11th Annual QYLA
Saturday April 26th
QYLA in the Press
Contact the QYLA:
site hosting donated by cruzio
Posters and Flyers now Available
Help the QYLA advertise and get the word out. We now have posters, flyers and handbills to pick up and distribute. Posters (11x17”), flyers (8.5x11”) and handbills (4.25x5.5”) are available for your organization, group, business and school. The posters and handbills are in gorgeous color. Contact us for your copies!
Download the 2008 QYLA Printed Program
Click here (or on the image to the left) to download the Printed Program, 24.6 MB.
Santa Cruz Sentinel
“Rally Brings Attention to Challenges Faced by Gay Teens: Demonstration a Prelude to Queer Youth Awards” April 26th, 2008

Click here to download the full article, or click here to read it on the Santa Cruz Sentinel’s website.
Santa Cruz Sentinel
“Teens Honored with Queer Youth Awards” April 25th, 2008

Click here to download the full article, or click here to read it on the Mercury News online, and here for the Santa Cruz Sentinel’s online page.
QYLA on KUSP “Talk of the Bay”
88.9 Central Coast Public Radio
April 22nd, 2008

Hear the stories of Sarananda Osheim, Carla Gonzalez, Stuart Rosenstein and Jacob Breslow. The show discusses coming out in middle school, high school and college, and talks about the National Day of Silence, April 25th 2008. We also discuss the use of the word “queer” and the ways that our communities can start supporting queer youth. KUSP is a co-sponsor of the 11th Annual Queer Youth Leadership Awards.
To hear the radio broadcast, visit the KUSP audio archive here and click on listen under “Hightower: New Ways to Farm” Tuesday, April 22. The interview with the Queer Youth Leadership Awards Starts half way through the podcast at 31:55.
There is also a direct link to the show here.
United Way Community Matters
“In Support of Family and Community: 11th Annual Queer Youth Leadership Awards”
By Mary Lou Goeke
April 17th, 2008

This is a story I’ve heard before, I thought to myself. Another tale of a child whose parents don’t understand or don’t know how to continue loving and accepting them after they come out. It’s a story that rings too true for the youth across Santa Cruz County. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) youth face a wide range of reactions from their parents, from anger and rejection to tolerance and acceptance. However, it is the silence and invisibility that is said to be the most painful and isolating part of the coming out process.
As I continued listening to the show, however, the story quickly changed. The young woman, Sarananda Osheim, a senior at a local Santa Cruz high school, told the audience that after she had become involved in education and visibility activism for local LGBTQ youth, her father saw the amazing potential of his daughter and has since become one of the most loving and supportive forces in her life...
(CLICK HERE to download the full PDF version of the article)

“Thank You” Ad
11th Annual Santa Cruz County 2008 Queer Youth Leadership Awards. Saturday, April 26th, 2008. New Brighton Middle School Performing Arts Center, Capitola. 5:30 p.m. Catered Buffet Dinner, 7:00 p.m. Variety Show and Awards Ceremony, Community Dance to Follow. Adults $25-45 (sliding scale donation) Youth/Seniors $10 donation (Ticket price includes dinner, variety show, awards ceremony and dance) Purchase Tickets: order tickets online at www.QYLA.org Buy tickets at any of seven locations throughout Santa Cruz County (information online) QYLA is a cause and an event on Facebook! Check us out online...
Re-Broadcast of 2007 Queer Youth Leadership Awards
Watch the re-broadcast of the 2007 QYLA on Community TV of Santa Cruz County on Comcast Cable Channel 25 and Charter Cable Channel 71 on:
Tuesday, March 18th at 7:00pm
Sunday, March 23rd at 1:00pm
Monday, April 7th at 9:00pm
Friday, April 11th at 9:00pm
Community Television of Santa Cruz County
QYLA on Closet Free Radio: Monday, March 3rd
CLoset Free Radio, KZSC 88.1 FM, at hosted an interview about the Queer Youth Leadership Awards (QYLA) on 7:00pm Monday March 3rd. Harbor High School student Sarananda Osheim and Aptos High School student Dieter Schmidtmeier, along with QYLA Coordinator Jacob Breslow, shared updates on QYLA nominations, auditions, and the Awards Ceremony.
Click play to listen to the interview.
Thank you again to Closet Free Radio for their support. Be sure to tune in every week for more from this amazing show. Every Monday at 7:00pm on 88.1 FM
Santa Cruz Sentinel, February 17th, 2008
“Queer Youth Award Nominations Sought”
Nominations will be accepted until March 3 for the 11th Annual Queer Youth Leadership Awards. A panel of 10 judges will select four lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex youth, ages 12-18, who have displayed outstanding leadership qualities during the past year. Each awardee will receive $250, plus will be able to designate a queer or queer-friendly group as the recipient of a $500 donation. There are three award categories: Queer Youth Leadership, Ally to Queer Youth and Organizational Ally to Queer Youth.
The awards ceremony will be April 26 at New Brighton Middle School Performing Arts Center.
Nominations are accepted online at www.QYLA.org or call 427-4004.
Read the article here.