Growing up is tough, and many of us felt "different" more than once during our formative years, but this is especially the case for LGBTQ+ children.
That is why Jennifer Leja, a 7th and 8th-grade teacher in the Washoe County School District in Nevada, is fighting back against a new policy that bans the display of Pride flags in classrooms.
Leja, who identifies as bisexual, said that many children in 7th and 8th grade gravitate towards her because they are questioning and trying to understand their own identities.
But Washoe County School District recently issued a new policy that bans "partisan political activities" during school time. The policy states that "any signage that is displayed on District property that is, or becomes, political in nature must be removed or covered."
Leja questioned whether this included the LGBTQ+ issues, such as the display of the Pride flag, or her mentioning that she is in a relationship with a woman.
Leja took to TikTok to share just how many rainbows she has in her classroom:Trustee Andrew Caudill then replied in an email shared with BuzzFeed News that LGBTQ+ issues were included.
"The courts have held LGBTQ+ issues to be political speech and thus, the rainbow flag [is considered] to be political speech, so it cannot be expressed through clothing and other means, such as displaying a flag in your class," he told her.
However, he did make a point of saying that Leja was allowed to mention her same-sex partner.
"Who you are is not impacted by this policy, only what is expressed in class through visual aids," he told her.
However, for the teacher, the Pride flag is an integral part of her identity.
"The issue that I have with it is, I don't think my existence and my identity is a political issue," she said per Buzzfeed News. "I think that being able to have a rainbow flag is as much a part of my identity as anything else."
She added: "It's legal in every state to get married; it's legal for LGBT people to exist in this country right now, so I don’t see how it's a political issue."
Leja said that this policy won't just affect her either, but the many students who come to her while questioning their identities.
The teacher explained that this year, for example, she has a transgender student in her class and the inclusion of rainbows will let them know that they are welcome and supported in the school environment.
So, as Leja said in the TikTok above, if anyone asks now why she has so many Pride representations in her classroom, she is just going to say that she really likes rainbows.
