From the South Orange & Maplewood School District:
MAPLEWOOD, N.J. – Dr. Ronald Taylor, Superintendent of the Schools of South Orange and Maplewood, released the following statement [June 30] in support of our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) students, staff and families on behalf of the District and the Board of Education.
“On this final day of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month, we remember the courage of those who fought against discrimination and police brutality in the Stonewall Uprising 54 years ago, as well as their civil rights legacy we have inherited and are committed to keeping in our district, schools, and community.
As we close LGBTQ+ Pride Month for 2023, the District and the Board of Education continue to welcome, proclaim, recognize, and affirm our LGBTQ+ students, staff, caregivers, and families. We will provide them with a welcoming, respectful, inclusive, and safe learning environment – for them and for all of our students. During the past month, our schools have commemorated and recognized the contributions made by LGBTQ+ individuals in their own lessons and activities – not simply because they were aligned with the standards of our state curriculum, but because they were aligned with the standards and ideals of the communities we serve.
As important as it is to remember the past, we must also look to the future.
The District and the Board of Education look to a future in which we continue to affirm our LGBTQ+ students, staff, families, and community, that we see you, we celebrate you, and we support you. We are committed to creating a climate and culture that is welcoming and affirming, protecting the safety and well-being of all students and staff, focusing on equity and inclusion for all.
We will continue to support and recognize to ensure the needs of those who are disproportionately impacted by racism, homophobia, transphobia, bias and school-based victimization We will continue to stand committed to ensuring that are classrooms, and hallways. school policies and practices are inclusive and supportive of all of our students – regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, sexual identity, gender, orientation, and expression.
As we end June 2023’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month, we will carry its emphasis on building greater understanding into the future. That is why we encourage all students, staff, and families to listen to each other with the intention to understand others more than to react to them. The more we are able to listen to one another, the more we will be able to grow in our understanding beyond our individual experiences. And it will be through greater understanding of one another that we will come closer to achieving a more perfect society in which everyone is seen, honored, respected, and valued”
