California has become the first state to mandate gay history lessons in public schools.
In public school classrooms across the state students will soon be taught a subject that hasn’t been part of the curriculum before: LGBT history, the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Lorri Jean — CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Center of Los Angeles — says, “Our community has been censored from history books throughout the whole country, just as women were left out of history books, just as African-Americans were left our of history books, gay, lesbian, transgender and bi-sexual have been left out too.”
Fabio Banegas — Hollywood Hills Resident — says, “It should be incorporated also to let people know that gay people have a history and it should be told.”
While some parents are already threatening to pull their kids out of public school, others simply have reservations about requiring gay history as part of the social sciences curriculum.
Parnet Michele Biggar says, ‘We have some elementary school age children who would not quite understand. So once kids are old enough to understand about sexual preference and everything, then maybe that would be appropriate.”
Parent Rob Biggar says, “In today’s society maybe yes, but being required? Maybe that’s pushing it a little too far I think.”
Not so according to Democratic Senator Mark Leno. He authored the bill, Governor Jerry Brown signed it. Now it’s up to school districts to apply it.
The Capital Resource Institute, a pro-family campaign group, is now seeking a voter referendum on the issue.
And Randy Thomasson, president of the SaveCalifornia campaign group, said: “Jerry Brown has trampled the parental rights of the broad majority of California mothers and fathers who don’t want their children to be sexually brainwashed.”
