Monday, April 4, 2011

Students Should Learn About Harvey Milk, Bayard Rustin, and Barbara Gittings | Change.org News

Students Should Learn About Harvey Milk, Bayard Rustin, and Barbara Gittings | Change.org News

Students Should Learn About Harvey Milk, Bayard Rustin, and Barbara Gittings

by Michael Jones · April 04, 2011
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Harvey Milk. Alan Turing. Jane Addams. Natalie Clifford Barney. Bayard Rustin. Barbara Gittings.

Those are just a few prominent LGBT names in history that, more often than not, never make their way into America's classrooms. But legislation in California could change that, and ensure that the contributions of LGBT people in history are included in the education system.

S.B. 48 -- otherwise known as the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act -- is authored by State Sen. Mark Leno, and received its first committee hearing late last month. If passed, the Act would revise social science curricula in California so that the contributions made by LGBT people in history would be covered. As Sen. Leno put it, part of the goal behind this bill is to help LGBT youth feel less isolated, by