The Queer Youth Leadership Awards (QYLA) has, in the decades since its inception, honored young lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people (LGBTQ+) whose advocacy and activism have made notable impacts in their communities.
That work comes at a time when, across the United States, roughly 525 bills are moving through legislative processes that would in some way affect the rights of LGBTQ+ people.
The proposed laws would, among other things, prohibit certain curriculum, affect which restrooms people can use, limit which sports teams they can play on and restrict what topics can be taught in K-8 classrooms.
While such debates have occurred nationwide for decades, the prejudice that drives them has a real and lasting impact on young people who identify as LGBTQ+.
These youth face a significantly higher risk of suicide than their peers, with studies showing they are more than four times as likely to attempt it. National estimates indicate that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ people ages 13 to 24 seriously consider suicide each year in the United States, and at least one attempt occurs roughly every 45 seconds, according to The Trevor Project, a nonprofit that provides suicide prevention and crisis intervention services for young people.
That need for broader acceptance and understanding is at the heart of the QYLA.
Created by the Queer Youth Task Force, the annual ceremony also aims to foster understanding and acceptance in the community.
This year’s event is scheduled for 5:30pm on Saturday, May 9, at Pajaro Valley High School in Watsonville. qyla.org for information.
Some of the honorees
Ash Immoor
QYLA nominee Ash Immoor, 17, is a student at Watsonville-based El Nido High School and a student trustee on the Santa Cruz County Board of Education, where he has emerged as an advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion and student voice.
He successfully pushed to expand the county’s “United Against Hate” resolution to explicitly include bullying, a change adopted unanimously, and has urged board members to use more inclusive language, particularly for students with disabilities.
He has also conducted outreach to alternative education campuses, bringing student concerns directly to county leaders.
Immoor, who identifies as a trans male, said a rise in anti-trans legislation and rhetoric nationwide has made it more difficult — and at times unsafe — for LGBTQ+ youth to exist openly. He pointed to policies targeting gender-affirming care and restrictions such as bathroom bills as contributing to stigma and increased risk.
He said he struggled growing up without the language to describe his identity and that access to gender-affirming care significantly improved his mental health while helping his family better understand and support him.
“I thought, ‘Wait — I don’t have to be a girl,’” Immoor said. “And then I started learning about all that stuff. And I did a lot of inner learning.”
A trans youth representative, Immoor has also spoken publicly about the importance of gender-affirming care, from medical access to respecting pronouns, including as a panelist in community discussions.
He emphasized the need for stronger protections in schools, where he said bullying of trans students remains a serious issue.
“Everyone is deserving of kindness,” he said. “It’s really important that we use our voices right now to speak up for our community and ensure we have a safe future.”
Immoor plans to pursue a career in the medical field and is currently training in Cabrillo College’s EMT program with the goal of becoming a pediatric nurse.
Aaliyah Arellano
Watsonville High School student Aaliyah Arellano said she grew up around boys, playing sports such as baseball, football and basketball. She currently plays basketball and is captain of her school’s flag football team.
Arellano said she also eschewed “girl clothes” in favor of more comfortable clothing similar to what her male peers wore.
Keeping LGBTQ+ issues at the forefront of public discussion is vital, she said.
“…because later on in life, it’s a big part of finding out who you are,” she said. “And I feel like sometimes people want to turn away from all of that because they think their parents might be disappointed. But I think it’s just really important to find yourself first.”
That realization came in middle school, she said.
“I knew who I wanted to be, and I stuck with it,” she said.
She first told her mother, who already suspected she was gay, and later her more traditional father, who eventually accepted her.
“At the end of the day, he and his family all accepted me for who I was,” she said.
Arellano, who QYLA organizers say serves as a queer advocate among her peers, said events such as the QYLA are important, particularly in the current political climate.
“I think it is because there are people who have a hard time coming out,” she said. “Events like this help them feel more comfortable with themselves. There’s always going to be people who support you, and people who do not. But it’s best to believe in yourself and what you want in your life.”
Jennifer Gill
Watsonville Charter School of the Arts teacher Jennifer Gill serves as an adviser for the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance, which meets twice weekly during lunch.
“It’s just magical,” she said of the QYLA ceremony. “It’s so important because it’s one of the only times these students are included in an event that’s totally focused on honoring the LGBTQ community.”
The event is for adults, youth from elementary through high school, and their parents.
“It’s one of those moments where they light up — they can be themselves,” Gill said. “To have such an elegant event that’s just for them is inspiring, and I think it really touches their hearts.”
For information, including purchasing tickets, visit bit.ly/4tCrnlv
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There are three awards:
- Queer Youth Leadership Award
- Ally to Queer Youth Award
- Organizational Ally to Queer Youth Award
(For each award, there are nominees and awardees)
2026 Queer Youth Leadership — Awardees
Ash R. Immoor
He / him / his
Student, El Nido School
Everest Vasquez
Student, Harbor High School
Jasper Albrecht
They / them / their & he / him / his
Student, Cypress High School
Nayela Soledad Reynoso
He / him / his & they / them / their
Student, Anzar High School
2026 Queer Youth Leadership — Nominees
Aaliyah A. Arellano
She / her / hers
Student, Watsonville High School
Bryce Grossman
They / them / their
Student, Santa Cruz High School
Destyni Huggins
She / her / hers & they / them / their
Student, Branciforte Middle School
Farley Blackmun
He / him / his
Student, San Lorenzo Valley Middle School
Katherine “Kate” Figueroa
They / them / their
Student, Pajaro Valley High School
Mark, Adel Mendoza Luengas
any pronouns
Student, Pajaro Valley High School
Mireya “MJ” Reynoso
They / them / their
Student, Anzar High School
Petra King
She / her / hers & they / them / their
Student, San Lorenzo Valley Middle School
Wren Harmon
She / her / hers
Student, Santa Cruz High School
Yudit “Alex” Ramos
She / her / hers
Student, New School
Zoe McMahon
Any / all pronouns
Student, Branciforte Middle School
2026 Ally to Queer Youth — Awardee
Andrea Damon
She / her / hers
Associate Director, TransFamilies of Santa Cruz County
2026 Ally to Queer Youth — Nominees
Christina Souza
they/them
Counselor, Aptos High School
Conor O’Brien
He / him / his
Advisor, Santa Cruz High School Rainbow Alliance
Eli Davies
They / them / their
Advisor, PRISM Club
Dr. Faris Sabbah
He / him / his
Superintendent, Santa Cruz County Office of Education
Jennifer Gill
She / her / hers
Advisor, Watsonville Charter School of the Arts (WCSA) Gay Straight Alliance (GSA)
Kellee Matsushita-Tseng
They / them / their & she / her / hers
Farm & Land Stewardship Manager, Food, What?!
Veronica Vasquez Gudiño
She / her / hers
Student, San Jose State University
2026 Organizational Ally to Queer Youth — Awardee
Santa Cruz Community Health (SCCH)
2026 Organizational Ally to Queer Youth — Nominees
Cabrillo College Rainbow Council
Lakeview Middle School Queer-Straight Alliance (QSA)
Rainbow Defense Coalition of Santa Cruz County & the Pajaro Valley
Renegade Theater Co.
Youth Empowerment & Action for Health (YEAH!)
