According to the materials obtained by Defending Education, the National Education Association's (NEA) "Advancing LGBTQ+ Justice" training session, scheduled December 2-4, includes employee transition guides, promotes a "Race Class Gender" narrative, and claims opponents use "strategic racism" and transphobia that "harm us all."
"They have a glossary claiming people can be a gender," reports Kendall Tietz. "They're insisting that made-up pronouns like ze/zim are an accurate way to refer to somebody, and they recommend teachers wear pronouns pins."
The "pre-attendance package" and "participant handouts" also include a guide for members who are potentially going through a gender transition at work.
But Tietz says all that appears to be just the tip of the iceberg.
In a document about trans youth, the NEA admits that they are losing the debate over male athletes in girls' sports, claiming the people on the right side of the political spectrum are using "racist dog whistles" and anti-trans attacks to sabotage progressives.
The union is telling its 3 million members to reframe sex segregation in sports as part of "the long legacy of discrimination against women athletes."
"We're talking about biological males playing in girls' sports, but their line still seems to be this is somehow discrimination against women," says Tietz. "I think conservatives have been arguing that exact point, but based on opposite reasoning."
In short, she says the NEA is "vilifying half the country for not agreeing with its worldview."
"The only reason anyone would oppose its stance on race and gender ideology is if they're racist, transphobic, or Republican, apparently," Tietz relays.
But as she recently pointed out to Fox News, "A teacher’s job is to teach facts and skills, not train kids to be social justice activists."
The NEA is the nation's largest labor union for educators. It will also hold an "Advancing Racial Justice through Union Work" on Jan. 13-15, 2026.
