California Senate Committee OKs bill to add gays, lesbians to textbooks

defending the First Amendment against the Christian right ...

... because if Jews don't speak out, they'll think we don't mind

Web JewsOnFirst

Optional Member Code

Please email us
(click here)
catcher@JewsOnFirst.org

And "bookmark" us at
JewsOnFirst.org

Jews on First
P.O. Box 2283
Rockville MD 20847

310-910-9153

California Senate Committee OKs bill to add gays, lesbians to textbooks

Hotly debated measure heads to state Senate

By Greg Lucas, The Sacramento Bee, May 4, 2006

Sacramento -- After a sometimes emotional debate centering on discrimination and sexual orientation, a Senate committee approved a bill Wednesday that would require that the contributions of gays and lesbians be included in textbooks.

Supporters argued that all students should be made aware of the role that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people have made, but state curriculum has no such requirement.

Opponents countered that discussion of sexual orientation should occur at home and not be mandated in schools.

Not requiring that gays be included in instructional materials creates the "enforced invisibility that so many minority groups have gone through in terms of their contributions to California history," Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, told the Senate Education Committee in support of her bill.

The committee approved the bill, SB1437, on a party line 8-3 vote. It now moves to the Senate floor.

Kuehl's measure has attracted national attention because California represents about 12 percent of the nation's textbook market.

State law already prohibits discrimination based on race, color and gender, among other things, in textbooks. The bill would bar textbooks from discriminating against gays.

It also orders school boards to use instructional material that reflects the "sexual diversity" of society and include the contributions of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

Opponents say the bill will turn schools into "sexual indoctrination centers" and complain it takes away the discretion of local school boards in deciding what's best in the classroom.

"This bill only seeks to advance acceptance of certain sexual lifestyles in California," said Benjamin Lopez of the Traditional Values Coalition.

Karen England, executive director of the Capital Resource Institute, said discussion about sexual orientation belongs "in the bedroom, not in the classroom" and that sexual orientation is not germane to a person's historical significance.

"I care about their accomplishments. I don't care who they slept with," England told the committee.

A line of witnesses testified they opposed the bill, including one man who said he opposed the measure on behalf of all "true Christians."

Sen. Jack Scott, D-Altadena (Los Angeles County), the committee chairman, snapped: "Do you have the ability to know what a true Christian is?"

Sen. Nell Soto, D-Pomona (Los Angeles County), dedicated her "yes" vote to her to a gay classmate from her youth who ultimately killed himself and to her mother who told her to befriend the boy because he had been ostracized.

Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, told the committee his deceased younger brother was gay.

"It wasn't the textbooks. It wasn't his upbringing. It wasn't his choice," Torlakson said. "My belief is it's biological destiny."

Adopting Kuehl's proposed change to state curriculum means "we're reflecting our history. We're reflecting reality," Torlakson said.

If approved by the Senate, the bill moves to the Assembly, where it faces at least one committee vote and a vote of the full Assembly.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken no position on the bill.

Fair Use Statement: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.