Illinois just officially became the 5th country to require its public schooling to includeLGBTQhistory in the curriculum . CNNreportsthat Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Inclusive Curriculum Law on August 9 , which will go into result for the 2020 - 2021 school year .
The unexampled curriculum will cover the 1924 organisation of the Society for Human Rights — the res publica ’s first gay rights organization — and the fact thatSally Ride , the first U.S. womanhood in infinite , was a lesbian . And it does n’t stop at LGBTQ history : Newsweekreportsthat Illinois students will also learn more about how women and minorities have impacted our history .
The law also stipulates that textbooks purchased must “ include the part and contribution of all people protect under the Illinois Human Rights Act and must be non - prejudiced as to any of the characteristic under the Act . ”
" The legislation illustrate a demonstrated committedness to build and nurture an inclusive and supportive environment in the educational system in Illinois , ” Mary F. Morten , table hot seat of the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance , saidin a press release . It descend on the heels of a 2017 survey conducted by the Gay , Lesbian , and Straight Education connection ( GLSEN ) , which found that 88 percent of LGBTQ students in Illinois had heard the wordgayas a slur , and only 24 percent reported having been taught anything positive about LGBTQ name in school day .
California was the first state to take place similar legislation in 2011 , followed by Colorado , Oregon , and New Jersey . According toThe Washington Post , Maryland is working on changes , too ; afterwards this year , Maryland State Department of Education functionary will seek approval from the State Board of Education for their programme plan , which includes LGBTQ and disability rights story .
Hopefully , more body politic will fall out case , peculiarly in the backwash of the 50th day of remembrance of theStonewallriots this past June . Too old to gain fromschoolcurriculum updates ? Enrich your understanding of LGBTQ history withthis listof important locations for LGBTQ rights .
[ h / tCNN ]
