The California Senate passed a law mandating inclusion of gay rights history into the California public school social studies curriculum. Should be a no-brainer, but will probably die the first few passes in Assembly, where we suffer tyranny of the minority. Bringing it up at all is a good start.
Actually, I only found out about it because it was a topic of adult conversation at Thing 1's boy scout campout this weekend; apparently the (extremely nice, thoughtful and kind) conservative dads are irked and appalled. I always wonder about that—knowledge is not agreement, it is power. What is there to be afraid of? Probably the fact that they got their information from conservative talk radio doesn't help. Have some hyperbole with that.
Given that the state was recently festooned with "Yes on 8" /
"No on Hate" signs (multiples in some yards, in case we didn't see that
first one 15' away) you would think that parents had ample opportunity to discuss this issue with their children at that time. My then 7 and 9 year-old boys were certainly curious—now well-informed with my (liberal) interpretation. A more neutral interpretation might be interesting.
Evolution in the treatment of minority groups is part of ongoing cultural literacy, and should be taught in schools as a matter of course. Each public school student can decide for themselves how the information jives with their personal and family values, that is part of being an American. Education informs the rationale for a baseline of acceptable public behavior towards the "other" that is socially acceptable, not based on personal feelings. There's always homeschooling, for those who have values that can't take the challenge.
I wouldn't worry about it too soon, though. Paying for new textbooks that include the update is probably not possible for a while; education has been the "rainy day fund" California has raided for many years now.
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