Christa B. Hanhardt Among the first lsons stctors teach lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr (LGBT) history class is about the changg fns and of the word queer. Up through the neteenth century the word was primarily ed to mark dividuals nsired odd or outsi social norms. Queer rried particular currency sndal om the
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'WAS J GAY?’: THE CLASS UNVERG HIDN QUEER HISTORI
Startg next school year, lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr history will be tght Illois public schools. * gay history class *
" It stat that "the teachg of history the Uned Stat shall clu a study of the rol and ntributns of lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr people the history of this untry. Dpe this new wave of efforts to tegrate LGBT ntent to the classroom, six stat – Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carola and Texas – still have laws prohibg the "promotn of homosexualy.
" The laws, also known as "no pro homo" laws, prohib schools om teachg lbian, gay or bisexual people or topics a posive light health or sexual tn class. Alabama law, for example, stat that when discsg sexual health tn, "class mt emphasize, a factual manner and om a health perspective, that homosexualy is not a liftyle acceptable to the general public and that homosexual nduct is a crimal offense unr the laws of the state. The activy rourc created by GLSEN, a natnal anizatn dited to ensurg that all lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, and qutng (LGBTQ) stunts have accs to a safe and affirmg school environment where they n learn and grow.
* gay history class *
To learn more about the attempts to purge the US ary and feral ernment of gay and lbian employe durg the Cold War and s later, nsir showg the vio The Lavenr Sre: Gay and Lbian Life Post-World War II Ameri. This film ntas archival footage and news clips to pture the life and tim of Harvey Milk, who was the first openly gay person to w elected office California and was assassated a year after his electn.
Startg next school year, lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr history will be part of the curriculum Illois public schools. The Illois legislatn tak effect July law mandat that history class public schools “clu a study of the rol and ntributns of lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr people the history of this untry and this State.
Advot say that the way the laws are wrten leav room for them to be misapplied to other parts of school life, cludg curriculum other class or extracurricular activi, like a Gay-Straight Alliance. In April, Arizona repealed a law that banned teachers om liverg any stctn that “promot a homosexual liftyle. The group, which supported the bill, named social worker Jane Addams and civil rights activist Bayard Rt as famo LGBT Illoisans and noted that the natn’s first gay rights anizatn was found Getty.