Our Vision
Our vision is for Santa Cruz County to be a model of safe and inclusive schools for all students and families and especially for LGBTQ students. The research is clear: when students feel safe, supported and included in school, their learning increases, their engagement increases and more students graduate from high school who are college and career ready. All students should feel a sense of belonging in our schools.
Across Santa Cruz County, 13% of our students in grades 7-12 identify as LGBTQ+ according to the California Healthy Kids Survey (2023). That is approximately 3 students in every classroom.
Listen to Santa Cruz County LGBTQ youth share how they came out to their parents and give suggestions on how to foster a positive coming out experience.
Community and Family Resources
Community members from throughout the county provide a variety of resources for students and families. Whether you are a parent, grandparent, friend, teacher or student, these incredible resources across our county are supportive of our local LGBTQ+ community.
Santa Cruz County
- Diversity Center. Ongoing programs and counseling services for LGBTQ+ people.
- Diversity Center Youth Programs. Ongoing youth programs and counseling services.
- Santa Cruz Safe Schools Program. Partnerships, programs and task forces with schools and school districts for more inclusive schools.
- Trans Family Support Services. Transgender student and family support.
- Encompass Mental Health. Mental Health support in Santa Cruz.
- Salud Para La Gente Mental Health. Mental Health support in Watsonville.
- Queer Youth Task Force (QYTF). Queer youth programs and updates including annual rainbow conference for youth held each year in October.
- Queer Youth Leadership Awards. Yearly awards program in May.
- Santa Cruz MAH Queer Santa Cruz Exhibit. Learn about Santa Cruz queer history.
- Santa Cruz Public Libraries – Queer Fiction Books
State of California
- California Department of Education: Supporting LGBTQ+ Students
- California State Attorney General: Guidance for LGBTQ+ Students.
- GSA Network. Statewide organization that focuses on student LGBTQ+ clubs based in San Francisco.
- Our Family Coalition LGBTQ+ family support based in San Francisco.
- GLBT Historical Society Primary source documents and exhibits located in San Francisco.
- ONE Institute Primary source documents, lesson plans and exhibits located in Los Angeles.
- ONE Archives USC. Primary source documents and exhibits located in Los Angeles.
Learning, Curriculum and Teaching Resources
View the many resources that may be used for teaching at any grade level.
- SCCOE Curated Teacher Resources Lesson Plans, Activities, Videos, Timelines, Primary Sources, Podcasts
- October: LGBTQ+ History Month Lesson Plans
- May: Raising the Rainbow Flag / Harvey Milk Day Lesson Plans and Resources
- Literature – Top 40 Literature Books
- Literature Book Curriculum Guides
- Purple Sticker Project – Identifying LGBTQ+ literature in libraries
- Past Events and Workshops. Slide Decks and Recordings
Student Data
Since 2019, our county office has disaggregated the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) data for LGBTQ+ students. Students in grades 7, 9 and 11 complete the CHKS survey every other year. The data below focuses on LGBTQ+ students across Santa Cruz County.
According to the State Attorney General’s Office, In 2024, 2.8 million people in California identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender — the largest number of any state in the nation at 9.5% of the population.
According to Santa Cruz County Healthy Kids Survey Results in 2023, 13% of students in grades 7-12 in Santa Cruz County identify as LGBTQ+.
View Healthy Kids Survey data reports about LGBTQ+ students.
Student Voices / Student Rights
LGBTQ+ students in our county continue to take on leadership roles across the county and in our schools. This section focuses on student rights and services across our county and state, and our student voices.
Santa Cruz County Schools
Santa Cruz County Resource Organization for LGBTQ+ Students and Families [Link to “Community Resources” above].
- Santa Cruz County Office of Education Guidance for Students
- Dec. 2024: Letter to Santa Cruz County Schools from Superintendents
- Feb. 2025 Newsletter: Supporting our Gender Diverse Students
Santa Cruz County
- County of Santa Cruz LGBTQ+ Rights
- County of Santa Cruz Health Services for Youth
State of California
- My School, My Rights / LGBTQ+ Students Developed by the California ACLU.
- California Department of Education: Supporting LGBTQ+ Students
- California State Attorney General: Guidance for LGBTQ+ Students.
- California State Attorney General Videos and Press Releases:
- Feb. 2025 Video Message for California Students by State Attorney General Rob Bonta
- June 18. 2025: Affirms Ongoing Gender Affirming Care for Transgender Youth
- Feb. 4, 2025: California Schools Will Remain a Welcoming, Safe Place for All
- Jan. 10, 2024: Forced Outing Policies
- Jan. 9, 2024: Statement about LGBTQ+ Inclusive Curriculum
- ACLU: LGBTQ+ Rights and Laws in California
- ACLU: LGBTQ+ Student Rights
- ACLU: Recent Court Cases About LGBTQ+ Youth
Advocacy
Our county and our state are among the most inclusive places for LGBTQ+ students and their families. Our ongoing work can be found in the resources below and that includes our state laws and policies supportive of LGBTQ+ students.
Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County Office of Education Board Resolutions
May 2025: Celebrating Pride Month
(Add) October: LGBTQ+ History Month
Superintendent Articles and Newsletters
Dec. 2024: Letter to Santa Cruz County Schools from Superintendents
Feb. 2025 Newsletter: Supporting our Gender Diverse Students
State of California
- LGBTQ+ Student Laws – List of Recent Laws Aligned to State Education Code
- California LGBTQ+ Caucus Priorities and Past Laws
- Equality California Legislation
From the California Attorney General’s Office:
- California Department of Justice’s Guidance to School Officials on Forced Disclosure Policies re: Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students
- California Department of Justice’s Guidance to School Officials re: Legal Requirements for Providing Inclusive Curricula and Books
- California Department of Justice’s Health Equity and Civil Rights webpage
- California Department of Justice’s LGBTQ+ Discrimination Rights webpage
- Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Intersex (TGI) Inclusive Care Act
- California Department of Health Care Services’ Medi-Cal State Inmate Program and Medi-Cal County Inmate Program webpage
- California Civil Rights Department’s The Rights of Employees Who Are Transgender or Gender Nonconforming fact sheet
- California Department of Insurance’s Equal Access to Health Insurance: Coverage for Transgender Californians webpage
- California Department of Managed Health Care’s TGI Care webpage