Students at a Burlington, MA middle school organized a revolt against the school’s “Pride Day,” instigating extremely negative responses from faculty, administrators, and some parents who stand in support of Pride.
Principal Cari Perchase described: “some students had independently organized a counter message to Pride Spirit Day. This became evident in the lunchroom, where several groups of students wore red, white, blue, or black, including face paint… groups of students were heard chanting, ‘U.S.A are my pronouns,’ and students glared intimidatingly at faculty members showing pride.”
The conflict escalated as pro-pride signs and banners were defaced, and some students were allegedly coerced into renouncing their support for Pride Spirit Day. Reflecting on the incident, one parent, Carl Foss, expressed his disappointment, saying, “I thought Burlington was a safer place.”
In her letter to parents, Perchase suggested the counter-message was driven by the school’s neglect of Memorial Day observance, stating it was “an oversight” and that school officials had since apologized to students. Further, she stressed that “respect for the observance of Memorial Day and respect for the LGBTQ community are not mutually exclusive.”
In response to the incident, members of the Burlington Select Board offered potential solutions. Select Board member Mike Espejo advised, “I think what we need to do is turn down the temperature and instead of talking at each other, look each other in the face and talk to each other, hear each other’s concerns, complaints and try to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.”
The Board also pledged to intensify efforts towards a comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion program within the school and wider community. This commitment includes hiring a specialist for that role in the upcoming months. Echoing the sentiment, resident Joanne Frustaci reminded, “They are not our enemies. And it’s time for everyone to open up and listen.”
