Pride in the Town: OUSD Celebrates Oakland Pride Month 2025

September in Oakland is Pride Month, a celebration that holds particular significance in a city with such a rich history of activism. Oakland has always been a place that stands up for its community, as evident in its legacy, from the Black Panther Party to the generations that have fought for LGBTQ+ rights.

Oakland Unified School District’s work is guided by data, and the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) paints a clear picture of our student community. In 2024, 18% of OUSD high school students and 16% of middle school students identified as LGBTQIA+. This significant and vibrant part of our student body deserves to see themselves reflected and supported in every aspect of their education. The survey also highlights the challenges they can face. For example, 46% of straight middle school students report hearing homophobic slurs at school. This is why our commitment to creating inclusive spaces is so critical.

Programs and Resources in OUSD

The District is proud to offer comprehensive support systems that ensure our students feel seen, valued, and safe. These are just a few of our programs, policies, and partnerships designed to empower students, staff, and families

Student-Led Spaces and Events

• Gender & Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) and Rainbow Clubs: These student-led spaces are more than just clubs; they are communities. At the elementary level, Rainbow Club Liaisons lead activities that affirm diverse identities and teach respect. At the secondary level, GSAs host healing circles, create art, and organize school-wide initiatives. At Fremont High, the Queer Advisory homeroom has grown to 32 students because, as their advisor says, "we refuse to keep students from their community."
• Annual GSA Day: This one-day, youth-centered conference brings together middle and high school GSA members from across the District. It's a powerful opportunity for students to share resources, build community, and develop leadership skills to solve challenges at their schools.

Systemic and Staff-Led Support

• OUT for Safe Schools: OUSD is one of nine major school districts in the country participating in the OUT for Safe Schools program. Staff voluntarily wear these badges to signify they are a safe person to talk to and an LGBTQ+ ambassador on campus.
• Gender Support Plans & Name/Gender Changes: We have implemented Gender Support Plans for our trans and gender-nonconforming students. Families can also use the Request to Change Name and Gender Form to update their students’ information in Aeries, ensuring their identity is affirmed in all school contexts.
• Professional Development: We offer dedicated LGBTQIA+ professional development for staff, reviewing everything from district policies and state laws to best practices for creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students and families.
• Mental Health & Social Worker Internship: For the past five years, our counseling intern program has dedicated an emerging social worker to provide affirming, culturally competent therapy for LGBTQ+ students. This partnership with local universities ensures students have a safe space with a therapist who understands their unique experiences.

Material Aid and Educational Opportunities

Thanks to over $50,000 in grants from partners like the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, It Gets Better, and Oakland EdFund, our educators provide tangible support in numerous ways, such as distributing nearly $10,000 in shapewear to students across the district and funding educational field trips. This support also makes possible the annual shopping spree, where students are paired with performers as personal shoppers.

Community Partnerships and Resources

Our collaboration with UCSF Children's Hospital brings LGBT drop-in centers to Castlemont and McClymonds High Schools, and our partnership with La Clínica provides access to healthcare resources. We also partner with organizations like the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center and Gender Spectrum. For immediate support, students and families can always reach out to hotlines like The Trevor Project and Trans Lifeline.

Community Voices

We are proud to share the voices of some of our dedicated staff who are leading this life-changing work and creating spaces where our LGBTQ+ students can thrive.

Tommy Martin-Edwards Spanish Teacher and Queer Student Advisory Liaison Fremont High School

Q: Why are gender support plans so important for students? "Students really seem to appreciate not having to muster the courage to tell 8+ teachers, as well as admin and staff, what their names and pronouns are on the first day. That sounds like such a stressful task for the bravest of adults, let alone a 14-year-old. For the families I've worked with, the response has been a sigh of relief, because their child can just exist as their fullest selves at school." Q: What is your advice for other educators who want to start programs like this but don't know how to get funding? "There are people out there who will support your idea if it's what's good for the students. I've gotten grants from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, It Gets Better, Oakland EdFund, and CTA. Most of these grants took little time to write. Just apply. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence conduct a grant cycle of $1000 twice a year, and they love supporting Oakland Queer youth. Also, check your CHKS data. At Fremont, we are on average 23% LGBTQ and 2% trans (twice the national average) every year. Using that data can change the minds of doubtful admins."

Jax Nguyen QSA Advisor Roosevelt Middle School

Q: What's the first thing you'd tell educators trying to create inclusive spaces? "Don't lean into the tragedies that have been taking place; lean into queer joy. I find that when I focus too much on all of the horrible things that have happened, I get really depressed, honestly, so leaning on queer joy, whether that be the students, other staff." Q: How do you turn a challenging conversation with a student into a teachable moment? "When a student made transphobic comments, I pulled them aside and we tracked back where those values came from... At the end of the day, those beliefs weren't hers; it was just what she was taught. It's our job to provide a fuller history, to show that transness isn't new; it has existed across the world forever. That's how you change minds."

Kathy Bennett OUSD Counseling Intern Program

Q: Can you share a story that shows the program's impact on an individual student? "Last year, a school asked us to support a trans student. That student really appreciated the intern's care, and felt a lot less lonely... felt really like someone was there, and was listening, and could relate, and understood their experience. That really stood out to me as a moment where I knew, 'this is definitely worth what we're doing'. It's just one example, but a lot of students really appreciate having a therapist who gets them." Q: What is your hope for the future of this program? "The dream would be to expand, to have more than one intern providing this support. We could target schools that really struggle or have a lot of students who need this care. It would also be great to support schools that maybe don't have a GSA or need help bolstering their GSA—our intern could help with that."

Rainbow Reading

Our OUSD librarians have compiled this list to showcase the diverse experiences and boundless joy of the LGBTQ+ community, which can be found on our Sora digital library.

Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (Kinder - 3rd Grade)

When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff (Kinder - 3rd Grade)

Lumberjanes Series by N.D. Stevenson (3rd - 7th Grade)

Rick by Alex Gino (3rd - 7th Grade)

The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes (9th - 12th Grade)

This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson (9th - 12th Grade)

This Oakland Pride Month, we celebrate the progress we've made and reaffirm our commitment to the work ahead. Let's continue to stand with and for one another, ensuring OUSD is a place where every person is celebrated, today and every day.