MSNBC On CA's Gay Education Bill

CALIFORNIA: Gay Ed Bill Passes In Senate

California's education bill requiring that notable LGBT people be positively portrayed in textbooks was passed yesterday by the state Senate.

If the bill is adopted by the state Assembly and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, California would become the first state to require the teaching of gay history. Supporters say the move is needed to counter anti-gay stereotypes and beliefs that make children in those groups vulnerable to bullying and suicide. Opponents counter that such instruction would further burden an already crowded curriculum and expose students to a subject that some parents find objectionable. The legislation, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Mark Leno of San Francisco, passed on a 23-14 party line vote. It also would add disabled people to the curriculum. The bill gives school districts flexibility in deciding what to include in the lessons and at what grades students would receive them. But starting in the 2013-14 school year, it would prohibit districts and the California Board of Education from using textbooks or other instructional materials that reflect adversely on gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.

As I've noted here several times, the bill is vehemently opposed by anti-gay groups.

CALIFORNIA: Christianists Ramp Up Attacks On Gay-Positive Education Bill

Anti-gay Christianist groups are launching an all-out war on California's pending SB 48 bill, which calls for the inclusion of notable LGBT figures in lessons about civics and history. From a World Net Daily story about "sexual brainwashing":

"Life has consequences. This is what parents get with the Democrats," said SaveCalifornia.com President Randy Thomasson (pictured). "It's what they get with the teacher unions. It's what they get by believing the lie that people are born 'gay,' when they're not. Or that this is a harmless lifestyle. "This is what parents get when they place their children in the government school system and say that they have no other options," he continued. "Parents are seeing the tip of the iceberg in SB 48, and they need to wake up to the fact that the public school they went to as a child no longer exists. "Government schools in California are mandated by more than half a dozens laws already to bring children to think that homosexual, bisexual and transsexual [lifestyles are] good and natural and maybe even for them," he said.

SB 48 is sponsored by openly gay state Sen. Mark Leno, who, the above-linked article pointedly notes, had a former partner who died of AIDS. Because teaching kids about Harvey Milk will give them AIDS. Or something.