California officials adopt landmark LGBT coursework
By Jill Tucker, San Francisco Chronicle
State officials this month added the evolution of gay rights and the contributions of lesbian and gay figures in history to the list of topics that public-school students will be taught in California, a landmark move that puts the ongoing LGBT civil rights fight into the mainstream of public education.
The state Board of Education unanimously approved the new social studies curriculum framework in Sacramento after several years of debate, public input and revisions. The effort drew thousands of written comments as the state board considered what kind of history should be taught in each grade.
The vote officially implements provisions of a law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2011 requiring that social studies instructional materials include the roles and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. Challenges to that law, as well as recessionary budget cuts, had delayed the adoption of revised social studies content at each grade level in K-12 schools.
