In a nation where individual liberty is of paramount importance, something big is happening. No sooner, discrimination against the LGBT community will slowly die out.
Following the decision of state education officials, lessons about the LGBT community and their struggles will soon find their way in the classrooms of Californian students. This move will eventually eradicate misrepresentations about LGBT people according to a report on The Wall Street Journal.
Lessons about families with two dads or two moms will soon be taught in second grade. After two years Californian students have studied how immigrants have inevitably shaped the Golden State, the students will finally hear how Harvey Milk, a New York native, became a pioneering gay politician in San Francisco.
On Thursday, changes in classroom instruction have been approved unanimously by the State Board of Education to be at par with the country's first law that requires public schools to include prominent gay Americans as well as LGBT rights milestones in history classes as cited on CBS Los Angeles.
The legislation, which had been passed in Congress, some five years ago, has been finally satisfied by this academic move according to Los Angeles Times. The said law strictly prohibited the use of classroom materials, adversely reflecting on gays or particular religions.
The newly approved educational framework basically weaves references to gay Americans as well as events throughout the history and social science curriculum, which begins in second grade by comprehensive discussions about diverse families, and yet again in the fourth grade with lessons on California's place in the LGBT rights movement.
An examination of the gender roles in the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as examples of individuals who flouted them, is also included on the subject matters in the fifth and eighth grades and throughout high school.
Lessons about the 2015 Supreme Court ruling-which has legalized same-sex marriage across the country-will also come in U.S. government courses. On top of that, court cases that involve bathroom access for transgender students are included as well.
Matthew McReynolds, Justice Institute senior staff attorney, said that the opponents remain concerned that the guidelines de-emphasize significant historical figures and events to give way for LGBT icons of lesser or disputed note.
"Certainly some families will be concerned about their second-graders learning about two-mom families, but I think parents would be much more alarmed if they knew that LGBT History Month, in the last few years, has promoted the notion that 'America the Beautiful' is a source of lesbian pride," McReynolds said.
But supporters strongly believe that the changes have indeed recognized that LGBT history is intrinsically part of American history.
"You cannot understand where we are now collectively as Americans without understanding something of the LGBT past," said Don Romesburg, chairman of women's studies at Sonoma State University.
