Menu

Teaching Gay History in California

Allyson Chiu, 17, center, who will be a senior at Cupertino High, waits to with others to call on members of the State Board of Education to adopt proposed changes in classroom instruction to include prominent gay people and LGBT rights milestones in history classes. Photo by AP/Rich Pedroncelli.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California education officials have adopted new public school curriculum guidelines that give lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans a more prominent role in history and social science classes.

The State Board of Education voted unanimously July 14 to approve a teaching framework that will have second-graders learning about families with two moms or two dads.The changes are being made to comply with the nation's first law requiring schools to teach students about prominent gay people and LGBT rights milestones.

The board reviewed the updates as part of a broader overhaul of California's history and social science curriculum.

During four hours of public testimony, dozens of people criticized the way Muslims, Hindus and Jews are discussed in the framework. But no one spoke against the new treatment of LGBT rights.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Gayly - 7/14/2016 @ 6:00 pm CDT

News
LGBT rights
LGBT history
education