Lawmakers May Force Schools to Spend Scarce Funds on Gay-Friendly Instruction

Sacramento, CA – In a move that some parents and educators see as further proof that state legislators have lost touch with economic realities, the California Senate Education Committee on Wednesday will consider a bill that would require schools to spend scarce resources to become more gay-friendly.

SB 48 is being touted by Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), who is himself gay. Specifically, the bill requires that U.S. history, California history, and social science be taught with a deliberate emphasis on the roles and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. While the bill’s backers claim it will have no fiscal impact, the many schools in California that do not currently emphasize the sexuality of historical figures will have little choice but to change their curriculum and buy LGBT-friendly instructional materials if the bill becomes law. Other states could also be affected, since publishers typically tailor textbooks to meet the standards of the largest states, forcing many smaller states to reluctantly follow California.

Pacific Justice Institute has sent a letter to Sen. Leno officially opposing SB 48 and encourages concerned citizens to call their senators and ask them to vote “no” on the bill. PJI president Brad Dacus commented, “Our legislature just doesn’t get it—with thousands of teachers getting pink slips, this is not the time to place more expensive, politically correct mandates on our schools. This bill also undermines parental rights and is insensitive to those whose cultures and belief systems are at odds with the LGBT agenda.”