Announcing FCPS Pride!

“Enfin!” in the words of my friend who teaches French: “Finally!” Fifteen years after the initial proposal, the Fairfax County School Board added “sexual orientation” to its non-discrimination policy, and it added “gender identity” this spring (Current FCPS nondiscrimination policy).

Thus, FCPS Pride has come in to existence, to “network and advocate for allied and LGBT employees, for ourselves, our colleauges, our friends and families, our students and our children.”

So FCPS Pride welcomes, of course LGBT employees, but also GSA sponsors and others concerned about students, and parents of LGBT children in the system who are also employees, as well as other staff supportive of LGBT people.

Members may include teachers, administrators, support staff, maintenance staff, substitutes, and central office staff; in other words, all people with a current FCPS employee number.

FCPS Pride envisions a school system in which all students, employees and applicants are respected and treated fairly, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

The purpose of this blog is to address issues of concern to this community. Discussion and disagreement are welcome, but extreme language should be avoided; this is also not a forum for disagreement with the basic rights and respect that LGBT people deserve (i.e. it is not a completely open forum). Specifically, misgendering of respondents will not be allowed.

Guest blogs are welcome, subject to editing for space. Please submit to [email protected]

Membership forms are on another page. Both members and associates may join the “action cohort.” You need to join membership and the action cohort separately, if you wish to be included in both. The contact information on each does not need to match.

You would receive “action emails” about letter-writing campaigns to the school board and other local government officials, and possibly robocalls (rarely) about a need for attendance at a school board meeting.

You may join both or neither, as you choose. If you wish to be removed, email [email protected]

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