{"id":29696,"date":"2025-11-04T10:52:53","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T15:52:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/?p=29696"},"modified":"2025-11-04T10:52:53","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T15:52:53","slug":"new-jersey-teachers-union-faces-criticism-over-drag-themed-education-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2025\/11\/new-jersey-teachers-union-faces-criticism-over-drag-themed-education-program","title":{"rendered":"New Jersey Teachers Union Faces Criticism Over Drag-Themed Education Program"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Manny DaCunha \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA<\/a>), the state’s largest teachers union, is drawing criticism and attention ahead of its annual convention after announcing plans to host a program promoting drag culture as a form of education and activism.<\/p>\n

The 45-minute session<\/a>, titled “Drag Is Not a Crime: The Past, Present, and Future of Drag,”<\/em> is scheduled for Nov. 7 during the two-day NJEA Convention in Atlantic City. According to the NJEA’s website, the program will “explore drag’s history, cultural significance, and future,” highlighting how drag serves as “art, resistance, and activism\u2014challenging norms, advancing LGBTQ+ rights, and promoting social justice and community.”<\/p>\n

The event will be held through the NJEA’s Consortium, which describes itself as being “proudly supported by an NEA grant” and “on a mission to put diversity and representation at the forefront of curriculum development.” The National Education Association (NEA) is the NJEA’s national affiliate and one of the largest labor organizations in the country.<\/p>\n

Other workshops at the convention will focus on topics such as “Cultivating Equity Centered Schools through Action,” “Reimagining Inclusion: Mindset Shifts for Equitable, Neurodiverse School Communities,” and “Teaching Palestine.” The NJEA Consortium has also announced programs designed to help educators use artificial intelligence to create “pluralistic instruction” and lessons that highlight “New Jersey’s mandated narratives.”<\/p>\n

This is not the first time the NJEA has showcased drag-related programming. In 2022, the organization hosted a “Drag Queen Story Hour” at its annual convention, featuring two drag performers\u2014Astala Vista and Vinchelle\u2014who read LGBTQ-themed children’s books and answered audience questions. That year’s convention also featured sessions promoting LGBT-affirming lesson plans and workshops on “healthy teen sexuality.”<\/p>\n

The announcement<\/a> of this year’s event comes just days after New Jersey’s gubernatorial election. The NJEA’s Political Action Committee has endorsed Democrat Mikie Sherrill for governor and backed dozens of legislative candidates\u201458 Democrats and nine Republicans\u2014seeking seats in the state’s General Assembly.<\/p>\n

The NJEA did not immediately respond to The Christian Post<\/em>‘s request for comment regarding the drag event. However, the union has consistently defended its approach to diversity and inclusion as part of preparing educators to create welcoming environments for all students.<\/p>\n

The move reflects a broader trend among educators’ unions in both the U.S. and the U.K. to promote LGBT-inclusive programming. In 2023, the Defense of Freedom Institute\u2014founded by former U.S. Department of Education officials\u2014released a report alleging that major teachers unions, including the NEA and the American Federation of Teachers, were “training teachers to affirm every gender identity that conflicts with a student’s sex” and “to hide the training from parents.”<\/p>\n

Similarly, that same year, the United Kingdom’s National Education Union passed a motion urging schools to support drag queen story times as part of their efforts to create “safe spaces” for LGBT students.<\/p>\n

As the NJEA prepares to open its doors for the Atlantic City convention, the event has already stirred strong reactions among parents, educators, and faith-based organizations across New Jersey\u2014many of whom are questioning whether such programs belong in teacher development spaces.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), the state’s largest teachers union, is drawing criticism and attention ahead of its annual convention after announcing plans to host a program promoting drag culture as a form of education and activism. The 45-minute session, titled “Drag Is Not a Crime: The Past, Present, and Future of Drag,” is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":29699,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nNew Jersey Teachers Union Faces Criticism Over Drag-Themed Education Program<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"New Jersey's largest teachers union faces backlash for hosting a "Drag Is Not a Crime" program promoting drag in education.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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