View and contribute member messages of support for our LGBTQIA+ students

The Hawaii State Teachers Association is proud to celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual) community and the cultural diversity of our island home.

Join us on Saturday, Oct. 19, as we walk in the Honolulu Pride Parade. We will meet at around 10 a.m. at Magic Island and the parade starts promptly at 11 a.m. We will be 30 out of 106 in the lineup, between First Hawaiian Bank and CURE. The parade will go down Ala Moana Boulevard onto Kalakaua Avenue and end at Kapiolani Park near the Waikiki Shell.

Members are encouraged to wear their red HSTA shirt and rainbow-colored accessories. Bonus: Free rainbow HSTA T-shirts will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis to members who walk with us in the parade, while supplies last!

If walking’s not your thing or you’re looking for something to do after the parade, come visit our booth at the festival! Gates open at 11:30 a.m. and we’ll be located in the Ohana Area (Zone 6). Admission is free.

Come see our display

HSTA’s Human and Civil Rights Committee has a booth at the festival for the first time this year. For more than a month, we’ve been gathering member messages of support for our LGBTQIA+ students and/or messages that promote inclusive schools and classrooms. Those messages will be on display Saturday, and festival goers will be encouraged to write their own messages of support when they visit our booth!

Need help figuring out what to say?

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Prompts

  • Describe the resources at your school or in your area that support LGBTQIA+ students.
  • What would you like LGBTQIA+ students to know about you and/or your school?
  • How do you stand up against bullying/harassment towards LGBTQIA+ students?
  • If you could share one thing with an LGBTQIA+ student who may be struggling right now, what would it be?

Fill in the blank

  • Dear LGBTQIA+ student(s) _____.
  • I am a [insert your role] from [insert your school, work, community] and I support LGBTQIA+ students.
  • I support LGBTQIA+ students by _____.
  • LGBTQIA+ students are important to me because _____.
  • LGBTQIA+ students deserve _____.

One-liners

  • I am a teacher who cares.
  • My classroom is a safe place for all students.
  • If it’s not inclusive, it’s not right.
  • You don’t need to change to fit the world. The world needs to change to fit you.

We’re always collecting messages of support! Submit yours via Dropbox here. Then post your message on social media and use the hashtag #HSTAforEquity. Don’t forget to tag HSTA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Get more information