This week, Austin Independent School District hosted Pride Week 2025. Pride Week is an event held during the school year since both National Pride Month and the Austin Pride Parade happen over the summer when school is not in session. The week of March 24th featured a host of Pride-themed spirit activities both inside and outside instructional time, an aspect of AISD Pride Week that is new this year.

Monday, students and staff were encouraged to kick off Pride Week by wearing athletic or athleisure clothes. On Tuesday, the theme was Glitter & Glam, and on Wednesday, the theme encouraged Bowie Bulldogs to wear retro outfits to celebrate their pasts. On Thursday, the theme was futuristic outfits to encourage hope for the future, and Friday’s theme was Rainbow Day. 

Throughout the week there were Pride-themed FIT sessions ranging from postcard writing to nail painting parties. The academic wings, fine arts wing, and library had Pride shirts and stickers available for interested students. On Thursday, there was an open Pride Poetry Reading in which students were emboldened to read their Pride-related poetry in the library during FIT. 

AP literature teacher John Flickinger has hosted a nail painting FIT session to celebrate Pride week for the last four years. According to Flickinger, his  FIT session attracts a variety of students, from straight-presenting males to genderfluid and sexually fluid individuals.

“I started it as a way to confront some rather ridiculous gender expectations,” Flickinger said. “It ebbs and flows as to the popularity and who comes, but it’s a variety.” 

Other fit sessions were hosted by English teachers Judd Pfeiffer, Megan Holden, and Chelsea McCaffery. AISD champions AISD Pride Week as an opportunity for students to feel safe in school. According to the AISD website, when students feel safe and can show up as their true selves at school, they are more likely to thrive academically. As well as Pride activities, Pride Week included donation opportunities, such as English teacher Jacob Morgan’s collection box for SAFE Alliance donations and the opportunity to donate cans through Bowie’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance. 

“I love Pride Week,” Flickinger said. “I like providing a safe space for all students to be able to express themselves.”