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LGBTQ School Advances
Illinois, Maryland adopt affi rmative curricula
BY MATT TRACY
More states are joining
the effort to require
LGBTQ education in
public schools.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker
signed into law a bill mandating
state schools to teach students
about LGBTQ history and lawmakers
in Maryland say the state
education offi cials are prepared to
move forward with similar plans.
The new law in Illinois requires
teachers to teach the roles and contributions
of LGBTQ people in history.
That measure also requires
schools to publish a list of the
textbooks that would be bought by
schools for those lessons, and the
bill states that schools will receive
a grant to purchase those books.
Notably, the law also states that
the textbooks cannot contain material
that is discriminatory on the
basis of gender identity or sexual
orientation.
Meanwhile, government offi cials
in Maryland have indicated that
➤ LOG CABIN GOP,, from p.14
spoke of Trump’s supposed dedication
to ending the spread of HIV/
AIDS without mentioning that the
president has sought ways to cut
funding for research tied to the
epidemic; they mentioned the administration’s
initiative to end the
criminalization of homosexuality,
but failed to say that the State
Department has scaled back its
LGBTQ-related human rights efforts
around the globe; and they
highlighted the reality that LGBTQ
folks “can still be fi red just for
being gay in a majority of states in
America” just one day after Trump
rolled out an executive order scaling
back the rights of LGBTQ employees
of businesses that win federal
contracts.
Meanwhile, Log Cabin’s former
executive director, Gregory T. Angelo,
commended the group for
throwing its support behind the
homophobic president.
“Bravo to @LogCabinGOP for
EDUCATION
the state’s Department of Education
is prepared to proceed with requiring
LGBTQ education in that
state after Eric Luedtke, a state
delegate in Maryland, penned a
letter signed by 34 other delegates
and 13 state senators.
In an August 13 tweet, Luedtke
stated, “I’m very happy to share the
news that MSDE is developing new
history curriculum standards that
will include the story of the LGBT
and disability rights movements!
Thanks to all my colleagues that
added their names to our recent
letter on the subject.”
A spokesperson for the Maryland
Department of Education did
not immediately return requests
for details on the apparent plans
in the state.
California, New Jersey, and
Colorado have also required LGBTQ
history to be taught in public
schools. New York City schools are
not required to teach LGBTQ education
in schools, but funding has
been allocated to allow them to do
so if they choose.
endorsing @realDonaldTrump for
reelection — this statement reads
like it could have been issued in
2016 (and it should have been!).
Nonetheless, glad to see gay Republicans
united as we head toward
victory in 2020.”
Prior to leading the national
group, Angelo had run the Log
Cabin chapter in New York State.
Hours after news broke of Henry’s
resignation, Angelo resurfaced
on Twitter with a cryptic question.
“Miss Me Yet?”
That question, and many others,
will need to be answered by
Log Cabin Republicans as the
group’s members continue to grapple
with their role in a party that
overwhelmingly continues to reject
their own rights.
But one of the most important
questions — would an LGBTQ
group support the anti-LGBTQ
president — has been settled.
“The Log Cabin Republicans endorse
Donald Trump for reelection
as president,” the op-ed stated.
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