Even Teresa Watanabe, of the Los Angeles Times, seems bemused that California schools are scrambling to add lessons on “LGBT Americans” to the curriculum.
For you squares in the audience, LGBT Americans are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. Apparently it’s still important that they be American:
The transition should be easier in L.A. Unified, which has been a pioneer in LGBT education.
The Los Angeles school board passed a resolution directing students and school staff to refrain from slurs about sexual orientation as far back as 1988. Then, in 2003, allegations of adult school staff members bullying LGBT students prompted the district to step up its educational efforts, according to Judy Chiasson, coordinator for human relations, diversity and equity.
I’m pretty sure students and school staff were expected to refrain from slurs about sexual orientation as far back as, well, long before 1988. Or, rather, everyone expected students to make those slurs, and everyone expected teachers to punish them for it.