Queer Youth Advocacy Day

Queer Youth Advocacy Day is a student-led day of action in California’s State Capitol. Over the last decade, thousands of young people from every corner of California have rallied on the Capitol steps in Sacramento, calling on lawmakers to make California schools safer for LGBTQ and straight ally students.

At Queer Youth Advocacy Day, GSA youth activists meet with representatives from their districts to educate them about important issues facing LGBT youth. During these meetings, youth leaders advocate for laws and policies that will make schools safer.

Through events like Queer Youth Advocacy Day, GSA activists played a leadership role in passing ground-breaking, statewide legislation including, The California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000, AB 537, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, the law establishing Harvey Milk Day in California, the Mental Health Access for At-Risk Youth law and the FAIR Education Act.

Queer Youth Advocacy Day 2013

This year, Queer Youth Advocacy Day will take place on April 29. Please visit the GAYLA page [1] for more details about applying to participate.

Queer Youth Advocacy Day 2012

Last year's Queer Youth Advocacy Day was in Sacramento on May 1, and focused on school discipline. Read about it here [2]!

Queer Youth Advocacy Day 2011

Queer Youth Advocacy Day 2011 took place on April 4th, 2011 in Sacramento.

GSA youth advocates were in Sacramento to fight for three groundbreaking laws:

1. Seth's Law (AB 9) - Named after Seth Walsh, a 13 year-old student from Tehachapi, California, who committed suicide in September following years of anti-gay bullying at school, this law will provide California schools with specific tools to prevent and address bullying.
    
2. FAIR Education Act (SB 48) - The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act will ensure that the positive contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are fairly and accurately included in classroom materials, which studies show is linked to greater student safety and lower rates of bullying.
    
3. Gender Nondiscrimination Act (AB 887) - AB 887 will place "gender identity and expression" alongside other protected categories in our non-discrimination laws, helping people to understand the law and effectively address discrimination against transgender people.
   

To read the blog from Queer Youth Advocacy Day 2011, click here [3]!

To see photos from GAYLA 2011, scroll down or visit our Flickr page [4]!

GAYLA 2011 was sponsored by Gay-Straight Alliance Network, Equality California Institute,

Transgender Law Center and The Trevor Project!

GSA Advocacy and Youth Leadership Academy and Queer Youth Advocacy Day 2011 were made possible by the following individual donors and organizations: Kaiser Permanente, PFLAG North Bay, California Teacher's Association, Southwest Airlines, Speaker John A. Pérez, Senators Christine Kehoe and Mark Leno, Assemblymembers Tom Ammiano, Toni Atkins, Mike Gatto, Rich Gordon, Bonnie Lowenthal and Nancy Skinner.

Past Events  

Queer Youth Advocacy Day 2010

Read the blog from QYAD/GAYLA 2010 [5]

Queer Youth Advocacy Day 2009

Read the blog from QYAD/GAYLA 2009 [6]