5:28 p.m. ET June 17, 2017 Nikos Giannopoulos stood over the right shoulder of President Trump, splayed a black-lace hand fan, tilted his head and gave the camera a self-satisfied stare.
Instant Internet gold. Giannopoulos's photo with the president and first lady Melania Trump in the Oval Office became a viral sensation once it was posted online, catapulting the teacher into stardom.
Rhode Island Teacher mr Giannopoulos met the president as part of the fanfare that comes with being named 2017 Rhode Island Teacher of the Year. In a Facebook post, he described his experience, what he wore and what he would have said had he gotten a few moments with Trump.
The special education teacher and coordinator at Beacon Charter High School said he wore a rainbow pin to express his gratitude for the support of the LGBTQ community. His anchor necklace stood for "hope," the Rhode Island motto.
"In previous years, state teachers of the year were given the opportunity to speak to the president for a few minutes each," the post read, never mentioning Trump by name. "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."
Known as Mr. G, Giannopoulos leads the school's Gay Straight Alliance and creates transition plans and evaluations for students with special learning needs.
"Taking pride in queer identity means rejecting the shame imposed upon us by a harsh society," he said. "It means opening yourself up to a lifetime of criticism and misunderstanding, but knowing that it’s worth it to be able to live authentically."
His photo with the president was shared thousands of times and Twitter had a field day.
Giannopoulos told NPR the president gave his blessing — "Absolutely, go for it" — when he asked if it could be used in their picture.
"Oh, he loved it!" Giannopoulos told NPR. "I popped it open when I walked into the office because I'm a very sassy person. And Trump complimented it right away. He said, 'I love the fan!'"
