Discussion: California: Gay History to be required in schools

inspiration4

Quote:

LOS ANGELES — California will become the first state to require public schools to teach gay and lesbian history.

As expected, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill on Thursday that mandates that the contributions of gays and lesbians in the state and the country be included in social science instruction and in textbooks. School districts will have until next January to begin implementing the new law, which was also promoted in part as a way to combat bullying of gay and lesbian students.

“This is definitely a step forward, and I’m hopeful that other states will follow,” said Mark Leno, California’s first openly gay state senator, who sponsored the bill. “We are failing our students when we don’t teach them about the broad diversity of human experience.”

Quote:

Advocates for the legislation said they believed the shift would help make schools safer for gay and lesbian students, who are often ostracized.

“There is an increasing awareness in the public and among elected officials that we have to do something to address the problems of bullying, and the negative consequences” for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students, said Carolyn Laub, director of the Gay-Straight Alliance Network

When will your state do it?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/15/us/15gay.html

ↁЄℛЄƘ

go California

skyler

yesssss

J a y

Is this necessary?
Include it within a subject like Sociology or something. Sounds too much to me.

Quote:

included in social science instruction

Never mind, I guess that's what I'm referring to.

primo.

This a MAJOR step towards equality and tolerance.

With a new generation of children learning about gay history and the struggle for gay rights, the future will be far more welcoming of homosexuality.

It somewhat makes me jealous of our children and grandchildren who won't have to deal with the same amount of ignorance and opposition that we deal with today.

Forevermore

Quote:

Originally posted by Haus_of_Jay

Is this necessary?
Include it within a subject like Sociology or something. Sounds too much to me.

+1

Drais.

Wow, this is really..surprising.

_DeviouS_

That is beyond amazing. Reminds of they whole argument over Gay being the the new Black.

LaVitaFenty

Something new to learn for sure.

Knix

This is amazing.

The rest of america needs to get with it.

Hausofmonster

Georgia could NEVAH!

_DeviouS_

Quote:

Originally posted by ****y On Venus

This a MAJOR step towards equality and tolerance.

With a new generation of children learning about gay history and the struggle for gay rights, the future will be far more welcoming of homosexuality.

It somewhat makes me jealous of our children and grandchildren who won't have to deal with the same amount of ignorance and opposition that we deal with today.

THANK YOU.

It's pretty ignorant to be against something like this, or to say it's not necessary...

skyler

Quote:

Originally posted by Hausofmonster

Georgia could NEVAH!

im sure Georgia will be next

inspiration4

Quote:

Originally posted by Haus_of_Jay

Is this necessary?
Include it within a subject like Sociology or something. Sounds too much to me.

Never mind, I guess that's what I'm referring to.

Yes.

In California, the history of other minority groups are already taught, including black history and the struggle for women's rights. They also did this to normalize the situation and make kids more tolerable, with the intent of reducing bullying targeted specifically at GLBT kids.

And sociology is only a college class here, as far as i know.

Human Nature

This is awesome!

satellites.™

Quote:

Originally posted by _DeviouS_

That is beyond amazing. Reminds of they whole argument over Gay being the the new Black.

I wish I was still in school.

supaspaz

Awesome awesome awesome! But in the state of California, I'm wondering why we don't have similar laws on the books for Latino and Asian-American history yet (or do we?). So much diversity of experience has gone into the creation of this state, but I only remember covering black history and women's history.

J a y

Quote:

Originally posted by _DeviouS_

THANK YOU.

It's pretty ignorant to be against something like this, or to say it's not necessary...

It's not necessary to make it a subject of it's own. (Which is how I read it).
If it's included within a class (Sociology) it can go with learning about Black History, Womens Rights, Sex Education, etc.

If so, great

Electronica

I'm not surprised
Schools here are becoming like artists today; whoring out the message of its ok to be gay etc etc.

supaspaz

Very interesting quote right here:

Quote:

Mr. Donnelly said the law prohibited schools from presenting gays and lesbians “in anything other than a positive light, and I think that’s censorship right there.”

Does it though, or is that (probably homophobic) Mr. Donnelly's interpretation of the law? Because history is supposed to be an interpretation of facts, not opinions.