New York, April 17: California is all set to become the first state in the US to teach gay history and rights in schools.
Children would get lessons on issues affecting lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) people.
Schools, however, have been given the discretion as to what age the students would start the lessons, the Telegraph reported.
The bill has been passed by the state senate and is likely to be passed by the assembly too, before being signed by the governor to make it a law.
The legislation, sponsored by Democrat senator Mark Leno of San Francisco, passed on a 23-14 vote.
“We are second-class citizens and children are listening. When they see their teachers don’t step up to the plate when their classmate is being harassed literally to death, they are listening and they get the message that there is something wrong with those people,” Leno said.
Republican state Senator Doug La Malfa opposed the bill saying: “I’m deeply troubled kids would have to contemplate at a very, very early age, when many of us are teaching abstinence … what is sexuality.”
According to California law, schools are required to teach about contributions to the state and nation by women, African Americans, Mexican Americans, entrepreneurs, Asian Americans, European Americans, American Indians and labour activists.
The new bill will also add disabled people to the list.
–IANS