Dear District 5 Residents,

Growing up in a rural, conservative county, I never imagined a future where someone like me — an open lesbian — could run for office, let alone be elected to serve. In many places, that still isn’t possible. Today, with the ACLU tracking more than 575 anti-LGBTQ+ bills across the country, we’re seeing our rights come under open attack. The LGBTQ+ community, along with other marginalized groups, is once again being scapegoated in an increasingly hostile political climate.

But Santa Cruz is different. For fifty years, our county has been a leader in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights — home to the first workplace non-discrimination policy in the nation back in 1975. Organizations like Santa Cruz Pride and the Diversity Center, along with countless residents, have carried that legacy forward with courage, compassion, and relentless advocacy.

It is a tremendous honor to mark my first year in office as the first openly LGBTQ+ Supervisor in Santa Cruz County at the same time we celebrate 50 years of Santa Cruz Pride. This moment is only possible because of the generations of advocates, organizers, and everyday people who stood up — often at great personal risk — to demand visibility, dignity, and justice. Their courage made room for leaders like me to serve openly, and for our community to keep moving forward, together.

Here’s to the next 50 years of progress and even more diverse representation in government — no matter how hard we have to fight for it! We’re not going back.

Sincerely,

Santa Cruz County Supervisor, District 5

At our May 20 Board of Supervisors meeting, Rob Darrow, Chair of the Santa Cruz Pride 50 Committee, shared a moving overview of LGBTQ+ history in our county and the exciting events planned to commemorate this year’s milestone.

Santa Cruz has long been a trailblazer in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. In 1975, our county became the first in the nation to adopt a workplace policy banning discrimination based on sexual orientation. That same year, the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution declaring “Gay Pride Week,” and Santa Cruz became the first small city in the U.S. — and the fourth in California — to host a public Pride event. Two hundred people gathered bravely in San Lorenzo Park, right next to the County building, to mark that historic moment.

This year, we honor the boldness and perseverance of the activists, families, and community members who made that day — and the decades of progress that followed — possible. Their efforts laid the foundation for the inclusive values we continue to uphold today.

In that spirit, I’m proud to share that for the first time ever, all five members of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will march together in the Santa Cruz Pride Parade on June 1. Our participation is more than symbolic — it’s a public reaffirmation of our shared commitment to equality, visibility, and justice for the LGBTQ+ community.

For more information on the history of Pride in Santa Cruz County, watch the presentation.

I hope you will join me today Tuesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. to raise the Pride flag and illuminate the County Building and Santa Cruz Town Clock with rainbow lights to symbolize decades of LGBTQ+ advocacy, resilience, and love.  

This family-friendly evening will include brief speeches by local leaders and community advocates, starting at the County building. Upon lighting the County building and raising the pride flag, there will be a joyful procession to the City clock tower, which will also be illuminated. This event will debut the symbolic Pride Torch, which will be displayed throughout the many Pride celebrations this month.

Date:              May 27

Time:              7 p.m.

Location:        701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz

Many thanks to the city and county staff, the Diversity Center, and Santa Cruz Pride, which worked closely with my office to make this special night possible.

For more information, see the County’s press release.

Supervisor Martinez at the County Office of Education’s Pride Flag Raising

2025 Queer Youth Leadership Awards

Every year, the Queer Youth Leadership Awards (QYLAs) recognize LGBTQ+ youth and allies, ages 12 to 18, who are making meaningful contributions across Santa Cruz County. Whether they’re standing up for others at school, creating safe spaces among friends, or raising their voices in the community, these young people are making a real impact.

I had the privilege of attending this year’s ceremony and celebrating these outstanding youth alongside their families, mentors, and supporters. The QYLAs have been part of our county’s Pride traditions for more than 25 years, highlighting the resilience, creativity, and leadership of young people in our community.

To all the awardees: thank you for showing up with courage and conviction. Your presence and your work are helping shape a stronger, more inclusive Santa Cruz County.

Supervisors Martinez and Hernandez with County Staff to Announce the Distribution of Funding to Community Organizations that Will Serve the LGBTQ+ and Immigrant Communities

The rhetoric at the national level is both psychologically and physically harmful. Our LGBTQ+ and immigrant neighbors need our support now more than ever. We cannot allow these valuable members of our community to be driven back into the shadows.

On January 28, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on my request to reaffirm the County’s commitment to protect women and the LGBTQ+ community amid harmful federal policies and proposals, and to direct the County Executive Office (CEO) to safeguard services and ensure timely responses.

The County subsequently designated $200K of discretionary funds to support services to Santa Cruz County’s LGBTQ+ residents and legal services for the County’s undocumented immigrant population. It was a pleasure to announce the recipient organizations that will utilize these funds to serve the community:

• Santa Cruz County Diversity Center
• Queer Youth Task Force
• Gay Straight Alliances
• TransFamilies
• Community Action Board
• Watsonville Law Center
• Catholic Charities

Thank you to these organizations for their continued work. For information and resources for communities impacted by recent federal policy actions and statements, please visit this County webpage.