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It’s hard to come up with a group that is less represented in public office than LGBTQ people. If you take Santa Clara County, for example, with 2 million residents, the percent of queer people serving on elected boards is almost zero. There are an estimated 298 local elected offices in the county that candidates can run for (city, county, school board, community college, special districts). Currently, there are 6 out LGBTQ elected officials. That’s 0.07 percent.

This is why we must continue to amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ people, by sharing our stories, and making sure to vote in local and national elections.

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Day 31 of LGBTQ History Month

Keep it moving with BayLands FrontRunners!

BayLands FrontRunners (BLFR) is a Santa Clara and San Mateo County LGBTQ running, walking, and social club of men, women, family, friends, and pets. The club was founded in 1991 in Palo Alto and is one of a network of 110 FrontRunner clubs spanning six continents.

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Day 30 of LGBTQ History Month

The first year that the San Jose City Council passed a resolution for a Gay Pride Proclamation was in 1978. The resolution generated such a tremendous backlash among the city’s Christian conservative population that the council rescinded their vote when 800 opponents show up at City Hall. Unbelievably, it would take 23 years before the full city council would again issue such a proclamation when Councilmember Ken Yeager introduced it in 2001.

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Day 29 of LGBTQ History Month

San José State University (SJSU) looks out for their LGBTQ+ students. The SJSU PRIDE Center was founded on September 22, 2008, in order to cultivate an inclusive campus climate for LGBTQ+ students. The center supports student’s identity growth, leadership development, and cultivates a community to support the safety and well-being of all LGBTQ+ community members at SJSU.

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Day 28 of LGBTQ History Month

Silicon Valley is perhaps best known lately for its tech industry. The LGBTQ+ community that lives here was instrumental in building this reputation from the very beginning. High Tech Gays (HTG) was a Silicon Valley LGBTQ social and activist organization that operated from 1983 to 1997. It held monthly business meetings attended by hundreds. Members enjoyed social outings, assisted each other in job searches and some became very active in the LGBTQ rights movement.

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Day 27 of LGBTQ History Month

While the dangers of being a young LGBTQ+ person run high, the risks of depression, suicidal ideation, substance use and HIV/STD contraction significantly decrease when queer youth have family acceptance and community support. Outlet, a Silicon Valley based youth space founded in 1997 is committed to developing LGBTQ+ affirming individuals, schools, families, work environments and communities.

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Day 27 of LGBTQ History Month

LGBTQ+ youth are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide than their heterosexual peers (via The World Health Organization). It is crucial that the youngest members of the LGBTQ+ community are provided with the resources they need to feel safe, seen, and supported.

That’s where the San Jose LGBTQ Youth Space comes in. The Youth Space is a community drop-in center and mental health program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and ally youth and young adults ages 13-25 who live in Santa Clara County. The center is committed to running a participant-driven program focused on youth empowerment strategies.

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Day 26 of LGBTQ History Month

The Health Trust is the largest provider of non-medical services to people living with HIV/AIDS in Santa Clara County. As a nonprofit operating foundation, The Health Trust tackles health inequities using a multifaceted approach: providing direct services, making grants to community-based organizations, and advocating for policies and initiatives that advance its mission to build health equity in Silicon Valley.

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Day 26 of LGBTQ History Month

The 1970s and 1980s were a harrowing time for the LGBTQ+ community. The battle against the HIV/AIDS crisis continued to ravage people’s lives, and the lack of support for HIV positive individuals was dismal. Recognizing this, The AIDS Resources, Information & Services (ARIS) Foundation formed in 1986 to provide information, resources, and support for AIDS & HIV positive patients in Santa Clara County.

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Day 25 of LGBTQ History Month

In 2003 Silicon Valley was the only major metropolitan region in the country without an LGBT Democratic Club, and Clark Williams was committed to changing that. With an anti-LGBTQ “marriage” amendment to the U.S. Constitution on the horizon, Williams pulled together a group of activists including David Parker, Evan Low, Doug Winslow, and Ray Mueller at the Billy DeFrank Center to organize. This was how the Silicon Valley LGBT Democratic Club, later known as the Silicon Valley Stonewall Democrats, was born.

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