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NEA Champions LGBTQ+ Inclusion at World Pride Day

Educators and allies proudly marched during World Pride Day in Washington, D.C.
A sign displaying the words "Public School Pride" in bold letters against a colorful background. Jati Lindsay
By: Brenda Álarez, Senior Writer
Published: June 11, 2025

On June 7, hundreds of thousands came together in the heart of the nation's capital to celebrate World Pride Day. The streets were alive with music, laughter, and messages of love—powerful reminders of the strength and spirit of the LGBTQ+ community. With anti-LGBTQ+ legislation on the rise across the country, this year's Pride carried a deeper sense of urgency, with marchers and advocates highlighting the ongoing fight for equality and a just future, especially for transgender and nonbinary people.

Why Educators Show Up

NEA Vice President Princess Moss, an elementary school music teacher from Virginia, attended World Pride Day and says, "It's really important that NEA shows a presence, to let our students, their families, our communities, and to let our educators know that we want to ... ensure they have a space in which they are free to themselves."

Similarly, Gloria Ho, a school social worker from Delaware, says, "Solidarity is our superpower. And so, when we show up, and we are speaking out and fighting back, we are showing that hate has no home here." 

Listen to them in this video, below.

 

Celebrating Visibility

From rainbow flags to messages of love and civic engagement, NEA's presence at World Pride Day was a powerful affirmation that public schools must be places where every identity is honored and every voice matters. Through art, action, and community, educators showed what inclusive public education truly means. Key moment included:
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A woman waving from the top of a white truck, standing in front of an Everyone is Welcome Here sign.

Everyone is Welcome Here

In a show of solidarity and inclusion, NEA adorned its Washington, D.C. headquarters with a colorful “Everyone is Welcome Here” banner ahead of World Pride Day. NEA Vice President Princess Moss waved from a decorated jeep, underscoring the message that every student deserves to feel seen, valued, and celebrated in their public school.
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Two marchers flank an oversized Public School Pride banner

Public School Pride

Hilario Benzon of NEA’s Human and Civil Rights Department (left) and Gloria Ho, a school social worker from Delaware (right), carried a “Public School Pride” banner while leading an NEA team through the parade. Together, they amplified NEA's commitment to LGBTQ+ rights and equity in public schools.

What brought Gloria to World Pride Day?

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Every one of our students deservers to feel supported, safe, valued, and like they belong to our school community. And so, I want to make sure that our students know, and our educators know, that as an educator, as a union member, we will show up, we will fight back, we will speak out—and that's why I'm here today.
Gloria Ho, a school social worker from Delaware, shares what brought her to World Pride Day in Washington, D.C.
Brenda Álvarez

Celebrating Joy and Justice

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Two women in a car wave colorful rainbow flags, expressing joy and support for the LGBTQ+ community.

Love is Love

Donning matching “Public School Pride” shirts and caps, Moss (right) and NEA Executive Committee member Christine Sampson-Clark, a special education teacher in Trenton Public Schools (left), rode through the parade waving Pride flags and fans that read “Love is Love.”
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People cheerfully waving a rainbow flag while standing on top of a vehicle during a festive event.

United in Celebration

Waving a large Progressive Pride flag, NEA Executive Committee members Mark Jewell, an elementary school teacher in Guilford County, N.C., and Ron “Duff” Martin, a middle school social studies teacher in Eau Claire Wis. (back), joined fellow educators to champion inclusive education policies and affirming school cultures.
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A street scene with several people gathered, holding a large, colorful parachute banner.

VOTE—A Call to Action

As the parade wove through downtown D.C., NEA members and allies raised a massive butterfly banner emblazoned with the word “VOTE,” a symbol of civic responsibility and educator activism. The display was a reminder that education and democracy go hand in hand.
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Close up for parachute banner that shows a young woman forming a heart with her hands above the word "VOTE."

Empowered Voices

A close-up of the butterfly banner featured Helena Donato-Sapp, a young activist for disability rights and inclusion. Her image illustrated the intersection of representation, student voice, and civic engagement, and representation—core to NEA's mission to ensure every student can thrive..
Inclusive Pride Flag

NEA LGBTQ+ Resources

This resource page is designed to provide educators with LGBTQ+ information, tools, and resources they need to support transgender and non-binary students, to be more inclusive of LGBTQ+ history in their classrooms, and to stop LGBTQ+ bias and intolerance in our public schools.

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