PRIDE in Education Award

Growing up in my religious household, I was always reminded that being gay was a sin. My only queer role model was my uncle. He was constantly called slurs by my family, but he continued to be his true self. He would always watch Rupual's drag race, and I was intrigued by the confidence and self-expression of the queens on the show. This was the start of the gender exploration that would eventually lead me to fully embrace my own identity. I was always teased about looking like a boy by my peers growing up; I had low self-esteem from all the teasing. I started to call myself Nathan; it felt right, but I also liked who I was as Naomi. I wanted to find a way to combine both identities into one that reflected who I truly was. This led me to do some research on this feeling, which ultimately led me to discover the concept of gender fluidity. I finally felt like I had found the missing piece of myself. I was proud of my identity and told all my friends about it in middle school. But middle schoolers are jerks, and many of them teased me relentlessly for not fitting into a traditional gender role. I was purposely called he/him on my feminine days and she/her on my masculine days, just to make fun of me. Although it was annoying, I was used to being misgendered, so I had some thick skin for those types of things. Sometimes I wasn't strong enough to deal with the bullying, but luckily enough, I had an amazing teacher who always stood up for me and gave me the confidence to keep going. Her name was Ms. Q; she was my wonderful art teacher who inspired me to pursue art and to show up to school despite my severe depression. She gave me hope; she approached me when she didn't have to, and she made me feel seen. Ms. Q is why I want to become a teacher myself one day. Her kindness and support made a lasting impact on me, showing me the power of a caring teacher in a student's life. I hope to pay it forward and make a difference in the lives of my future students, just like Ms. Q did for me. I want to be the light in the darkness for those LGBTQ+ students who aren't fortunate enough to have a support system in their lives. I believe that every student deserves to feel accepted and supported, and I am committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment in my future classroom. By being an advocate for all students, especially those who may feel marginalized, I hope to inspire them to embrace their true selves and reach their full potential.