Gay-bias ban in
schools OK'd
TEXTBOOK BILL FACES
POSSIBLE GOVERNOR'S VETO
By Mike Zapler,
mercurynews.com from the Web, August 22, 2006
SACRAMENTO -- The state
Assembly approved legislation Monday designed to bar discrimination in public
schools against gay, bisexual and transgender people, retreating from an earlier
proposal that would have required schools to teach students about the
contributions of prominent gay people.
Current law prohibits instruction, school activities and textbooks that reflect
poorly on people on the basis of their race, sex, national origin and other
characteristics. The bill, which passed on a partisan 46-31 vote, would
add sexual orientation to that list.
But even the scaled-back bill faces a possible veto by Republican Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger, who is working to appease conservatives as he campaigns for
re-election. The governor's press secretary said he opposes any
legislation that would "micromanage" the selection of public school textbooks.
"Our understanding," said Margita Thompson, "is that there are still parts of
the legislation that would impact what goes into textbooks."
Some Republican lawmakers called the legislation an effort to promote
homosexuality in schools.
Public schools "are turning into institutions of social experimentation and it
is dangerous for our young people," said Dennis Mountjoy, R-Monrovia.
"We'll no longer have prom kings and queens. Jack and Jill can no longer
walk up the hill."
"If somebody wants to teach kids in kindergarten that Jack and Jill ran up a
hill, this bill doesn't prohibit that," Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los
Angeles, responded. But "if somebody wants to say that if Jill and Jill
ran up the hill and somehow that's wrong, then this bill says that that is not
acceptable."
The bill originally would have required public school curricula to include the
contributions of prominent gays, as well as accomplished members of other racial
and ethnic groups. But Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Los Angeles, dropped that
provision in the hopes of securing Schwarzenegger's support.
"I think role models are important and wish we could have retained that part of
the bill," Kuehl said. "But I also think it's important that students not
be forced to read negative stereotypes in school materials."
Neither Kuehl nor other supporters cited examples of textbooks that discriminate
against gay people. But they noted that the bill would not only bar
discriminatory textbooks but also prohibit teachers from making anti-gay
remarks. Kuehl said she had received numerous such complaints from
students.
Supporters are still hopeful that Schwarzenegger will back their efforts.
"We're optimistic," said Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California,
a civil rights and advocacy group that proposed the bill. "For the first
time it would ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students are
not subject to bias in the curriculum and school programs."
But signing the bill could be difficult for Schwarzenegger, even in its
watered-down form. The governor has been working to shore up conservative
support in his re-election campaign, and has already angered some Republicans by
moving to the left on a number of issues this year.
Thompson said Schwarzenegger had not made a final decision on whether to sign
the legislation, which is expected to be approved by the Senate later this week.
Contact Mike Zapler at mzapler@mercurynews.com or (916)
441-4603.
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