Rhode Islands teacher of the year saw his face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump go viral after taking a sassy picture with the president. <\/p>\n
Nikos Giannopoulos, 29, visited the White House after being named the states teacher of the year, and whipped out a lace fan to strike a pose during his photo opportunity. <\/p>\n
Despite the president failing to acknowledge June as Pride month in the United States, and picking a vice-president with a dubious record on LGBTQ rights, Giannopoulos managed to make his picture with Trump as gay friendly as possible. <\/p>\n
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The teacher of the year sported a rainbow pin during his visit, which he said was intended to represent my gratitude for the LGBTQ community, and paired it with a gold necklace and the fan, which he said was to celebrate the joy and freedom of gender nonconformity, in a post on his Facebook page. <\/p>\n
Asked how Trump reacted to the fan, Giannopoulos told NPR: Oh, he loved it! <\/p>\n
He added: I popped it open when I walked into the office because Im a very sassy person. And Trump complimented it right away. He said, I love the fan! And he told me I had great style. Then, when I was ushered in for my private photo with the president and Melania, I was told I should put it away. So I just folded it up and held it at my side. But when it came time for the photo, I just asked the president, Do you mind if I use the fan for the photo? He said, Absolutely go for it. So I popped my fan and did my pose. <\/p>\n
Its not often that a citizen manages to steal the limelight from the president in a single photo, but Giannopoulos picture proves its possibleand has been widely shared on the internet. <\/p>\n
Explaining the thinking behind his perfect picture, Giannopoulos said on Facebook: For my trip to the White House, I wore a rainbow pin to represent my gratitude for the LGBTQ community that has taught me to be proud, bold, and empowered by my identityeven when circumstances make that difficult. <\/p>\n
He added: When I think back to my time in the White House, I will not remember the person seated at the desk.\" <\/p>\n
The teacher also said he would have spoken to Trump about LGBTQ rights had he been given the opportunity to do so. <\/p>\n
Writing on Facebook, he said: \"In previous years, state teachers of the year were given the opportunity to speak to the president for a few minutes each. Had I been given the opportunity, I would have told him that the pride I feel as an American comes from my freedom to be open and honest about who I am and who I love. I would have told him that queer lives matter and anti-LGBTQ policies have a body count.\" <\/p>\n
He added: \"Taking pride in queer identity means rejecting the shame imposed upon us by a harsh society. It means opening yourself up to a lifetime of criticism and misunderstanding, but knowing that its worth it to be able to live authentically.\" <\/p>\n
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Teacher Took 'Sassy' Picture With Donald Trump To Highlight Gay Pride Because Trump Won't - Newsweek<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Rhode Islands teacher of the year saw his face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump go viral after taking a sassy picture with the president. Nikos Giannopoulos, 29, visited the White House after being named the states teacher of the year, and whipped out a lace fan to strike a pose during his photo opportunity. Continue reading