LGBTQ Pride Month

HUSD Board Resolutions

Hayward Unified School District has a rich history of supporting our LGBTQIA+ youth, families and staff. In the early 2000s, the school board passed resolutions that affirmed the support for creating safe school environments for all students including LGBTQIA+ youth and the district formed the LGBTQ Committee, which evolved into the Safe and Inclusive Schools Program. More recently the board adopted our Equity, Anti-Bias and Anti-Racism policies that affirm our commitment to supporting and celebrating our diverse identities across race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, language, culture and more.

In 2021, the school board voted unanimously to pass the board resolution declaring June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month in HUSD at the May 12, 2021 school board meeting. The Progress Pride Flag was flown at all school sites and facilities during the month of June 2021, starting a tradition for our district to celebrate Pride annually in June. On May 25, 2022, the district and the HUSD Board Trustees presented and passed an updated Pride Month board resolution. On June 14, 2023, the Board Trustees renewed our commitment to LGBTQIA+ people in our community all throughout the year now and into the future when they passed the HUSD Community Declaration of Support for LGBTQIA+ Youth, Staff and Families resolution. 

History of Pride Month

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. In major cities across the nation the “day” soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events. Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBTQ Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. We celebrate the diversity of our LGBTQ+ students, staff and families and affirm them as valued members of our HUSD community. 

Invitation to Participate

There are many ways to celebrate Pride! 

1) Pride Flag Raising Ceremony - Use this template for ideas about planning a Pride Flag Ceremony at your school site! 

2) Visibility - Fly the Pride flag, design a poster with an inclusive, inspiring message or wear our rainbow ally accessories. Create Pride-themed art or greeting card to share with a friend. 

3) Ally Actions - We show our respect and care for our students and staff by celebrating their talents and all they contribute to our community, including their experiences as people who identify as LGBTQIA+. We respect all different family structures and use a person's asserted pronouns when we refer to one another. We stand up and say something if we see harassment or mistreatment when it is safe to do so. 

4) Inclusive Lessons - We read literature with LGBTQIA+ characters and identities. We learn about the history of of people who are LGBTQIA+, the movement for civil rights and their contributions to our communities.

5) Anti-bias and Anti-racist Lessons - We learn more about identities of diverse people, including understanding more about their race, ethnicity, culture, orientation, gender and culture. We learn about how the intersection of more than one part of their identity affects their experience living and going to school in the Bay Area. We work together to create more justice and equality within our community to support people from diverse backgrounds and reduce bullying, harassment and discrimination of people that happens to them just because of their identity or perceived identity. We get to know each other as people and celebrate each other to fully express our authentic selves.