Teaching the Contributions of Gay Americans

            Last month, the State of California passed a ground-breaking bill that required its public schools to teach students the contributions of gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans[1]. 

            According to governor, Jerry Brown, the intent of the bill is to

“ensure that the important contributions of Americans

                        from all backgrounds and walks of life are included in

                        our history books[2].”

The bill adds to the existing law that requires schools to teach about the contributions of African-Americans, Native Americans, Mexican-Americans, and Asian-Americans.  In addition to requiring schools to teach the contributions of gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, the bill also included the contributions of people with disabilities.

While this bill went virtually un-noticed nationally the implications of this bill could impact public education on a national level.  As word of this bill gains more notoriety, advocates of the lesbian, gay and transgender community (LGBT) may petition other states to pass similar laws.  If a significant number of larger states such as Texas, New York, and Florida pass similar bills, the landscape of education would change dramatically.  The ripple effects would go beyond public education.  The textbook industry and teacher pedagogy would change significantly.

Being a conservative organization, the textbook industry has used its political power to maintain a singular truncated version of contributors to history, math, and science.  The contribution of women and minorities in these fields has been used as supplemental information, devaluing their contributions.

Since the 1960s, the textbook industry has been able to fend off appeals to have textbooks become more inclusive and representative of a diverse society.  However, the California bill has mandated that by 2015, textbooks will be updated to reflect the contributions of LGBT and disabled Americans.  If the larger states follow California’s lead, the textbook industry would have to capitulate and offer textbooks that present the contributions of human beings regardless of race, gender, disability or sexual preference.

As the textbook industry is affected, so will be the teaching pedagogy.  Teachers will finally have acknowledge and teach from a multicultural point of view.  This means that school districts will have to provide professional development on the utilization of pedagogy from a multicultural lens, as well as cultural sensitivity training.  Teachers will have to have to instruct from a curriculum that encompasses a true “We the People” perspective.  Teaching from a multicultural lens allows students to see themselves as well as the others as contributors to society and not as second class citizens or leeches that drain society.

            Whatever your feeling are about LGBT people, their contributions to society should be not be absent from the contributions all human beings have made to society and their contributions should be taught in schools.

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[1] www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/14/california.lgbt.education/index.html

[2] ibid