As Pride Month begins today, we at TEP are taking a moment to acknowledge and celebrate the LGBTQ+ children and advocates in our communities and the educators who support and nurture them. Because we believe in equity for all students and we are very concerned about the liberation and freedom of Black and Brown students in particular, we want to affirm and protect the students and educators who are also members of the LGBTQ+ community. Our hope and prayer this month and every month is that people of faith everywhere who care about the thriving of all God’s children will recognize that LGBTQ+ children are also Black children, Brown children, children in poverty and children who are pushed to the margins in a variety of ways. They need and deserve our love and care. 

In a season where legislatures debate and pass harmful bills targeting LGBTQ students and their families, may we remember that removing the stories, histories, and truth about the LGBTQ+ community and their contributions to society, while making it impossible for children to safely explore, learn and ask questions about themselves and their identities is cruel. In a month during which we celebrate the joy and resistance of Black music in this country, may we also remember that every child is worth celebrating and protecting and every movement for justice and equity worth supporting. We are grateful for our queer students and teachers and the many ways they enrich and bless our communities. 

We are dreaming together of a world where all God’s children are educated and nurtured in nourishing, safe environments, which includes LGBTQ+ students. May it be so!