In 2011 California was the first state to adopt a statewide curriculum including the history of the LGBTQ community. Now in 2018 Illinois is trying to become the second state in the country to introduce a similar bill with the help of Equality Illinois.
“Equality Illinois was founded in 1991 as the Illinois Federation for Human Rights to secure, protect and defend the basic civil rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer and questioning transgender (LGBTQ) Illinoisans. The Inclusive Curriculum Bill, SB 3249 and HB 5596, was introduced in February by state Sen. Heather Steans of Chicago and state Rep. Anna Moeller of Elgin. This curriculum would get Illinois closer to being a state that tells the whole story of our shared history.” (Retrieved from: https://www.equalityillinois.us/2018-legislative-agenda/).
Though these representatives were hoping to get this bill passed this spring, they decided to postpone the introduction until the fall to secure the support necessary for it to pass. There has been some resistance to the introduction of this bill throughout the state. Earlier this summer in Kendall County, Illinois a school board member discussed his opposition to the bill at a local school board meeting. http://www.kendallcountynow.com/2018/07/31/social-indoctrination-sd308-board-member-voices-concerns-over-lgbt-history-bill/a4z1eu9/
But on August 22, 2018, the bill passed with a bipartisan majority in the Senate. The vote was 34-18 in favor and now it is waiting action in the House. If the bill is signed into law, then education on this important part of American history will be made more widely available in our schools.
Link: https://www.equalityillinois.us/2018-legislative-agenda/
