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WAKE UP SONOMA STATEMENT ON REMOVAL OF PRIDE FLAG.
It has come to our attention that the rainbow flag will be reinstalled at the high school this Tuesday 1/20 thanks to the advocacy efforts of this community as well as our County Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo who is a true champion for social justice. It has also come to our attention that the decision to take it down was unilaterally made by David Bell, recently appointed school board president. You can read his statement in an earlier post which reads to us like a non- apology, with excuses, inferring that school district staff somehow were involved in his mistake and lack of judgement, rather than taking full responsibility for his actions. His statements about what he intends to do by adding additional flags, were misinformed and promoted ignorant ideology which adds injury to insult and did not go unnoticed by the students. Additionally, we have serious concerns about the way this happened and his intentions, and we are doing further research into his actions. We now know that it is his intention to continue this initiative for a possible vote at the March school board meeting, with either intending to remove the flag altogether or, as he states, the intention to have other flags flying as well, with examples that do not equate to, or recognize the significance of the PRIDE flag which is a symbol of inclusion. Further, this particular flag was designed specifically for the Dragons, which promotes student pride as well as LGBTQ pride. The GSA reached out to Wake Up Sonoma for support and we met with the students of SVHS Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) and allies yesterday. WE STAND with LGBTQ youth at Sonoma Valley High School and all LGBTQ people in Sonoma Valley and everywhere. In doing so, we will continue to advocate for what is right, fair, and just, and in staying true to our mission of advocating for local diversity, equity, inclusion civic and corporate transparency. We will continue to support these students’ self-advocacy efforts for this issue. They ask that you join with them to watch the raising of the flag, or at least come to observe the flag at 8:00 on Tuesday morning and participate in a visibility activity with them. Additionally, they will be making statements at the following meetings for public comment - see below.
Further activities will be coming out as we move forward in support of these students.
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