This community opinion was contributed by Hollister resident, Alex Bostock. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent BenitoLink or other affiliated contributors. Lea este artículo en español aquí.
I’m a transgender man, a father, a husband, an electrician, an EMT, a Navy veteran, and a proud resident of this county. My partner and I are raising our son in a queer household here in Hollister. We fly Pride flags in our windows. We make our home a safe space for trans and queer people who may not have one of their own. We do our best to connect with our neighbors, advocate for the little guy, and contribute to this community we love.
But this year, the Board of Supervisors decided to ignore our existence. That absence of recognition—especially during Pride Month—makes a statement whether they say it out loud or not. And that statement is: you don’t matter here.
I have spent much of my life making sure that others do feel like they matter. I was a speaker for Santa Clara County’s youth panel, visiting high schools to speak about my own transition and to help educate students and faculty on trans and LGBTQ+ issues. I worked at Hollister Youth Alliance, where I met so many young people—brilliant, brave, and deeply depressed and alone, who couldn’t even speak to their own parents about who they were inside. I’m also peer support through Veterans Affairs, where I support folks in our community battling PTSD and substance use. I do this work because I know exactly what it’s like to feel unseen, unheard, and unwelcome. At one point in my life I wanted to die more days than I wanted to live because being gay or trans wasn’t just frowned upon, it was hated, and it wasn’t until I found the LGBTQ+ community that I was able to feel held, supported and valued.
That’s exactly how this silence from our Board feels now: like being told, once again, that who I am and what I represent doesn’t belong here. I will not tolerate that message—not for myself, not for my partner, and certainly not for my son. He is growing up in a queer family, in a house built on love and authenticity. I may be a trans man, but he came from my eggs and a donor’s sperm—carried and delivered by my wife, his incredible mother. Our family may not look “traditional,” but it is real. It is rooted in this county. And it is something to be proud of.
I don’t want my son to grow up ashamed of his family’s flag, or confused by his county’s refusal to recognize it. Pride Month proclamations aren’t about politics. They’re about visibility, belonging, and dignity. They cost nothing, but they mean everything to those of us whose existence is too often ignored.
So I’m asking: why won’t our county do what so many others have? Why won’t San Benito recognize Pride Month and the people it represents?
As an EMT, I dedicate my life to ensuring people stay alive, and it feels horrible to know you can’t even recognize my existence during Pride Month.
To our Board of Supervisors: your silence is hurting real families. We are your neighbors, your electricians, your EMT’s, your veterans, your public servants, your parents, and your children. It’s time to stop pretending we aren’t here.
Because we are. We always have been. And we’re not going anywhere.
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