Ahhh, okay, that’s much better! In that case, for sure, apply widely within the UC and CSU systems! One thing to note, though, is the whole “I would like to not have to fight to get into certain classes” thing. The UC system can be challenging in that regard. If you could get a Regents Scholarship offer, which confers priority enrollment at most campuses (including Santa Cruz) that would make a big difference on that front, but that’s super-selective and it’s too early to assess whether it’s a realistic possibility.
With the GI Bill, are you regarded as in-state in all respects? I didn’t suggest UW-Seattle before because it’s so ridiculously hard to get into their highly-coveted CS program as an OOS applicant. But if you’d be considered in-state for that purpose too, it could be worth trying, although it’s still very competitive. The Information School is also top-notch, and its Informatics undergrad major has Information Assurance and Cybersecurity as one of the possible focus areas. Informatics is slightly less tough to get into than CS - still not easy, but better in-state than OOS, and if you’re not totally sold on a full-blown CS major, you might find that you like the focus of the Informatics major better, and it could certainly be a great path into an information security career. And Seattle is a great LGBTQ+ friendly city.
UMich is another reachy flagship option, but this could be worth checking out: Cybersecurity – Michigan Engineering | University of Michigan
Also, this page has a number of suggestions re: things you can do while still in high school: Cybersecurity for Students | NICCS
Good luck with your research!