California Senate Approves Bill Requiring Teaching Of Gay History

This week legislation was introduced in Tennessee to forbid the mere discussion of homosexuality in schools, but today California took steps to require it. The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful Education Act, which mandates teaching social studies lessons on the contributions of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people, passed in the California Senate, 23-14. Sen. Mark Leno of San Francisco said he introduced the legislation partly to combat bullying. “Most textbooks don’t include any information about LGBT historical figures or the LGBT civil rights movement, which has great significance to both California and U.S. history,” he said. California would be the first state to require the teaching of LGBT history.