valley. This includes flying a Progress Pride flag each June for Pride month, attending and inviting LGBTQIA2S+ youth and adults to events such as the flag raising and lowering, and keeping LGBTQIA2S+ issues alive in their platforms and during campaigns. In April 2024, the Council officially made inclusivity one of its priorities by creating a children’s bill of rights. Other ways in which its leadership shows up as an ally include supporting the QYLA in Scotts Valley, promoting positive representation in public schools, supporting the community in hanging the Progress Pride Flag year-round, and celebrating Pride Month.
Trans Non-binary Student Union (TNBSU) of Pacific Collegiate School (PCS) | Nominee
Founded in 2021, the Trans Non-Binary Student Union (TNBSU) of Pacific Collegiate School (PCS) aims to foster community, education, and inclusion for students on all parts of the gender spectrum. The group creates a safe space for transgender and non-binary youth to cultivate leadership, find their voice, and connect with peers. More recently, the TNBSU students prepared a resolution that seeks to uphold LGBTQIA2S+ rights and actively push back on transphobic legislation if it emerges in the local community. Although a challenging process, the TNBSU group was ultimately successful and the resolution was approved by the school board.
