‘As LGBTQ People, Our Identities Are Complex, but Our Needs Are Universal’
Rhode Island Teacher of the Year Nikos Giannopoulos on Thursday posted the official White House photo taken of him with President Donald Trump and the First Lady. It is going viral. Giannopoulos, in a separate Facebook post, writes, “I wore a rainbow pin to represent my gratitude for the LGBTQ community that has taught me to be proud, bold, and empowered by my identity – even when circumstances make that difficult. I wore a blue jacket with a bold print and carried a black lace fan to celebrate the joy and freedom of gender nonconformity. I wore an anchor necklace in honor of the State of Rhode Island whose motto ‘Hope’ was inspired by Hebrews 6:19 – ‘We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.’ These words are as relevant now they were when our founding father Roger Williams was inspired by them over 350 years ago.”
The visit to the White House took place in late April.
Giannopoulos carefully recorded the experience, writing, “we were welcomed into the Roosevelt Room where we each met Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. Shortly thereafter, we walked into the Oval Office. The man seated at the desk read prepared remarks from a sheet of paper and made some comments about CEOs and which states he ‘loved’ based on electoral votes that he had secured. He did not rise from his seat to present the National Teacher of the Year with her much deserved award nor did he allow her to speak. We returned to the Roosevelt Room and one by one got a photo with him and his wife. After what amounted to a brief photo op, we were ushered out of the West Wing and back onto the streets of DC.”
“As LGBTQ people, our identities are complex, but our needs are universal – to be loved, to be respected for who we are, and to be fully equal citizens of the United States of America,” he added.
For those wondering how his experience stacks up to those of former Teachers of the Year winners, Giannopoulos has your answer.
“In previous years, state teachers of the year were given the opportunity to speak to the president for a few minutes each. Had I been given the opportunity, I would have told him that the pride I feel as an American comes from my freedom to be open and honest about who I am and who I love. I would have told him that queer lives matter and anti-LGBTQ policies have a body count. Taking pride in queer identity means rejecting the shame imposed upon us by a harsh society. It means opening yourself up to a lifetime of criticism and misunderstanding, but knowing that it’s worth it to be able to live authentically. Each and every queer person has been confronted with cruelty in ways many cannot imagine – verbal and physical abuse from strangers, friends, & even family; politicians callously attacking on our right to love or merely exist in public spaces; legalized discrimination for daring to be who we are. Brutality is a universal part of the queer experience.”
The Providence Journal earlier this month reported on the announcement of Giannopoulos as Rhode Island’s 2017 teacher of the year.
“Based on the loud whoops and whistles from high schoolers packed into the Stadium Theatre Thursday afternoon, to say Beacon Charter High School teacher Nikos Giannopoulos is popular would be an understatement.”
The paper says when his name was read aloud, the “room erupted, students jumping to their feet and rushing into the aisles to give Giannopoulos hugs. With the aura of a rock star, he jumped onto the stage, embraced [Governor]Â Raimondo and his mother, and gave his partner Justin Cardinale a big kiss. The crowd went wild.”
“All I can say is this is for anybody who was ever anxious or anybody who ever struggled in math,†Giannopoulos said as he accepted his award. “For anybody who felt more comfortable in the art room than the gym … this is for you guys.â€
For so many reasons, Giannopoulos is a true hero.
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