Saturday, April 2, 2011

Textbook standards: California lawmakers fight over bill to teach students about gay people's contributions - latimes.com

Textbook standards: California lawmakers fight over bill to teach students about gay people's contributions - latimes.com

California lawmakers fight over bill to teach students about gay people's contributions

A measure proposed by state Sen. Mark D. Leno of San Francisco would require new social science textbooks to include 'a study of the role and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.'

Reporting from Sacramento -- As the battle over same-sex marriage makes its way through California's courts, another gay rights fight is smoldering in the Legislature.

Democratic lawmakers have revived a plan to require state schools to teach about the contributions of gay, lesbian and transgender Americans. They are reigniting a movement that halted five years ago when legislators approved such a requirement only to run into opposition from then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Now, with a Democrat in the governor's office, the lawmakers and gay rights activists are more hopeful that school curricula