Senate Bill 48 in California passed by a 49-25 margin and was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown back in July. It takes effect on January 1st. You can read the full text here.
The bill broadens the scope of instruction in social science classes in CA public schools to include the “role and contributions of both men and women, Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, European Americans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, and members of other ethnic and cultural groups…”
Sounds great — finally, many of the people whose names have been ignored in the history books will be recognized for their contributions to our society. Furthermore, the bill says that teachers won’t be able to teach anything that “reflects adversely” against any of those groups because of those characteristics — so no preaching that homosexuality is evil in the classroom. Textbooks that disparage those groups won’t be adopted, either.
Patrick Beane of the Indiana Daily Student explains why this is a big deal:
California has taken an all-important first step in setting a precedent for public education that includes histories of once invisible people. Indiana, and every state in this nation, should follow California’s lead.
You won’t be surprised to hear that some Christian groups are fighting back, trying to repeal the law. Among other things, they’re appalled that LGBT heroes will be seen in a positive light:
The most insane conversation about the bill happened on a Christian radio show a few days ago:
How many falsehoods can you try to spread in one interview…?
Guest Randy Thomasson said that the public schools will now become “sexual indoctrination centers” and students will be subject to “mental molestation.” He said that kids will be taught to “admire” LGBT individuals (not that that would be such a bad thing, but nothing in the bill says anything even remotely close to that).
Thomasson: “How bad does it have to get? If somebody was planning to molest your child, you would do anything to wrest your child from that threat. You’ve got to take it that seriously.”
The hosts, Bob Boyd and Geri Boyd, agreed without thinking. They called the bill “propaganda,” adding that it would “desensitize” kids to homosexuality. Later, they went so far as to call it “child abuse.”
The most jawdropping part is when the Boyds fell down a slippery slope, explaining the bill’s effects: “It’s not just sex, because they’re gonna develop other negative habits like lying, cussing, cheating, pornography, smoking, drugs, alcohol, and violence!”
And later: “This is a death knell for this country…”
Got that? Talk about gay people in a positive light and the next thing you know, we’re all stabbing each other, naked, while saying “God damn.”
The video is more than 13 minutes of pure Christian bigotry and lies. They never even read the text of the actual bill on air, perhaps because they know it doesn’t actually include any of the things they’re saying.
It’s all the more disturbing when you realize these people share a mindset with most of middle America.
(Thanks to Joe for the link)
