Technolandy

Day 180b (of 2025/26) Pride, Belonging, and a Rainbow Bowtie #PrideMonth

https://apple.news/AKwLNcKN8Q7aLkt-MpLlLiQ

A few weeks ago I posted a short video about Pride Month. Nothing particularly groundbreaking. No educational framework. No lengthy policy discussion. Just a simple idea: why all the hate? https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYdNYl8h5vZ/?igsh=OWw3c2Nvd2hidTMx

To me, if a rainbow reminds one student that they are welcome, that’s worth a lot more than a few angry comments.

Apparently that resonated. More than 43,000 views later, it has me thinking about why.

One of the interesting things about education is that adults often make things more complicated than students do.

Students understand belonging.

They know what it feels like to be included in a game at recess. They know what it feels like to be invited to sit at a table. They know what it feels like when someone remembers their name, asks how they’re doing, or notices when they’re having a rough day.

They also know what exclusion feels like.

Pride Month has never really been about rainbows. The rainbow is just a symbol. What matters is the message behind it: you belong here.

Not because everyone is the same.

Not because everyone agrees.

Not because everyone has had the same experiences.

Because every person deserves dignity, respect, and the opportunity to be themselves without fear.

What has struck me over the years is that whenever Pride Month comes around, some people become very concerned about the symbol. The flag. The colours. The display. The sticker. The bowtie. And are becoming more emboldened to show their wish to exclude and segregate their neighbours (Major League Baseball… glad you called out some of your players…) 

But students are rarely focused on the symbol.

They’re focused on the message.

“Am I welcome here?”

“Will someone stand up for me if things get difficult?”

“Do I have to hide part of myself to fit in?”

Those are the questions that matter.

The answer I hope every student receives is simple:

You belong.

And if a rainbow helps communicate that message to even one student, it seems like a pretty small thing to ask and a pretty important thing to provide.