claim: purports to show a mom remove an LGBTQ+ pride flag from a classroom
evidence: But this labeling and banning of the flags sends a message beyond politics. Experts tell The 19th that removing Pride flags from classrooms could have dire mental health effects on LGBTQ+ students, many of whom are still in the early stages of navigating their identities and looking for signs of acceptance from the adults around them. [...] "If they’re up and they’re forced to take them down, the message is clear that there’s no welcome symbol in that space," he said. An LGBTQ+ flag in a teacher’s classroom is a sign that students can come to them for support — even if they never need it, they have the safety in knowing that it’s there, Johnson said. [...] Monica Ghabrial, who has a doctorate in philosophy and is studying trans and nonbinary health at Western University, wrote over email that removing Pride flags — which removes signs of a welcoming environment — could increase LGBTQ+ students’ risk of poor responses to stress, both emotionally and physically.