A Dover Elementary School Goes Pride Crazy - and We Have Advice for Parents
Pride month is rearing its head in MA schools yet again. Time for another Pride Watch!
This coming Monday is June 1st, and that means one thing - “Pride” is back in Massachusetts public schools.
We have heard anecdotal reports that in some school districts, LGBTQ-related celebrations seem to have taken a bit of a backseat as of late. But in some districts, and even in some individual schools, the rainbow parade continues. One such examples is Chickering Elementary School in Dover.
The following event was shared with us in the MIP facebook group yesterday, and we have now received it from multiple sources. Courtesy of the school’s Rainbow Club, kids as young as kindergarten will be greeted with a “Rainbow Club Pride Day” celebration as they enter the school on Monday morning. It is unclear whether or not the “celebration” lasts throughout the day as well.
(Rainbow Clubs are gender and sexuality club for little kids - we’ve talked about them before on the substack here and here, and in other places like here and here).
In MIP we talk a lot about the rights that public school parents have to opt their kids out of lessons and other in-school events like assemblies that violate their religious beliefs, including those related to LGBTQ+ ideology or “Pride.” Parents can, and should, opt out of these types of things (find our opt out form HERE). But what can parents do when the event they want to avoid - the event that reinforces ideas that contradict their family’s values or beliefs - is unavoidable? How do you opt your child out of LITERALLY ENTERING THE SCHOOL on a school day, or from the unknown tentacles of a celebration that may take various forms during the day?
That was the question that Dover parents had, and here is our answer.
Parents, just like have a right to opt their child out of LGBTQ+ ideology in a lesson that conflict with their family’s beliefs, if the school is hosting similar programming during the school day that is impossible to opt out of, you can keep your child out of school. In order to do this, email the principal and inform them that because the school is promoting LGBTQ+ ideology that violates your family’s beliefs on that day, you are opting your child out of school under Mahmoud v Taylor, and that you expect your child will not be penalized for the absence in any way.
To learn more about your rights under this important case, click here.
If school pushes back and labels it as an unexcused absence or assigns some other sort of penalty, reach out to Massachusetts Liberty Legal Center.
This recommendation comes with two caveats:
First, if you are able to verify that the event only takes place at one part of the day (such as only during one period, or only at the beginning or end of the day), you may also be able to successfully opt your child out by bringing them in late, or picking them up early. If you take this approach, we recommend sending a similar letter informing the school of your reason for the early dismissal or late entry.
Second, if your child already has excessive unexcused absences, or is reaching a threshold for absences (even excused absences) that could impact their academic record or course credit, you may want to speak with an attorney first about your unique situation.
Mom and dad, this issue in Dover goes to show that not only is the sexualized agenda in school not dead, it’s happening to even with our youngest students.
Back in 2024, we instituted a “Pride Watch” during the month of June to help MIP parents be aware of what kinds of sexuality-and-gender focused events they might run into in their children’s schools. It looks like it’s high time to institute Pride Watch again.
If your school is celebrating Pride events, let us know in the comments here, or on the pinned Pride Watch 2026 post in MIP. Spreading the word about these events helps other parents know what is going on so that they can opt their own children out, or push for change in their local districts. We are especially interested in informing parents about events/displays/celebrations that go on during the school day or immediately before or after school, that students may be compelled or enticed to attend without parental knowledge or consent. If you are aware of such an event, sharing original screen shots or other official documentation is always best. This type of documentation can also be sent to us via email at massinformedparents@gmail.com (please note that while we are happy to keep submissions anonymous, any documentation shared via email may be shared publicly, and anything posted in comments on substack or the MIP Facebook group already is).
We wish Pride Watch 2026 wasn’t necessary, but thanks to our friends in Dover, we know that it is. And despite the grumpy tone of the hit piece above, public schools that are celebrating “Pride month” or other related activities shouldn’t mind at all when we expose what they are doing. If they are proud, they should want everyone to know!
But if they don’t like the spotlight shining on the way they celebrate sexuality and gender confusion in school, then they shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.
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