Oakland Catholic school replaces pride flags with new 'inclusive' symbol, sparking mixed reactions

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Pride flags that previously hung in some classrooms at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland will not be displayed during the upcoming school year.

It's a change that has prompted questions and concerns among some parents and led the school to introduce a new symbol intended to affirm LGBTQ+ students and staff.

"I was very concerned, because I have two kids who identify with that flag," said Mujinga Mwamufiya, whose children attend the private Catholic school.

Mwamufiya said when she first learned of this she went to her children to see how they were feeling about it.

"They don't like it. However, their response is just that they know what O'Dowd is about. They know that it is an inclusive school and they feel welcome there," she said.

In a letter to parents, the school's president said the decision came after Pride flags became "a lightning rod within our own community."

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The chair of the "Dragon Parents and Guardians group," Cecilia A. Green, said there was speculation about whether the Diocese of Oakland was involved in the change.

"They had to come up against -- to kind of really reconcile what they wanted to share and how they wanted to show up as a school in terms of their values, and then also what their governing body, the Catholic Diocese, was asking them to do," Green said.

The Diocese of Oakland did not answer our questions about the matter and instead referred us to the school's website. The website now features a new symbol: the school's official "O" logo filled with rainbow watercolors.

"We wanted to make sure that there was something to anchor to for the students," Green said.

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According to the school's website, the Inclusive O is "a symbol created by our community to affirm that our LGBTQ+ students, families, faculty, and staff are seen, known, loved, and belong here."

Some parents questioned the distinction between the new symbol and the Pride flags that were removed.

"Ironic is the right word to use. Why is it that the colors can be represented in a different way, but not in the original way?" Mwamufiya said.

Parents said the discussion extends beyond a single school and that they hope the focus remains on Bishop O'Dowd's broader commitment to inclusion.

"That commitment is bigger than anyone's symbol that we have today," Green said.