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13th Annual Queer Youth Leadership Awards

Saturday, May 15, 2010

New Brighton Middle School 250 Washburn Avenue, Capitola, 95010

5:30 pm - Buffet Dinner Catered by Village Caterers

7:00 pm - Awards Ceremony

9:00 pm - Community Dance

Announcing the 2010 QYLA Nominees and Awardees

The Queer Youth Task Force is proud to announce this years nominees and awardees for:

  • The Queer Youth Leadership Award
  • The Ally to Queer Youth Awar
  • The Organizational Ally to Queer Youth Award

QYLA in the Media & Community

  • Santa Cruz Sentinel article about QYLA
  • Mary Lou Goeke’s column about QYLA in the Register-Pajaronian
  • Bookshop Santa Cruz's QYLA display
  • To watch last year's QYLA, visit the QYLA YouTube page
  • ">Watch the Community TV PSA

Sponsor or Host a Table!

Please reserve your table by Thursday, May 13th. Click here to learn more about becoming a QYLA Table Sponsor or Host. Help us honor and celebrate queer youth leadership!

QYLA Tickets Available!

Tickets can be purchased at The Diversity Center, First Congregational Church-UCC, Streetlight Records, and The Ugly Mug. Adult tickets: $25 - $65 Sliding Scale. Youth/Senior tickets: $10. Tickets can also be ordered online at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For more information, click here.

Volunteer at QYLA

The QYLA is looking for dynamic volunteers to help on the day of the event, May 15th. There are many different opportunities for people with all types of commitment levels. Want to play a big role in setting up the QYLA? Only have time to help for an hour? Great! Let us know how you can help and we will gladly work with you. Contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (831) 427-4004.

10:30 am - 1:30 pm -- Morning Set up: 3 - 4 volunteers
Set up tables, chairs, linens, etc. buffet tables area, etc

10:30 am - 1:30 pm -- Decorations: 4 - 5 volunteers
Decorate the tables and the space.

1:00 - 2:30 pm -- Miscellaneous Support: 2 - 3 volunteers

3:30 - 5:30 pm -- Afternoon Catering Set up Crew: 3 - 4 volunteers
Help the caterers set up for dinner and prepare food for the buffet -- helps make the prep smooth.

5:30 - 7:00 pm -- Evening Catering Dinner Crew: 3 - 4 volunteers
Help the caterers serve dinner -- helps the Caterer during the dinner to make sure everything runs smooth.

7:00 - 8:30 pm -- Evening Catering Clean up Crew: 3 - 4 volunteers
Help the caterers clean up -- helps Caterer after dinner with rinsing and sorting of the dinner plates and utensils.

9:00 - 10:30 pm -- Post Event Clean up Crew: 6 volunteers
Put away tables and chairs for dancing and clean the hall after the dance. Take down of posters, decorations, etc.

Season of Celebration: Upcoming Queer Events

April 17  Safe, Empowered, X-traordinary, Youth Health Summit
May 15  Queer Youth Leadership Awards, New Brighton Middle School
June 5  Strawberry Festival, Walnut Ave Women’s Center
June 5  Dyke March, Santa Cruz Clock Tower
June 6  Pride Santa Cruz, San Lorenzo Park
June 10  Rainbow Graduation, UCSC

QYLA Nominations

Thank you to everyone who nominated a queer youth, an ally to queer youth and/or an organizational ally to queer youth. All nominees will be honored on May 15!

Welcome Lex!

QYLA is proud to announce and welcome Lex as the 2010 QYLA Coordinator! Lex, a 2009 Ally to Queer Youth awardee, is a spoken word artist in Santa Cruz and a UCSC Alumni (Oaks 2005). Lex facilitates cultural competency workshops on anti-racism work and combating homophobia and transphobia both locally and nationally. Lex performs locally and nationally. This year marks Lex's third year with QYLA, first performing in 2008.

The QYLA is an opportunity to honor and celebrate queer youth and their allies who have demonstrated exceptional leadership. Leaders come from all walks of life and are actively engaged in academics, sports, theatre, art, activism or music. Help us honor and celebrate queer youth or their ally who are making a difference and positively impacting our community!

Please consider supporting Lex either as a volunteer, co-sponsor or supporter and help make the 2010 QYLA a grand success!

For more information, contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (831) 427-4004.

2009 Awardees and Elected Officials

Thanks for Making the 12th Annual QYLA a Success!

Over 250 people showed up to another sold-out Queer Youth Leadership Awards in 2009. As they arrived, they were welcomed by a community resource fair and a welcome letter from Fifth District Supervisor Mark Stone, Scotts Valley City Mayor Randy Johnson and Scotts Valley Unified School District School Board President Sue Roth. Village Caterers provided a beautiful buffet dinner with pasta and salad, and Val VanderLaan put together a wide array of deserts from Black China Bakery, The Graceful Cookie, Dancing Deer Cookie Company, New Leaf and Trader Joes. The show included energetic performances by Aptos Junior High School's Gay Straight Alliance, Lex, Angel Mejia, Horizontes and STRANGE. There performers were joined by powerful speakers, including, Gail Levine, Monica Morales and Ron Indra. Out of nine exceptional nominees, four youth, Rio Vander-Stahl, Maddie Smith, Savanna Roderick-Deffee and Charlie McNeill were awarded the 2009 Queer Youth Leadership Award. From eleven nominations for the Ally to Queer Youth Award, Lex, one of the night's performers, was chosen. Nominee Aptos Junior High School awardee Watsonville Drama Class were recognized as Organizational Allies to Queer Youth. After the show, DJ EKO kept everyone dancing until the end of the night.
 
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