Pete Cahall, principal of Wilson High School in Washington, D.C., came out as gay Wednesday while in front of his students at a school Pride Day event.
"I turned 50, I'm tired of hiding," Cahall told the crowd, reports NBC Washington.
Cahall was joined by D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and openly gay City Councilman David Catania and as he made his announcement.
“I want to say publicly for the first time because of your leadership, care and support that I am a proud gay man who just happens to be the principal of Wilson High School,” he said while in the school's atrium, according to The Washington Post.
In response, the quasi-religious, anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church has planned a protest June 9 and has reportedly called the school's celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people a "shame," according to NBC.
On Twitter, the school's account has been retweeting positive responses to the principal's announcement.