PRESS RELEASE.

On October 15, Cabrillo Unified School District, the City of Half Moon Bay, and CoastPride will host a Unity Event from 4 PM to 5 PM at Mac Dutra Plaza in beautiful downtown Half Moon Bay. The event aims to provide an affirming, celebratory, and educational way for the Coastside
community to honor the lives and achievements of LGBTQ people while also honoring October as LGBTQ History Month.

CoastPride and Cabrillo Unified School District have partnered over recent years to develop ways to support and uplift families and staff who identify as LGBTQ and to educate the public about the need for us to advocate and stand up for the rights of all people. Leaders of CUSD
and CoastPride have worked to create an LGBTQ Round Table to make recommendations to the school district and its Governing Board on how to meet the community’s commitment to equity and respect for all people, including a policy regarding the district’s stance of respecting the
rights of all students and staff to proclaim freely their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Meanwhile, this year these partners joined with leaders of the City of Half Moon Bay to co-sponsor LGBTQ History Month banners that are displayed proudly at all CUSD
schools and also near City Hall at Mac Dutra Plaza.

Meanwhile, these partners joined this with leaders of the City of Half Moon Bay to co-sponsor LGBTQ History Month banners that are displayed proudly at all CUSD schools and also near City Hall at Mac Dutra Plaza. Half Moon Bay has continually shown great support of inclusiveness, respect, and valuing the Coastside LGBTQ community by not only proudly hanging the LGBTQ banner, but also through a small grant to the CoastPride Center and helping to organize LGBTQ pride parades over recent years.

Half Moon Bay Mayor Robert Brownstone added these words: “The City of Half Moon Bay is a place where we welcome, represent, and celebrate the great diversity of our community and the Coastside. Our efforts with CoastPride are one way we can continue to carry out the City’s commitment to our values of inclusiveness and acceptance, and dedication to opposing any attempt to marginalize people or groups. We are proud to be active partners with CoastPride and the LGBTQ community.”

Superintendent Sean McPhetridge shared the following: “On behalf of CUSD’s Governing Board, I am delighted to say CUSD continues our collective work to uplift and protect all our students and staff. We were pleased this year we could work closely with CoastPride and the City of Half Moon Bay to create LGBTQ History Month banners to help educate students, staff, and families about this month. Our hope is to work together with community partners to uphold the rights of all people, and we are proud to continue in ongoing efforts to support efforts to commemorate LGBTQ History Month.”

According to CoastPride’s Jenny Walter, “Our Coastside community celebrates and supports diversity and acceptance. We stand united against hate crimes, bias crimes, harassment and discrimination. On Thursday, September 30th, a man was witnessed angrily cutting down a
banner from the CUSD fence at Highway 1 and Kelly St. The bilingual banner announced October is LGBTQ History Month in collaboration with the City of Half Moon Bay, Cabrillo Unified School District, and CoastPride. The banner had been hung just hours earlier. We will
not allow this crime to sow fear and anger. We ask you to join the peaceful gathering on October 15th as we show the power of unity and inclusiveness.”

Please join us for an hour of unity at Mac Dutra Plaza on Friday, October 15 at 4:00 p.m. to celebrate LGBTQ History Month. We thank the Coastside for being an inclusive and loving community!

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