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Current Actions

This page highlights the advocacy and activism efforts we’re taking on right now in Napa County. From mobilizing around local policies to speaking out against harm in our community, Queer Leaders Coalition is committed to showing up where it matters most. 

Call to Action

Stop LGBTQ+ Censorship in a Napa County August 19, 2025

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On Tuesday, August 19 at 5:00 PM, the Howell Mountain School District Board will vote on an “opt-out” policy for LGBTQ+ inclusive books and lessons. This is a dangerous step backward, silencing teachers, erasing LGBTQ+ people from classrooms, creating stigma and is a negative precedent for our schools.

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Howell Mountain is a public Napa County school in a conservative, religious community where a small but vocal group is pressuring the Superintendent and Board to pass this policy. The California Education Code requires education to be inclusive and free from discrimination. There are currently no "opt-out" mandates for LGBTQ+ content. An opt-out undermines this, creating unequal and harmful learning environments.

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We’ve spoken with the Napa County Office of Education, lawyers at the ACLU, and Howell Mountain District Superintendent Josh Munoz, who urged us to make our voices heard. Right now, the Board is only hearing one side.

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Here’s how you can help:

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  • Show up: Attend the August 19 Board Meeting and speak during public comment. 

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  • Speak out: Parents, teachers, mental health professionals, LGBTQ+ residents, and especially queer youth - share your lived experience in public comment or by writing respectful letters to the Board (see attached examples)  Email: jmunoz@hmesd.org

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  • Write letters: Send respectful letters to the Napa Register and Press Democrat (see attached example).

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Why it matters:


Opt-out policies create de facto censorship, erasing LGBTQ+ people and sending the harmful message that we are “optional” or “less-than.” This directly impacts the safety, well-being, and belonging of our youth.

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Event Details:


When: Tuesday, August 19 – 5:00 PM
Where: Howell Mountain School District Board Room, 525 White Cottage Rd N, Angwin, CA (Yes, this is the Elementary School Campus. The Board meets in the center building of the school).

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We cannot let this pass quietly, or let it spread to other Napa County schools. Inclusion is not optional - it is the law.

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