What do Walt Whitman, Jane Addams, Harvey Milk, Sally Ride and Rock Hudson have in common? They were trailblazers and pioneers in their respective fields. They also were gay.
The latter distinction often warrants little if no mention in school history books.
That’s about to change across Illinois classrooms as educators begin to implement a new law requiring public schools to highlight the roles and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people in American history and culture. The law goes into effect next July 1.
The law does not establish a specific curriculum for acknowledging LGBTQ issues. Aside from acknowledging that certain historical figures were gay, teachers likely will begin weaving stories of LGBTQ personalities and events highlighting the community’s civil rights struggles into lesson plans, advocates say.
Read more from today’s Daily Herald here.
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