Making histories visible

by Amy Moran, Ph. D. On the line in this past election was the possibility of increased access to critical literacies versus book bans, civil rights for all versus legislation…

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November is Indigenous Peoples Month

By Amy Moran, Ph.D. In the schools of our childhoods, white colonial histories, norms and perspectives were reinforced at the expense—indeed, the omission—of those of Indigenous people who were already…

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Read more about the article Kate Okeson makes LGBTQIA+ history!
Kate Okeson with her fellow honorees at the 2024 NEA Human and Civil Rights Award Dinner. Okeson received the Virginia Uribe Memorial Award for Creative Leadership in Human Rights. She is second from right.

Kate Okeson makes LGBTQIA+ history!

By Amy Moran, Ph. D. (she/her)  Kate Okeson, my co-writer for the Rainbow Connection column, has been appointed the executive director of the new Advisory Commission on Advancing LGBTQIA+ Youth…

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Safer by design

By Amy Moran, Ph. D. (she/her)  Welcome back to another wonderful school year! As we prepare our rooms and routines for success, let’s recommit to celebrating LGBTQIA+ culture all year…

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Getting your Vitamin B

By Amy Moran, Ph.D. and Kate Okeson  Happy Gay Pride Month, NJEA family! It’s the last month of the school year, and we’re all thinking about activities and strategies that…

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Poetry as queer liberation and Joy

By Amy Moran, Ph.D. and Kate Okeson  April is National Poetry Month, and I have been thinking about the role of the arts in helping us see ourselves, connecting us…

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Read more about the article Organizing for change
HEA LGBTQ+ Alliance Committee at Voices Unveiled: A Spotlight on LGBTQ+ Student Experiences. From left (top): Rebecca Balaguer, HHS/SAC School Counselor; Lisa White, HMS School Counselor/SAC/GSA; Debra Porowski, HMS Vice Principal; Jeannette Sena, OT/Alliance Chair; Bill Singer, Esq. Bottom from left: Gabriella Graziano-LoPresti, HHS Health Services Secretary; Stephanie Moore, HES/4th grade; Ian Evans, HMS/7th Literacy.

Organizing for change

By Amy Moran, Ph.D. and Kate Okeson  Since September of 2021, “Rainbow Connection” has engaged members with resources, methods and support to create safer, more affirming schools for LGBTQIA+ youth,…

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Calling out hypocrisy

By Amy Moran, Ph.D. and Kate Okeson In 2023, more than 500 anti-LGBTQIA+ measures were introduced in state legislatures, and over 80 have passed already. They’re largely found in “red…

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