The PRIDE Flag, which has been hanging at Sonoma High since 2019, has been removed. It is unknown at this time how the decision was made or by whom. In response to learning about this, Lisa Storment of WakeUp Sonoma released the following statement:
“It was brought to our attention today, by district employees, students and teachers at Sonoma Valley High School, that a decision was made to have the
PRIDE flag removed from High School grounds today. The PRIDE flag, which has graced the high school campus in a student led effort since 2019, is in fact, no longer flying. This move was made without community input and apparently without a board discussion or vote. We cannot find this being on the agenda or any recent school board meeting. We don’t know who, or why this decision was made. We do know the community was not notified. So, we ask, WHO would allow this?
This comes at a very difficult time in our history, when the LGBTQIA+ population and especially students, are feeling targeted and afraid of their rights being rolled back. We view this very public move as a direct assault on the LGBTQIA+ community of Sonoma Valley, at a time when we need to be reinforcing the rights, value and presence of LGBTQIA+ community members and fostering diversity and inclusion. This move feeds into the agenda of a fascist regime, and is alarming and upsetting to our community.
THIS CANNOT STAND! The Wake UP Sonoma Board is calling for action!
We call for this to be reversed immediately and the flag return to its place in front of the high school. We call for transparency from the School Board, the Superintendent, and the Principal about how this happened.”
Put the flag back!
My husband and I live on Newcomb Street in front of the high school. We donated to plant olive trees along the entrance to the high school. We are solid members of the Sonoma community and we love Sonoma! This is our home!
This is an important moment for our community, and it deserves a measured, principled, and compassionate response. The removal of the PRIDE flag—without public notice, board discussion, or transparent decision-making—naturally raises deep concern, not only because of what was done but how it was done. A symbol that has flown at Sonoma High since 2019 at the request of students is more than a piece of fabric; it represents visibility, safety, and belonging for LGBTQIA+ young people who already face a difficult climate nationwide.
Regardless of where one stands politically, every student in Sonoma Valley deserves to see that their school protects them, respects them, and values their identity. Actions taken quietly, without community input, risk undermining that sense of trust. Our students—especially LGBTQIA+ students—should never have to wonder whether their dignity is negotiable. Schools must be places where all young people feel seen and supported.
This is why clarity and transparency matter. The community deserves to know how this decision was made, who authorized it, and why it was done without the open process our district is committed to. Accountability is not about assigning blame—it’s about restoring trust and ensuring that future decisions reflect our shared values of inclusion, openness, and respect. Reinstating the flag and providing a forthright explanation would be an important step toward reaffirming that Sonoma stands with all of its students, without exception.
So, should we “out” the mean folks who don’t cater to a special interest group who wants to fly a flag at our schools? Isn’t this obviously to shame and mischaracterize fair treatment as hateful rejection? Most do NOT want this flag and that is extremely clear. We should not have to be shamed and vilified for not catering to a specific special interest groups demands. The real intolerants are those demanding that we all share their admiration and appreciation for what that flag stands for. Many religions and people absolutely do NOT agree with the agenda and actions that that flag stands for. Don’t force that on out students. This is unequal and special treatment being demanded. When that unreasonable demand is declined then they resort to intimidation and name calling.
I’m an SVHS grad and former English teacher and coach at SVHS, (1975 – 2012). I emailed all board members this afternoon asking for a reason for the decision. I think it would be wise for people to send polite emails asking for the flag to be reinstalled.
👍hi Pam Let us know if they bother to respond.
What if enough parents called to ask about flying a flag or displaying a symbol for any other topic? Would we cater to that? How many flags do we want n our pole? Shouldn’t flags unite us and not divide us? There are many who think the “gay pride” flag is offensive and does not represent t their beliefs.
This decision should not be controversial. Public schools exist to educate students, not to serve as platforms for political or social advocacy—no matter how passionately some activists feel about an issue.
Many families in Sonoma are tolerant, respectful, and supportive of equal treatment for everyone. But tolerance does not require constant symbolic messaging, nor does it require turning school grounds into arenas for cultural or political signaling. Our kids deserve schools that unite, not divide, and that focus on academics, skills, and shared civic values.
Flying a single ideological flag at a public high school—on any issue—inevitably sends the message that one viewpoint is officially endorsed while others are not. Removing it restores neutrality. That is not an “attack,” and it is not “erasing” anyone. Students’ rights remain fully protected, and no one is being excluded from school life or expression.
The overheated rhetoric accusing local educators of “fascism” only deepens divisions and distracts from what most parents actually want: calm, professional schools that respect families across the spectrum. Sonoma has far more that unites us than divides us, and school campuses should reflect that reality.
Sonoma Valley High school serves all students. LGBTQ+ students exist in every high school, whether adults are comfortable acknowledging it or not. The pride flag communicates that harassment and exclusion are not acceptable here. They should hold a student vote, then share the results with the school board to show that student voice matters. It’s clear that some school board members have a political agenda.
So do we fly a Black Panther flag?.How about a Proud Boys flag, a Brown pride flag?
How about we fly the one all.encompassing flag… the Stars and Stripes!
How does it unite people to remove this flag? How does it affect the LGBTQ students who continue to be bullied? Unfortunately schools need to focus on issues beyond academics, skills? When you say shared civic values, exactly what are these shared values? I do not think our civic values as shared in today’s world are the civic values of a democracy or a county that protects the rights of many groups of people, people of color, migrants from other countries, women, LGBTQ people. We had to fight for these civic rights, we had to work to be a county that as MLK and others before him said, “”The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” That is what should be one of the pillars of our educational systems. Today what I learned in school in the 50’s and 60’s civics about equal rights, state and local government, the federal government and its branches and checks and balances are not taught in our schools. And if you are interested in what some school board trustees have stated that may cause people to use the word fascism, I urge you to watch some recordings of previous school board meetings and listen to what is said. And one trustee was a prolific comment poster in another local on line news publication for years. It is too bad the new owners of this publication have eliminated the on line commenting feature and these quotes can no longer be viewed, as they would very informational for all of us to read.
I’m a student at Sonoma Valley High School, and I want to be clear: most of my peers did not ask for a sexuality-based flag to fly next to the American flag at our school.
School flagpoles should represent everyone—or no special group at all. We don’t fly religious flags, political flags, or flags representing specific belief systems because that would exclude others. Sexual identity should be treated the same way. Removing the PRIDE flag restores neutrality, not discrimination.
Students are tired of adults projecting their culture-war battles onto our campus. We come to school to learn, not to be used as symbols in arguments driven by people who don’t sit in our classrooms or speak for us. Let students focus on education and let schools remain neutral spaces for everyone.
I apologize if this sounds mean, but we have heard about all types of “grooming” and that term has been thrown around a lot. Well, I want to ask, what is it when a group of elderly activists force a school to fly a flag that is associated with certain sex acts that some of our religions and families forbid and shame? Isn’t that grooming? Should Lisa Stormants hate-group be called “Groom Our Sonoma”?
For many in our community, the PRIDE flag at Sonoma Valley High School is not about politics, ideology, or demanding special treatment. It is about communicating something very basic and very human to students who have historically been marginalized: you belong here, and you are safe here.
Public schools serve every student, but not every student experiences school in the same way. LGBTQ youth face disproportionately high rates of bullying, family rejection, harassment, and self-harm—facts that have been documented for decades by the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and numerous education studies. For these students, symbols of support are not decorative or ideological; they are a visible signal that their school will protect them and treat them with dignity.
The American flag already represents the nation as a whole. The PRIDE flag does not replace or compete with it; it is a reassurance that the values we profess as a country—equal protection, safety, and freedom from discrimination—extend to every student in the building. Flying the flag is an expression of those values, not an endorsement of any specific belief system.
Neutrality does not require silence in the face of unequal risks. Schools routinely take visible steps to support groups of students who face particular challenges: anti-bullying campaigns, disability inclusion symbols, Black History Month banners, suicide-prevention messaging, and more. These actions do not “exclude” anyone; they acknowledge real needs among real students.
Removing the PRIDE flag may be framed as neutrality, but many LGBTQ students will interpret it as something else entirely: a retreat from the promise that their safety and humanity matter. When a signal of belonging disappears, it is felt most deeply by those who needed it.
A school’s job is not only to deliver academic content but also to foster an environment where all students can learn without fear. For many families, teachers, and students, the PRIDE flag is a simple but meaningful affirmation that the school stands against bullying, harassment, and marginalization. It costs nothing, harms no one, and communicates to vulnerable students that they are not alone.
In a community as diverse as Sonoma, inclusion strengthens unity. Keeping the flag flying affirms that every student, without exception, has a place on campus—and that their school stands with them as they grow, learn, and navigate adolescence.
I don’t necessarily agree with you, Maria, but I think you have an incredible career as a writer and journalist, and I hope you continue to refine your craft and use it well.
I’m a high school student, and I’m tired of being spoken for by adult activist groups that don’t represent us.
Groups like “Save Our Sonoma” keep insisting they know what students need, while ignoring what most of us are actually saying. At this point, it feels less like “Save Our Sonoma” and more like “Groom Our Sonoma”—not in a criminal sense, but in the way adults try to shape, pressure, and brand students with their own ideological priorities.
Putting a sexuality-based flag on the school flagpole next to the American flag and the school flag is not neutrality. It’s preferential treatment. We don’t fly religious flags, political flags, or flags tied to belief systems because that would exclude others. Sexual identity activism should be treated the same way.
Students can respect one another without having adult hobby-activists turn our campus into a billboard for their causes. If inclusion is the goal, neutrality is the answer. Please stop projecting adult culture wars onto students and let us focus on school—not symbols, slogans, or ideological labeling.
Jose, LGBTQ youth in the United States continue to face significantly elevated mental-health risks. According to the CDC and The Trevor Project’s 2024 national survey, 39% of LGBTQ young people—and nearly half of transgender and nonbinary youth—seriously considered suicide in the past year. About 12% attempted suicide, a rate nearly four times higher than that of their heterosexual and cisgender peers. These numbers are not the result of LGBTQ identity itself, but of the bullying, discrimination, and social rejection many students still confront. Research is consistent on one point: supportive school environments save lives.
This is why visible symbols of inclusion matter. At Sonoma Valley High School, the Pride Flag was originally raised through a student-led effort after decades of work to ensure safety following the tragic loss of a student in the early 1990s due to homophobic harassment. Removing that flag without transparency or student input does more than take down a piece of fabric—it sends a message that acceptance is negotiable. For students who already face disproportionate risks, symbols of affirmation can mean the difference between life and death.
Rick, I am a gay man who went to Sonoma High in 1982. I had plenty of friends who liked and supported me for being me.. Not being gay..but a full person.
When I came out a year later in The City, I was surround by “Pride” flags. Honestly it felt overwhelming and pointless to have my sexuality reduced to a flag.
We only need the US Flag, or everyone deserves a flag. So one it should be.
The Pride Flag is not a symbol of division; it represents safety and inclusion at the school. I taught at Sonoma Valley High School for seventeen of my thirty-five years in education. In the early 1990s, we tragically lost a student to suicide after he was repeatedly subjected to homophobic slurs in class without intervention.
In response, our principals partnered with Face to Face to educate staff about the realities LGBTQIA+ students face. Nearly two decades later, the Pride Flag was flown; a student-led decision that signaled clearly and publicly that SVHS was a safe place for all students.
Removing that flag without transparency or student input sent a deeply hurtful message. I encourage anyone who questions its importance to attend on-campus LGBTQIA+ meetings and listen directly to students about how this decision has impacted them.
Silence and erasure have consequences. History has already taught us that.
Allowing others to freely express pride for who they are does not take anything from you and certainly does not demand your acceptance. Your being uncomfortable with anyone who is not like you and feeling threatened by another’s expression of Pride is a YOU problem. It’s weird and delusional in a world full of difference. You are acting like a villain and should be ashamed of yourself. Focus on real problems and stop judging people who are celebrating who they are. Nobody is trying to win you over. Trust me.
Thanks Jason, clear conscience and the truth. This is a stupid thing to be fighting over in 2026. I cannot believe that there is even “another side”, a side that is prejudiced and unaware of the problems that it causes for the youth who are finding out about themselves in our town. Check yourselves. Who cares who you love, whether it is a race, a religion, an age, stupidity reins supreme in people who do not understand what a rainbow full of color and sound means.
This was my email to the principal and board:
To the Admin and Members of the Sonoma Valley High School Board,
I am writing as an educator, and advocate of transgender youth who has directly experienced the consequences of what happens when transgender students are left without visible institutional support.
I have supported students who have been doxxed, excluded or threatened at different educational institutions, I therefore do not speak hypothetically when I say that signals of institutional retreat—especially the removal of explicit markers of inclusion—are noticed immediately by transgender students and interpreted with chilling clarity.
It is from that perspective that I am deeply concerned by your recent decision to remove the Pride flag from campus.
California law does not treat the safety and inclusion of LGBTQ+ students as optional or symbolic. Under California Education Code §220 and the Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act, public schools are prohibited from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation and are affirmatively responsible for preventing hostile educational environments. This obligation is not limited to responding after harm occurs; it includes taking reasonable, proactive steps to reduce foreseeable risk.
Decades of peer-reviewed research in education, psychology, and public health establish that visible, institutional signals of LGBTQ+ inclusion—such as Pride flags—are associated with lower rates of bullying, depression, and suicidality, and higher levels of student safety, reporting, and trust in school authorities. These measures are not ideological statements; they are evidence-based risk-mitigation practices.
When a school removes such a signal, it does not create neutrality. It creates ambiguity. And ambiguity, in environments where marginalized students already assess risk constantly, is experienced as withdrawal.
I have watched firsthand how transgender students read these moments. They do not ask whether a school “meant well.” They ask whether the institution will still stand with them when doing so becomes uncomfortable. Other students are watching too—particularly those inclined to test boundaries. Schools teach lessons even when they insist they are not teaching anything at all.
No one is asking Sonoma Valley High School to exceed its mandate. You are being asked to meet it.
Reinstating the Pride flag would be a minimal, lawful, and well-supported step that aligns with California’s legal framework, established best practices in student safety, and the ethical responsibilities of public education. Its removal, by contrast, signals retreat at a moment when clarity matters more than comfort.
As an educator and advocate who has already bore witness to the cost of institutional silence, I urge you to reconsider this decision promptly and publicly.
David Bell came out with a completely unsatisfactory “apology”. He admitted to making this decision unilaterally. That is not how a school board works. David Bell needs to resign or be recalled.
Who is David Bell? Does he think he is Donald Trump and can do whatever he likes without community input or support. We deserve a detailed explanation of this decision making process and approval process. Thank you!