Giving Thanks!
C. Scott Miller [CA] & Emilly Osterling [NC]
cochair@nea-lgbtqc.org
As we move into the fall holiday season, we reflect on the progress we've made as a community, while remaining vigilant in our pursuit of full equality for LGBTQ+ individuals. This year, we've seen both setbacks and victories – but through it all, the NEA LGBTQ+ Caucus continues to stand united, fighting for the rights of our students, educators, and families.
Marriage Equality: A Supreme Court Decision Not Taken
In a surprising move this fall, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to take up a case challenging marriage equality. This was a critical moment for the LGBTQ+ rights movement, especially after several state legislatures and courts have raised questions about the future of marriage equality. By not hearing the case, the Supreme Court has allowed the precedent set by Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) – which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide – to remain intact.
However, this decision doesn't mark the end of the fight. We must remain vigilant in protecting marriage equality, particularly as anti-LGBTQ+ forces continue to push for changes at both state and local levels. The NEA LGBTQ+ Caucus is committed to ensuring that LGBTQ+ educators and families have access to the same rights and protections as everyone else.
The Struggle for LGBTQ+ Rights in Education Continues
In classrooms across the nation, the LGBTQ+ community is under attack. From "Don't Say Gay" laws to the restriction of gender-affirming care, our students are facing heightened challenges that threaten their safety, dignity, and access to education. As educators, we have a responsibility to protect all students and create safe, inclusive spaces for learning.
This fall, it is imperative that we all advocate for:
- Inclusive Curricula: We’re pushing for schools to teach accurate, affirming LGBTQ+ history and literature, while also promoting safe and inclusive environments for all students.
- Protection Against Discrimination: It’s critical that federal and state protections against LGBTQ+ discrimination in education remain strong, and that educators are supported in standing up for their students.
- Mental Health Support: With an increase in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, we’re pushing for better mental health resources for LGBTQ+ students and educators, who are disproportionately affected by discrimination, bullying, and societal stigma.
Looking Ahead: Our Work is Far from Done
While marriage equality remains intact for now, the threats to our rights are far from over. As we head into 2025, we are committed to pushing for nationwide protections for LGBTQ+ people, including comprehensive non-discrimination laws, and pushing back against state-level attacks.
We are also gearing up for the NEA Representative Assembly in the summer of 2026, where we will continue advocating for stronger protections for LGBTQ+ students and educators. We encourage everyone to get involved – whether by becoming a member of the caucus, participating in advocacy, or attending future events.
Stay Connected
The fight for equality is ongoing, and your voice matters. If you're not yet a member of the NEA LGBTQ+ Caucus, we invite you to join us and stay informed. Together, we can continue building a more just and inclusive world for all students, educators, and families.
Follow us on social media, attend upcoming events, and reach out to your local leaders to get involved. The power of our community lies in our collective action.
This Thanksgiving, we want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible strength, love, and resilience that each of you brings to the world. Whether you're with chosen family, friends, or spending time on your own, know that you are deeply valued just as you are.
As we reflect on what we're grateful for, we’re filled with appreciation for the beautiful diversity that makes our community so unique. Here’s to love in all its forms, to embracing our true selves, and to building a future where everyone is accepted and celebrated.
Wishing you all a day full of warmth, love, and plenty of joy. You are loved, you are seen, and you are enough.
With pride and determination,
C. Scott Miller & Emilly Osterling
CoChairs
From the Desk of the Secretary
Sonia Martin-Solis [CA]
secretary@nea-lgbtqc.org
Mid-Term Elections?
By the time you receive this newsletter the elections for this year will be done. As I sit here, I cannot wait to see if California’s Prop 50 will make a potential difference in next year’s mid-term elections. Enough of that.
The holidays are coming upon us quickly. For those of you who, like me, ordered your Rainbow Box from the caucus, I hope you were as excited as I was to receive it. Christmas came early for me. I chose to donate the books to my school library, since I am Out of Classroom Support at my site. I was so thrilled to see the intersectionality of the titles and the beautiful work that went into these books.
If you got a box, reach out to us and let us know how you are putting them to amazing use. Also, share the lesson plans that you may have created, or tell us how you use the books in your life.
Remember to look out for the upcoming events we will host. We are always happy to bring you information, speakers, and compelling stories to help you gain knowledge and share in the experiences that are important to you and those you love.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I want to thank all of you, our members, for your support of one another, your strength to live your truth, and/or your willingness to stand with those who may or may not know how much you do for, and with, them. If you live your advocacy loud and proud, or if you are that pillar of strength that helps others find their voice, don’t let the hard things keep you from doing what is right. Thank you for all you will continue to do!
Happy Holidays – if you celebrate them all, none or something in between, may they bring you happiness and a great light to continue to guide your way.
In Unity & Pride,
Sonia, Secretary
A Message from the Outreach Director
Darell Crawford-Parker [CO]
outreach@nea-lgbtqc.org
Honoring Bayard Rustin: A Bridge Between Civil Rights and LGBTQ+ Equality
As we celebrated LGBTQ+ History Month, we honored the trailblazers whose courage and conviction paved the way for progress.
Among them stands Bayard Rustin – a name that deserves to be spoken with the same reverence as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Rustin’s story reminds us that the fight for justice has always been intertwined – across race, identity, and love.
Rustin was a brilliant organizer, strategist, and visionary. He was the chief architect of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Dr. King delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Behind the scenes, it was Rustin’s organizational genius that brought together over 250,000 people in a peaceful demand for racial and economic justice. Yet, his contributions were often erased or minimized – not because of his lack of leadership, but because he was an openly gay Black man in a time when that truth was considered a liability.
Despite being marginalized even within the movement he helped shape, Rustin never stopped believing in the power of coalition and community. His work was rooted in the belief that true equality cannot exist for one group unless it exists for all. He fought for workers’ rights, advocated for nonviolence, and later became an outspoken champion for LGBTQ+ equality – decades before it was safe or popular to do so.
Today, as our nation continues to navigate divisions around race, gender, and identity, Rustin’s legacy feels especially relevant. The same courage that led him to organize during the Civil Rights Movement is what sustains those fighting for equality now. The same resistance he faced – fear, misinformation, and intolerance – still confronts communities seeking dignity and inclusion today. But Rustin’s life also offers hope. He showed us that progress is built on persistence, collaboration, and moral clarity. His words still ring true: “We need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers.”
During LGBTQ+ History Month, let us remember Bayard Rustin – not only for the history he made, but for the history he inspires us to continue making.
In solidarity,
Darell, Outreach Director
ZONE 1
Kirsten Frazier [MA] & Tony Martinet [VA]
zone1@nea-lgbtqc.org
Over the past year, we have had the chance to hear from many of you in our Zone through conversations at the Leadership Summit, LGBTQ+ Social Justice & Leadership Conference, and the NEA RA.
From those conversations, a series of common issues started to emerge:
- Districts or school boards are changing policy to slow down group formations
- District leaders are supportive behind closed doors, but not publicly, because of the fear of being targeted by the district
- Policies are not followed at the building level, depending on the building admin.
- The public is targeting districts because they have supportive or inclusive policies
Now is the time to start mobilizing and taking action within our areas and spheres of influence. You know your state and local politics the best. Is it time to organize around a school board policy or resolution that shows support? Can you build a coalition that might back legislation needed for protection, or do you need to be preparing now for what may be coming during your state’s legislative session?
Here are some resources to help give you direction and information.
- NEA has released “Best Practices for Supporting Inclusive Education Following Mahmoud v. Taylor ”. This was the court case allowing parents to opt out of reading text because of religious objections. This doesn’t mean you can’t create inclusive spaces in your classroom curriculum; it just means you need to be more knowledgeable about how to effectively do that.
- It’s time to push our school boards and even legislatures to be more openly supportive of LGBTQ+ students and staff. The NEA Model Language and Resolutions on the NEA EdJustice page for LGBTQ+ issues provides templates and examples of what type of language to seek to implement.
- Need help organizing? Consider the NEA Campaign lab for your local or state efforts. Even attempting to organize around this issue will build your union organizing muscle. It will help identify supporters and start bringing people together.
If you need to talk to brainstorm ideas, have someone just listen to your concerns, or get more guidance on next steps, please reach out to your Zone Directors. We are here to help in any way that we can.
In solidarity,
Kirsten & Tony, Zone 1 Co-Directors
ZONE 2
Kristel Behrend [NC] & Zach Fisher [KY]
zone2@nea-lgbtqc.org
November 16-22 is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Considering the November 1st SNAP cutoff due to the lack of a national budget, this event is timely to bring awareness to the food and housing insecurities that continue to exist in one of the wealthiest nations in the world. The site has a manual for organizing an event and several other resources to enable you to take action.
As of August 2025 almost 42.5 million Americans received SNAP benefits, some of these people are our students and their families. A recent report released by the Williams Institute from UCLA School of Law indicated that 2.1 million LGBTQ adults rely on SNAP, or 18% of the population. People in the LGBTQ community are 4% more likely to experience food insecurity than those not in the community. As a disturbing side note, when looking for updated SNAP information on the USDA.gov website, there is a partisan message at the top in clear violation of the Hatch Act. US Media Literacy Week was last week, and one of the top discussions among librarians was teaching people how to critically evaluate what, at one time, were considered trusted sites.
In the wake of the inability to rely on promised government programs, people are turning to their communities for support. Consider organizing a food drive through school clubs, your local union, or at your LGBTQ center. Easy actions that will make a big difference in your community are donating to your local food banks, connecting students-in-need to counselors, and teaching people about calling 211. This number should be as well-known to Americans as 911. You can call it from any place, sometimes 24/7, others have 9am-6pm hours. Find your local 211 agency here. In 2024, they helped make more than 18,000,000 connections across the nation for people in need.
Now, more than ever, our community must pull together to support one another and ensure that no child, no adult, no human is hungry.
CALL TO ACTION
✅Check your voter registration to ensure you are ready for elections this fall.
✅Call your senator NOW: 844-328-9232; Call your representative NOW: 844-329-6087 and tell them to support public education.
➡️OR Download 5 Calls (scroll to the bottom for the app) - it’s so easy to call about issues you care about - they even give you a script.
ℹ️Share your state's issues and/or celebrations. 
Join us on Facebook
In solidarity,
Kristel & Zach, Zone 2 Co-Directors
ZONE 3
Stacy Schmidt [IA] & Frank Burger [MI]
zone3@nea-lgbtqc.org
Hello Zone 3!
We hope this newsletter finds you all doing well and hitting your stride for this school year. In the spirit of vulnerability, this newsletter article is going to be a bit of a change of pace from our past ones.
We are all well aware that the current climate is intensely frightening for our community. That, combined with entering what I like to call “The Dark Months” can make it very tempting to engage in hibernation mode and try our best to insulate ourselves from what is happening in the world. Oftentimes this is coupled with not maintaining the connections that we need to help us endure such challenging times and emotions.
In fact, it’s something I’ve even been seeing within the GSA at my school. Meeting attendance hasn’t been great, to say the least. Some meetings have been completely unattended. And even the GSA Conference produced by an organization in my state had its lowest participant turn out in its 10+ year history. Yet we all know that finding community and engaging with each other is one of the most impactful things that we can do to help ourselves and others during such chaotic times.
So how do we combat this? When even adults are struggling to engage with others and stay connected, how do we encourage that among our students? Please send any suggestions or ideas that you have, or things that have been successful for the GSAs in your schools or for you personally to zone3@nea-lgbtqc.org and we’ll share them on our Zone Facebook page.
In other news, October 30 was our first Zone Advocacy Check-In of the year. It was great to be able to connect with those who attended. Frank and I shared our experiences connecting with Laura Gevarter Kennedy in NEA’s General Counsel’s office to talk about the ways that anti-trans laws (particularly with athletics and restrooms) have impacted our students and schools. These conversations, along with other stories provided by NEA members and students, will be part of the amicus brief supporting trans athletes that NEA is filing with the U.S. Supreme Court. We also talked about various things happening across our zone.
Our next Zone 3 Advocacy Check In will be January 29, 2026. This will be after the Caucus’ mid-year meeting, so Frank and I will likely have information and updates from the Caucus to share with you all. In the meantime, take care of yourselves, your students, and your loved ones. And know that the Caucus is here to help support you. Reach out to us at Zone3@nea-lgbtqc.org any time!
In Solidarity and Pride,
Stacy & (she/they)Frank (he/him/his)
ZONE 4
Elise Sotello [CA] & Joe Bento [WA]
zone4@nea-lgbtqc.org
By Elise Sotello (she/her/hers)
Are you looking for ways to move your advocacy work for LGBTQ+ students and staff to the next level? A few years ago I developed a training with fellow former California Teachers Association Human Rights Cadre Trainer Meg E’amato designed for LGBTQ+ Advocacy Coordinators in California – no matter their experience.
Take this self-assessment (adapted from GLSEN’s LGBTQ+ Inclusive School Assessment) and learn if you are at the beginning, exploring, developing, or excelling stage of inclusivity in your classroom, your district, and your local.
Here are some ideas to move you to the next level.
Beginning
- Find your people
- Learn the laws that protect LGBTQ+ members and students
- Attend a conference that focuses on LGBTQ+ issues (like the NEA LGBTQ+ Caucus Social Justice & Leadership Conference in Las Vegas in 2027)
- Find community resources
- Connect with a local PFLAG
- Include LGBTQ+ curriculum in your lessons
- Connect with a local LGBTQ+ center or health organization
- Display an LGBTQ+ flag
- Start a Human Rights/Equity/Social Justice Committee
- Have LGBTQ+ books available for members to request
- Start a GSA on your campus
Exploring
- Find more of your people
- Create an LGBTQ+ Network/Meetup
- Bring a group to the LGBTQ+ Conference
- Include pronouns on name tags
- Establish gender-neutral/single-stall bathrooms at your Local
- Create an LGBTQ+ resource page on Local’s website
- Collaborate with other LGBTQ+ community resources
- Start creating GSA’s at all sites
- Review your anti-discrimination language in contract & Board policies
- Provide school libraries with LGBTQ+ books
- Apply for a Jerry Newberry Grant
- Create community partnerships
Developing
- Have regular monthly meetings of the LGBTQ Network
- Hold districtwide GSA Advisory Council
- Present at the LGBTQ+Conference
- Plan Local LGBTQ+ events
- Regularly advocate for LGBTQ+ members on social media
- With backing of Local LGBTQ+ connections begin to pressure district to follow LGBTQ+ laws
- Ensure all district and classroom libraries have LGBTQ+ representation TK-12
- Add LGBTQ+-inclusive language to your contract/Board policy
Excelling
- Incorporate equity work into all aspects of your Local
- Institutionalize gender-neutral language
- Create training for Local leaders to examine their bias and prejudice in their school and community and how it impacts their work
- Plan a Pride for your Local
My Zone 4 Co-Director Joe Bento and I would love to hear what great things you are doing to take your advocacy to the next level. Email us at zone4@nea-lgbtqc.org.