California governor signs a bill requiring schools to teach gay history...

OK, I'm looking for other opinions on this. I just read an article from CNN that says the governor signed a bill that will require public schools in the state to teach students about the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.

Is it me, or does it seem like we are sending mixed signals as a country?

What I mean is that on one hand we have people shouting from the rooftops that we want equality and that everyone has a right to the same benefits as everyone else. Then you have laws in California that "requires state schools to teach about the contributions of Native Americans, African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, and Asian-Americans, among other groups."

I do think that children growing up should have some sort of diversity education. I just don't know how I feel about requiring them to break down the contributions of every single nationality. If someone made an amazing contribution to history, put it in the history books. If they happen to be gay, fantastic. If they happen to be native american, awesome. If we want to teach about Rosa Parks and her refusal to step to the back of the bus, put it in the history books, but why do we need to wait to talk about it until Black History month? If you want to teach that Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man elected to public office in CA, then put it in the books... again, why should it wait until the part of the school year devoted to speaking about contributions from gay Americans?

I'm just not understanding why everything has to now be so compartmentalized. I think if we teach diversity to children, understanding, compassion for our fellow human beings. If we teach them to appreciate our differences, it makes so much more sense.

I don't know, maybe someone has a different opinion and can offer me a different perspective. This is just what I thought when I read the article.

CA requiring gay history education

Re: California governor signs a bill requiring schools to teach gay history...

Its the PC thing to do. No ine wants to offend anyone, so put everyone in their respective corners and cover all people and no one will complain.

Re: California governor signs a bill requiring schools to teach gay history...

Re: California governor signs a bill requiring schools to teach gay history...

I think you have to think about why we need these laws in the first place. History books and classes have historically excluded the contributions of all of the hypenated americans you mentioned in the OP. It's sad that we need laws to bring those back into our national narrative.

I do agree it should be integrated, not as part of a "______ history month"...but think about why we need those months in the first place. Hopefully there will come a time when everyone is being represented as a matter of course and these laws will be obsolete.

Re: California governor signs a bill requiring schools to teach gay history...

I think history should be taught and if it happens to be that someone was gay within that historical part then yes definitely teach it.

Edited part to be more clear: if your discussing civil rights to mention about gay rights, if your mentioning about key figures in history that did something for gay rights then do a spotlight on them just like you would do for any other historical figure.

Message edited 7/15/2011 11:18:44 AM.

Re: California governor signs a bill requiring schools to teach gay history...

Re: California governor signs a bill requiring schools to teach gay history...

Posted by CrankyPants

Posted by Nifheim

I think history should be taught and if it happens to be that someone was gay within that historical part then yes definitely teach it.

I concur but I don't see the need to call out if the person was gay/straight. Just teach all relevant history

Re: California governor signs a bill requiring schools to teach gay history...

Posted by JenniferEver

Posted by CrankyPants

Posted by Nifheim

I think history should be taught and if it happens to be that someone was gay within that historical part then yes definitely teach it.

I concur but I don't see the need to call out if the person was gay/straight. Just teach all relevant history

What about history that specifically has to do with the person being gay, like Harvey Milk? Like Matthew Shepard?

What about the gay rights movement? We all learned about civil rights in school, but we weren't taught about Stonewall (at least I wasn't) and that was a significant historical turning point. Now, as kids are trying to follow current events and hear about the states discussing gay marriage, it would make sense for them to understand the history behind it.

Re: California governor signs a bill requiring schools to teach gay history...

Re: California governor signs a bill requiring schools to teach gay history...

Posted by JenniferEver

Posted by CrankyPants

Posted by Nifheim

I think history should be taught and if it happens to be that someone was gay within that historical part then yes definitely teach it.

I concur but I don't see the need to call out if the person was gay/straight. Just teach all relevant history

What about history that specifically has to do with the person being gay, like Harvey Milk? Like Matthew Shepard?

What about the gay rights movement? We all learned about civil rights in school, but we weren't taught about Stonewall (at least I wasn't) and that was a significant historical turning point. Now, as kids are trying to follow current events and hear about the states discussing gay marriage, it would make sense for them to understand the history behind it.

Re: California governor signs a bill requiring schools to teach gay history...

This is so dumb!!! Gay-American history? Why does it have to be stressed? It should be brought up in class during lesson on American Civil Right Movements, yes, and when learning about certain famous people who just happen to be gay, yes, but to actually turn it into a separate study??

Idiotic!

Re: California governor signs a bill requiring schools to teach gay history...

Re: California governor signs a bill requiring schools to teach gay history...

i think it's a bit much. dare i say overkill on the PC thing. if it's about the gay rights movement, fine. but creating an almost artificial sect of history by putting all gay americans in one category... too much. whatever their contribution is will fall into another category (politics, art, music, etc.). that should be how the history is classified, not by sexuality. next we'll have a class offered on "gay male new york musicians" - the possibilites are endless.

not sure if i'm making sense - i can explain it better in my head

Re: California governor signs a bill requiring schools to teach gay history...

Re: California governor signs a bill requiring schools to teach gay history...

I think the issue becomes in REALLY conservative communities they were just outright leaving out MAJOR players in history based on race, gender, sexual orientation or what have you. I dont think its about being PC I think its making sure children get a well rounded education and ALL people who have contributed are included and not excluded based on the discretion of the district bc they dont "agree" with a certain person lifestyle or discriminate against any gender or race bc of their personal beliefs.