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Principal of Santa Cruz High School"
Ralph Porras
Ally to Queer Youth, Awardee
Ralph Porras is currently serving his second year as the
principal of Santa Cruz High School. He is commended by
the students for his continued support and advocacy for
the Rainbow Alliance, the gay/straight alliance on campus.
During his first year as principal, he went out of his way
to accommodate and support the Rainbow Alliance's Peer
Education Program and last year's Coming Out Day and Day
of Silence. He has earned the trust of the Queer youth at
Santa Cruz High particularly for his advocacy for Queer
rights when an incident occurred last year in which 3
adults demanded that the Rainbow Flag be removed from the
flag pole on the Day of Silence. Ralph staunchly refused
such a removal of the Rainbow Flag because it would impede
on the rights of the Queer students. That evening he stood
before the Santa Cruz City School Board with 2 youth
leaders to describe what a success the school's Day of
Silence had been. This school year Ralph was valuable in
efforts to train the staff in a Safe Schools training
conducted by the ACLU of Northern California. The students
at Santa Cruz High are fortunate to have an advocate for
Queer rights like Ralph as their principal.
"We will bury you, without ever firing a shot." Nikita Kruschev