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SAN JOSE — Leslie Martinez beamed as she looked up while standing next to classmate Jasmine Tran, draped in a Pride flag as she hoisted one up the flagpole Monday on the front lawn of Sylvandale Middle School.

Leslie, an eighth-grader, also sported a black hoodie with the Bears mascot expressing school spirit as she reflected on the importance of the ceremony.

“It’s a day when gay men, lesbians and bisexuals can celebrate,” she said.

On the Pride flag-raising ceremony, one student said it means “it means we’re being accepted, noticed and that we’re not going to be excluded because we’re not heterosexual.”

Juan Cruz, the Superintendent of Franklin-McKinley School District who helped students hoist the flag during the ceremony, agreed about its symbolism.

“We try to make a safe, inclusive environment — regardless of their sexual orientation — for all youth. That’s why we’re here today.”