In the USA, LGBTQ Pride Month is celebrated in June every year to honour the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City. Pride Month celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019. To mark the occasion, NEA published the stories of six educators who are out in the classroom.
The educators give a personal account of the ways in which they deal with incidents of bullying and harassment of LGBTQ+ students by other students, how they engage with homophobic parents and guardians and how they work with and demand support from school administrators. These thought provoking and very moving stories also relate how educators decided to come out at school, their union engagement and their work to improve working and learning environments for LGBTQ+ students, members and other educators.
NEA also published an information blog summarising five ways that educators throughout the country are supporting LGBTQ+ students. These include fostering safe and affirming schools for all students by supporting Gay-Straight Alliances; helping to shape LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum and textbooks; training other educators to raise their voices for LGBTQ students; backing legislation that supports LGBTQ students’ rights; and supporting school-naming initiatives that honour legacies of LGBTQ activists and leaders.