Pride Month and the Urgent Need to Protect LGBTQ+ Youth in Schools
- Nina Mauceri
- Jun 29
- 2 min read
This Pride Month, I have been reflecting a great deal about LGBTQ+ youth. As someone who grew up in a time where being out and proud while still a student in K-12 schools was largely unheard of, I have been consistently in awe of the courage, resilience, and brilliance of today’s LGBTQ+ youth. But this year, Pride comes at a time of rising political hostility toward queer and trans students across the country, and as a result, my awe is paired with fear and I recommit to building school communities that affirm and protect LGBTQ+ young people.
As legal protections for LGBTQ+ youth erode in many states, schools are becoming battlegrounds for rights, visibility, and inclusion. These national decisions aren’t abstract for our students. They shape what’s possible in the classroom, on campus, and in a young person’s daily experiences.
Pride Means Action—Not Just Visibility
My dissertation, Creating LGBTQ-Friendly Schools: One School’s Journey Toward Inclusiveness, explored what it takes for schools to move beyond surface-level gestures of inclusion and actually build cultures where LGBTQ+ students are safe, seen, and supported. I found that:
● Leadership matters deeply: School administrators set the tone for whether LGBTQ+ inclusion is prioritized—or ignored.
● GSAs can be transformative spaces, not just safe havens, when they’re supported and empowered.
● Teacher agency and collaboration are essential: Inclusion cannot be scripted; it must be co-constructed with those closest to students.
● Institutional change requires more than policy; it demands ongoing, reflective, equity-centered work embedded into the fabric of school life.
These findings are more urgent than ever.
What Schools Must Do Now
New York City has long led the way in supporting LGBTQ+ youth. But in this political moment, it’s not enough to rely on existing policies. We must actively ensure that:
● LGBTQ+ students are reflected in curriculum, language, classroom practices, and school culture.
● Teachers receive high-quality PD and coaching on inclusive and trauma-informed pedagogy.
● GSAs are funded, visible, and connected to schoolwide equity work.
● Administrators are trained to lead with clarity and courage on LGBTQ+ inclusion—especially as political pushback grows.
We’re Here to Help
At Mauceri Education, we partner with school leaders and educators to move from policy to practice:
● We coach administrators on building LGBTQ+ inclusive schools with accountability and vision.
● We work elbow to elbow with teachers to integrate equity into curriculum, climate, and community.
● We support student-led initiatives, including GSAs and youth leadership programs.
This Pride Month, let’s move beyond symbolic gestures and ensure our schools are actively working to protect, affirm, and uplift LGBTQ+ youth—every month of the year.
🌈 Let’s build the schools our students deserve.
🌐 Learn more at www.maucerieducation.org
*This post was developed with the help of AI writing tools and reflects the voice and final edits of Mauceri Education.
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