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LGBT History Lessons Coming to a Classroom Near You

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LGBT history lessons are creeping closer to California classrooms. State education officials are moving toward passing a law Thursday requiring public schools to teach LGBT history.

The curriculum is aimed at students from second grade through high school. They would be required to learn about the evolution of gender identity in the 18th and 19th centuries, the LGBT movement, and about prominent gay people in history.

High school seniors will finish out the curriculum by learning about the 2015 Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage and about recent bathroom law cases.

"One of the really important things about this new framework is it's a 21st century framework," said Don Romesburg, chairman of the Women's and Gender Studies Department at Sonoma State University. "It really recognizes that whatever your political view or opinion of LGBT rights, LGBT history is a part of American history, and you cannot understand where we are now collectively as Americans without understanding something of the LGBT past."

But while the curriculum encourages discussion on the "diversity" of sexuality, many opponents are concerned it leaves out diversity of viewpoints.

That is because the bill strictly prohibits any classroom materials that may reflect adversely on homosexuality. Critics say there are bigger issues to talk about in children's history classes.

"There is no mention of Manifest Destiny or Native Americans," Brianna Leemkuil, a U.S. history teacher at Yucaipa High School in San Bernardino County, said of one 11th grade unit. "You want us to talk about a tiny LGBT community and ignore the killing of an entire people group?"

The California state school board will consider the legislation Thursday.

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