The AP (4/15, Leff) reports that a bill to "require California's public schools to include gay history in social studies lessons" has passed the state's Senate. "Supporters say the move is needed to counter anti-gay stereotypes and beliefs that make gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender children vulnerable to bullying and suicide. Opponents said it would burden an already crowded curriculum and expose students to a subject that some parents find objectionable." The measure leaves details of curriculum and grading up to individual districts. A separate AP (4/15) article reports that "gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people would be added to the lengthy list of social and ethnic groups that public schools must include in social studies lessons under a landmark bill passed Thursday by the California Senate." It would be the first such law in the country.
Noting that the Senate passed the measure 23-14, the Pasadena Star-News (4/15, Luciano-Adams) reports that the bill "addresses high bullying rates of LGBT youth and the absence of LGBT Americans from official accounts of history in school curricula." The measure would add LGBT Americans, Pacific Islanders, and the disabled to the list of "culturally and racially diverse groups" that state law mandates receive accurate portrayals in social studies curricula. "Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, who authored the bill, described Thursday the need to incorporate, with a sense of pride, the contributions of important LGBT figures Like Harvey Milk -- the first openly gay man elected to public office in California -- into the pages of history." KRCR-TV Redding, CA (4/15) adds, "The State Senate passed the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act that will change California's Education Code to include contributions from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people."
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