California Okays
Lessons on Gays in Textbooks
By REUTERS, from the
NYTimes on the Web, May 11, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO -- California's
state Senate passed a bill on Thursday that would require textbooks in public
schools to instruct students on contributions by gays and lesbians in the
state's development.
The Democrat-led state Senate passed the bill on a 22-15 vote and forwarded it
to the state Assembly.
The bill by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, the legislature's first openly gay member, would
also mandate public school textbooks to include lessons on contributions by
transgender people.
Kuehl told Reuters she believes her bill is the first of its kind at the state
level and predicted it would win support in the Assembly, where Democrats also
have a majority.
"I think it has a very good chance in the Assembly because its members voted for
marriage equality," Kuehl said, referring to the chamber's endorsement of
same-sex marriage. "I think this is a lot easier vote."
"It would help to shape attitudes of what gay people are really like," Kuehl
said, noting their absence in state history textbooks.
Karen England of the conservative Capitol Resource Institute said in a statement
the bill "seeks to indoctrinate innocent children caught in the tug-of-war
between traditional families and the outrageous homosexual agenda."
A spokesman said Republican Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has not taken a position on Kuehl's bill.
|
