Schools Should Celebrate Title IX Month—Not Pride Month

Every June, schools across America fill their bulletin boards with rainbows, host Pride events, and encourage elementary school children to participate in LGBTQ-themed activities.

Whether it’s teachers in New Jersey posing on social media in shirts that suggest non-gender-affirming parents are not loving, or an Oregon school district planning a Pride-themed field day for young students, the emphasis is clear: Public schools have decided that June is about celebrating a particular ideology.

But there’s another, more fitting cause for schools to embrace in June—one grounded in education, achievement, and fairness: Title IX Month.

This month, the U.S. Department of Education officially recognized June as Title IX Month, a time to honor one of the most impactful civil rights laws in American history.

Title IX, signed into law on June 23, 1972, simply states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” 

It’s not about political ideologies or woke social justice. It’s about ensuring equal opportunity—particularly for girls and women—in schools and athletics.

Unfortunately, you won’t see many public school districts marking the anniversary of this historic law. Instead, districts choose to hand out Pride-themed coloring pages to students. 

This focus sends a troubling message: that ideological affirmation now takes precedence over celebrating the hard-won educational rights of American girls and women. Schools should be more concerned with educating students about how our nation guarantees equality in classrooms, sports, and academic opportunities than with promoting cultural trends that may not reflect the views of all families.

So what would a Title IX Month celebration in schools look like?

It starts with educating students. Instead of controversial T-shirts, teachers could sport apparel that say things like “Title IX: Equal Education Since 1972” or “I Support Equal Education for All—Title IX Proud.” Schools could host assemblies with brief, age-appropriate explanations of what Title IX is and why it matters. Imagine a gym full of elementary students watching a skit about girls getting to join the soccer team for the first time—or a high school hearing from a local attorney who was able to attend law school thanks to the opportunities granted to her through Title IX.

Schools could invite coaches, educators, or Title IX pioneers to speak about the law’s impact on their lives. Teachers could read the actual text of the law to students, underscoring its simplicity and power. Younger students might color in pages of sports icons like Billie Jean King or trailblazing lawmakers like Rep. Patsy Mink, one of Title IX’s original champions.

None of this requires schools to wade into controversial territory. Instead, it allows them to celebrate a time-tested principle that is in the DNA of America—the idea that all students, regardless of sex, should have the same shot at educational opportunity and professional success.

Public schools support families of all backgrounds and beliefs. They should strive to unify, not divide. Title IX Month is an opportunity to highlight a shared national value: fairness. It’s about acknowledging the law that helped millions of girls access sports, scholarships, and STEM programs. It’s something every parent can get behind—regardless of politics.

Celebrating Title IX doesn’t just respect history—it affirms a timeless principle: that equality in education is worth championing. And unlike the ideological distractions that currently dominate the month of June in many schools, it keeps the focus exactly where it should be—on students, learning, and opportunity.

It’s time for our schools to stop promoting ideological movements and start celebrating the federal laws that truly protect our kids. This June let’s bring Title IX back to the forefront.

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