Required to learn gay history?

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Gothitelle.

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    So I heard that in Califorina, they are making it so that schools are required to learn gay history. Here's the link here:

    Sacramento - Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill making California the first state in the nation to add lessons about gays and lesbians to social studies classes in public schools. Brown, a Democrat, signed the landmark bill requiring public schools to include the contributions of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender in social studies curriculum. The Democratic-majority Legislature had passed the bill last week on a largely party-line vote.
    "History should be honest," the governor said in a statement Thursday. "This bill revises existing laws that prohibit discrimination in education and ensures that the important contributions of Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life are included in our history books."
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    So if you live there, then you'd have to learn this if still in school. When I first heard this, I couldn't help but chuckle. Gay history? That's new for me.

    I don't think it should be required tho because unlike other history, I feel that it doesn't really make a difference as much as say American history. This is more of an elective. Same cataglory as African history.

    thoughts (= =)
     
    It's not "gay history", it's including the achievements of people that happen to be gay. Gay rights are a part of history just like civil rights and women's rights. It shouldn't be ignored just because the thought that someone is gay might offend someone. I mean, we learn about Hitler without parents saying they're offended by it, but gay people? Come on.
     
    But gays already had rights before (except for marriage rights in some states). But there was no history on that. To be honest, lets take African American history. Black people have made contributions to the world. American History, many pioneers that made contributions to the world. Hispanic history etc etc.

    Gay history, it's just weird because I dont think that gays have made as many contributions to the world as say African Americans or Hispanics etc. They are just normal citizens like the rest of us.
     
    Gothitelle. said:
    But gays already had rights before (except for marriage rights in some states). But there was no history on that.
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    That's why there should be. Gay rights is a part of history as much as any other rights movement is. It deserves the same attention. Do we take out civil rights from the school to help racists not be offended?

    To be honest, lets take African American history. Black people have made contributions to the world. American History, many pioneers that made contributions to the world. Hispanic history etc etc. Gay history, it's just weird because I dont think that gays have made as many contributions to the world as say African Americans or Hispanics etc. They are just normal citizens like the rest of us.
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    The fact that you don't think they made many contributions is proof of the fact that this is needed, honestly. You say they're normal citizens, and then that they don't contribute as much as everyone else. Which is it?
     
    Gothitelle. said:
    I dont think that gays have made as many contributions to the world as say African Americans or Hispanics etc.
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    This is a horrible thing to think and kind of ignorant of how many notable people throughout history have been homosexual, sometimes openly so or otherwise not (due to a lot of the prejudice against gays throughout history and that still continues). It's far less obvious thing to know about a person than just looking at them and going "yeah this famous dude is african-american"
     
    It seems to me that the deliberate and purposeful inclusion of non-heterosexuals is what's really 'discriminatory'. As you may or not know, discrimination can be either positive on negative, and neither way is it fair, despite that fairness is ironically the persuit of this venture. If somebody or some event notable to history happens to be or concern something other than heterosexual(s), then include it, sure, but going out of one's way to specifically 'write in the gay' is rather pretentious. I am assuming that's what is being done though — maybe it's not.
     
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    I understand where you are coming from. I do and I apologize for the statement but do you understand where I and others are coming from?

    In a way, there are parents who DONT want their kids learning this stuff. And to hear that it's required, it's an insult to the parents and the kids. But that's just my opinion.

    That's why I say it should be *voluntarily*
     
    So, let me get this straight (no pun intended): before this law, historical achievements from LGTB Americans were ignored because of their sexual preferences? That's kinda discriminative- and most likely illegal.

    In fact, any History lessons that only tell the history of White-Anglo-Saxon-Protestant (and heterosexual) males are so amazingly biased.
     
    So if you live there, then you'd have to learn this if still in school. When I first heard this, I couldn't help but chuckle. Gay history? That's new for me.

    I don't think it should be required tho because unlike other history, I feel that it doesn't really make a difference as much as say American history. This is more of an elective. Same cataglory as African history.

    thoughts (= =)
    Click to expand...

    You got it all wrong. It's not about lessons on "gay history" or things like that. It's for the usual history lessons to include and not discriminate achievements or contributions of gay/lesbian people.

    Imagine, for instance, that Economics textbooks or professors didn't make as much emphasis on John M. Keynes' research because or his sexual orientation. This bill would ensure he gets as much recognition for his discoveries as any straight person would.
     
    Ah so it's not really "gay history" as the news put it. Wait now I don't understand... I heard that it was about contributions they made in the world.
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    Yes, but it's not like there's gonna be a Gay History class or something like that. They're just gonna take gay/lesbian contributions into account if they didn't before when teaching history lessons at schools. At least that's what the quote you posted implies :P
     
    Went said:
    So, let me get this straight (no pun intended): before this law, historical achievements from LGTB Americans were ignored because of their sexual preferences? That's kinda discriminative- and most likely illegal.

    In fact, any History lessons that only tell the history of White-Anglo-Saxon-Protestant (and heterosexual) males are so amazingly biased.
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    Yes, this is true. It's completely ignored.

    My AP US History class book mention that they were a vital part in the civil rights movement. That's all. If they were so vital, why not say what was vital?

    I think this should be included in curriculum. When people think of the American Civil Rights Movement, they think about African Americans. Did you know that Asian Americans, Mexican Americans, Gay Americans, and Native Americans all had movements too?
     
    Gothitelle. said:
    In a way, there are parents who DONT want their kids learning this stuff. And to hear that it's required, it's an insult to the parents and the kids. But that's just my opinion.

    That's why I say it should be *voluntarily*
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    i just wanna throw in my thoughts here, i had an uncle who didn't want me learning about black people because he was and probably still is highly racist my family don't speak to him anymore btw :D. Would you let him have taken me out of that class and let him poison my mind with racism? I doubt it.
    By saying that would be the exact same thing.
     
    Well, yay.
    Good for California.

    I've been seeing a lot of education revolving around homosexuals being intregrated into our schools. My school's sociology class even has special occasions where the GSA come and give a presentation on sexuality and they have a panel where people can ask questions to GSA allies, bisexuals, homosexuals, etc.

    It's broadening the way our students think.

    So yes indeed yay.
     
    wcdaily said:
    No offense, but are you trying to be difficult? I know that everyone has a opinion but why be so stubborn and keep arguing, gay rights and it's history never hurt you. Why hate against it?
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    I'm not trying to be difficult. I was just voicing my thoughts. I don't hate gays at all. I'm just not a fan of the lifestyle and such but that's a different story.
     
    A wise man once told me, if you're not a fan of gay marriage, then don't get one.

    But anyways, I think it's important and could be a great addition to the curriculum. It teaches kids something more important than just the facts -- it teaches acceptance and struggle, success and failure, and how we as human beings have become more accepting people in recent years. These are some of the most important concepts you can take away from school learnings.
     
    I hate when we get a thread going and it's one person with an opinion and lots of people arguing with them. It always feels like someone is being ganged up on regardless of how the thread goes and how people act. So I really don't want to join in, but I just had to say something about this:

    Gothitelle. said:
    In a way, there are parents who DONT want their kids learning this stuff. And to hear that it's required, it's an insult to the parents and the kids. But that's just my opinion.

    That's why I say it should be *voluntarily*
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    There's a danger when you let people decide to keep certain aspects of history out of sight. If you didn't learn that gay people have contributed to society you might think they haven't. The wrong people could interpret that as saying that gay people aren't any good to society, that gays are 'deviant' and the 'fact' that they've done nothing for society proves it. It's about getting the facts straight (sorry for the pun) so people can't use ignorance and misinformation to back up discrimination and hatred.
     
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