Mrs.PatsFanInVa

For one thing - they believe in keeping history honest - and complete.

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown said Thursday he had signed a bill that will require public schools in the state to teach students about the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.

The bill, believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, will also require teachers to provide instruction on the role of people with disabilities.

California law already requires state schools to teach about the contributions of Native Americans, African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, and Asian-Americans, among other groups.

"History should be honest," Brown said in a statement.

California governor signs bill requiring schools to teach gay history - CNN.com

The Brandon Five

Will they learn about the sexual preferences of all historical figures, or just the ones with the preference that apparently has greater "historical significance"? How much detail do children need about that area?

PatsWSB47

When will this "complete history" stop? Everybody is a (insert title here)_________Americian. Why is it necessary to label everyone?

Mrs.PatsFanInVa

I'm not sure they're going to say "they're gay," I think they just mean they won't routinely skip over them as if they didn't exist or as if certain events never happened.

But what do I know?

P.S. Nowhere does the article or "I" state that anyone has "greater historical significance." I wonder why you felt the need to add importance. No one was detracting from anyone else's "importance" in the first place.

Real World

No ****. Why do we constantly feel the need to divide everyone into special interest groups. So when will they teach the historical contributions of redheads and blondes to society? We so need a voucher system in this country.

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

Mrs.PatsFanInVa

Why? Would you have you children not learn that there were African Americans who contributed to history? Or that there were not Mexicans, or women or gays who contributed?

Would you want to prevent your children from learning the names Harvey Milk, Martin Luther King or Margaret Sanger?

What's the point of teaching history if you leave out the historical human rights struggles which have occured and talk about how they happened and who was instrumental in their occuring at all?

PatriotsReign

I think it's enought to just use their names. Do you believe history should teach who among those named were gay, lesbian, Mexican, native American, Italian American, Irish American, Jewish American, ad infinitum?

I mean, do you think the history books should include chapters on each of these groups? After all, if I had kids, I'd just want them to know who was significant and contributed, but I don't want or care if they learn the sexual preference or nationality of each group just so EVERYBODAY can think, "see, my people matter".

Maybe they'll be new college/high school courses called "American History: A Special Interest Perspective"....but then again, I'm sure there are already.

Here's a unique idea....how about if we just teach HISTORY with names, events and dates?

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"No one walking this earth knows what is truly righteous"

Mrs.PatsFanInVa

If that supposition were true how do you explain the pride people take in those very groups of "my people" when it comes time to have an Irish parade or a Latino parade or an Italian parade. People DO take pride in those who share their heritage. Jews are proud that Einstein was Jewish, Italians are proud that Christopher Columbus was Italian, Latinos are proud that Cesar Chavez was Latino, gays are proud that Harvey Milk was gay, women are proud that Margaret Sanger and Sally Ride were women.

What possible objection do you have to EVERYBODAY thinking "see, my people matter?" It's called having heroes you can identify with. It's called pride in one's sex or one's heritage. It's called having a "role model."

Like I mentioned earlier. I'm not sure that's not a big part of the point. There are history classes that do not mention gay rights or the struggle that gays have undergone to achieve them. There are history classes that gloss over or worse, fail to mention, blacks or Latinos or females who played an important part in history.

Heck - quick, without looking, tell me who discovered the North Pole.

PatriotsReign

There is absolutely nothing wrong with pride in your heritage, I agree. I just don't want history to become a center for making sure "all groups are covered". If the subject is American history, I don't think we need our educational system to review every special interest group possible to make sure there's something "in there for them". Otherwise, we'll end up with 10 times the number of pages we now have.

At the same time, there is nothing wrong with taking a course in "The history of African-Americans" or "The History of American diversity"...I think the latter would cover much of what we are discussing.

I think the important issue is "How relevant was it to American history" and if that's the barometer, not every special interest group could ever be covered. At the same time, our history books shouldn't leave one with the impression that America is all about "Male Caucasian, heterosexual history" either.

It's a slippery-slope where you can't include every group's history, but if you include some, others may be offended. I'm glad I'm not responsible for setting the agenda.

The north pole is debatable...and who cares?

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"No one walking this earth knows what is truly righteous"

cupofjoe1962

Please tell me an accomplishment of any transgender individual worth learning about.

Aside from them getting the state to pickup the tab for their man-boobs.