Including gay history in textbooks will help fight bullying, California senator says

[Dan and Judy 614]

Hey this is politics and religion, this is supposed to be where the action is. Nobody wants to argue about Thomas Jefferson? Ok lets start at the top

Openly gay state Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, introduced a bill today that would require public school materials to include the historical contributions of gay people as a way to fight bullying.

Leno's Senate Bill 48 is similar to a proposal that was approved by the Legislature in 2006 but vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"Most textbooks don't include any historical information about the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) movement, which has great significance to both California and U.S. history," Leno said in a press release. Leno was recently named to prominent leadership as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.

Leno added: "Our collective silence on this issue perpetuates negative stereotypes of LGBT people and leads to increased bullying of young people."

The bill's aim is to work information about historical figures and events into materials that are up for regular review and revision by state public school authorities.

To read the complete article, visit www.sacbee.com.

It's a communist plot to undermine the moral fiber of our children

This is why a 13 year old from Ukraine can come to the US and be double promoted to 10th grade 2 months after arriving. Our students are two years behind others because they are studying "gay History" and "Black History" instead of HISTORY.

I am all for Gays having equal rights, no problem. I really do not care if Thomas Jefferson was gay. He made history.

California has pretty much ruined itself and it is only going to get worse. Anyone that can will be moving out, anyone that can't will expect someone else to pick up the tab. Teach Gay history in California? Why not? It will reduce the competition in the job pool for MY kids. Good news.

TWO WORDS Comu nism

I really don't think that's going to help the problem. If anything, it will exacerbate it.

What Problem?

Gay history sounds kinda gay to me. As if history wasn't already gay enough, what with the gays of Sparta and those effeminate looking Englishmen of the colonial era.

Those Greeks send shivers down my spine

[Dan and Judy 614]

I dont think Thomas Jefferson was gay. but he was sleeping with his property when he wrote that stuff about all men being created equal.That property bore him a son who automatically became

the property of Jeffeson also. If any of the slaves read his declaration they may have been tempted to kill some masters. Then Jefferson would have been hung by the "americans" for inciting the

rebellion of Slaves"

You can't prove that , and what is this gay innuendo #######. They were called Man wigs, and lots of guy like to walk around in tight red pants

[Dan and Judy 614]

Forcing homophobes to learn about gay people's contribution to society and history won't do anything but galvanize their irrational hatred.

yea and theres is no need to go incouraging gay behavior by letting the homohopias know they are not alone

[The_Dude 1,142]

Usually, if the last three posts are from the same person, either you killed the thread, or everyone is waiting for you to go away before resuming the conversation.

[Dan and Judy 614]

Black History, Latino History, Gay History, etc... all need to be eradicated from text books, from national holidays, etc...

AMERICAN HISTORY is what we need.

The last time I checked, your race/sexual orientation wasn't an attribute requirement to be an American.

No but is was a default requirement to vote in the south until 1965,

Should we just sweep that under the rug?

Usually, if the last three posts are from the same person, either you killed the thread, or everyone is waiting for you to go away before resuming the conversation.

So you'd eradicate the Holocaust from history books?

what Holocaust?

[Dan and Judy 614]

I will agree with you on your first point. But that being said, the curriculum that our children are subjected too needs to be re-examined to reflect reality as opposed to the delusional version some textbooks indicate. Just look at Texas' state board of education. They should all be shot in the head for trying to introduce creationism into public schools and to suggest to textbook publishers that they should diminish the contributions of other cultures while playing up the role of Americans. They need an education, not a snowjob.

You must teach about God in school or the country will be damned. It is our duty to help the ignorant understand the love of God

[Obama 2012 1,714]

No but is was a default requirement to vote in the south until 1965,

Should we just sweep that under the rug?

[/color]

Explaining atrocities against people in one thing. Pushing it into the lime light is another...

[Dan and Judy 614]

Explaining reasons why humans committed atrocities against other humans is something that needs to be told, sure... but focusing on that this "black person" did this or that "jew" person did that, only adds to animosity in society.

John Baker is John Baker... Not Christian Fundamentalist John Baker....

John Baker???? isnt he still in prison? how is Tammy doing these days?

[Dan and Judy 614]

Who said anything about how the history is told? The argument is whether historical persecution and injustice towards a specific segment of people (in this case, gays) should be taught in history classes.

Whats in the books has a major effect on "how it is told" If it aint in the book it won't be told. like the holocaust for instance.

also it seems they would like to highlight the accomplishments of gays and blacks. Are we ignoring the mexicans here?

[Dan and Judy 614]

Explaining atrocities against people in one thing. Pushing it into the lime light is another...

don't worry kids forget 90% of what they learn in school by the time they are 20 anyway.

The Struggle is the story. If we dont teach the kids that their rights can be taken away just because they are black or latino or Irish, they wont have enough sense to rise up and fight

the oppression when someone (goverment) trys to take away their rights, Yesterday it was the blacks, latinos and women. Lets face it, it's not all yesterday.

tomorrow it could be Methodists or Catholics or liberals or conservatives lets not forget the muslims.

The point of history is if it happened before it can happen again.

and oh boy has it happened before

[Obama 2012 1,714]

don't worry kids forget 90% of what they learn in school by the time they are 20 anyway.

The Struggle is the story. If we dont teach the kids that their rights can be taken away just because they are black or latino or Irish, they wont have enough sense to rise up and fight

the oppression when someone (goverment) trys to take away their rights, Yesterday it was the blacks, latinos and women. Lets face it, it's not all yesterday.

tomorrow it could be Methodists or Catholics or liberals or conservatives lets not forget the muslims.

The point of history is if it happened before it can happen again.

and oh boy has it happened before

You can teach history all you want, but it's a natural thing for freedom to dissipate over time because people either don't know how to handle it and need to be controlled or there are those smart enough to know how to take control piece by piece.

[Anh map 2,098]

I demanded more history of left handed people! Then maybe we will get better scissors that won't hurt as much.

[Dan and Judy 614]

You can teach history all you want, but it's a natural thing for freedom to dissipate over time because people either don't know how to handle it and need to be controlled or there are those smart enough to know how to take control piece by piece.

"This door swings both ways" (Hermans Hermits)

"Ideas provide the seeds of rebellion" (me)

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

Thomas Jefferson

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/thomasjeff109180.html#ixzz1884GR69k

[luckytxn 2,264]

I am pretty sure the committee that controls what text history books can have published in the Texas school systems will not do this so while California gets to learn about faggotry hsitorical contexts Texas can learn history.

[The_Dude 1,142]

I am pretty sure the committee that controls what text history books can have published in the Texas school systems will not do this so while California gets to learn about faggotry hsitorical contexts Texas can learn history.

You'd rather your kids learn about creationism than science as well? Or what about the part where the Texas school board asked the publishers to amend their textbooks to play up the contributions of americans while diminishing that of anyone else. Sorry, teaching kids that america is the be all, end all greatest thing ever is just blowing smoke up their #### and ill preparing them for the real world.

Edited December 14, 2010 by Rob & Mel