Equity & Diversity

L.A. OKs Gay-Inclusive Curriculum to Combat Bullying

By Connie Llanos, Daily News, Los Angeles (MCT) — September 15, 2011 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Los Angeles Unified teachers will offer lessons that promote positive images of gay individuals and their contributions to the nation as part of an anti-bullying program approved Tuesday by the school board.

The resolution directs officials to develop a plan within 90 days to address how schools will achieve these goals.

The move comes on the heels of the Legislature approving a law that requires school districts to include the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans in their social studies curriculum.

Judy Chiasson, LAUSD’s human relations coordinator, said this could mean that middle school students studying history, for example, would learn about San Francisco gay rights leader Harvey Milk during a civil rights lesson or that elementary students with same-sex parents would be allowed to make two Mother’s or Father’s Day cards without questions or concerns being raised by teachers.

“Schools have always been leaders of social justice,” Chiasson said. “Every single civil rights issue of our time has been executed first in our schools.”

The plan also calls for training educators to be sensitive to the needs of gay students and parents.

School board member Steve Zimmer, who authored the resolution, said it is needed to help ensure that students feel safe and respected.

“Let the message be clear ... we love you, we respect you ... we honor you,” Zimmer said.

Local civil and gay rights advocates applauded the district for reiterating its commitment to the new law and its potential to help lessen the discrimination against LGBT children.

“As the second-largest school district in the nation, what LAUSD does sets the pace for the rest of the state and the country,” said James Gilliam, deputy executive director of the ACLU of Southern California.

Gilliam said the issue is especially pressing at a time when gay youth suicide and campus bullying are on the rise.

“I believe you can make a difference one person at a time ... especially through education.”

Related Tags:

Copyright (c) 2011, Daily News, Los Angeles. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Equity & Diversity Federal Rule on Trans Athletes Is Delayed. Here's What That Means for Schools
The U.S. Department of Education announced it will not release its new Title IX rules until October, a five-month delay.
5 min read
Protesters fill the Ohio Statehouse corridor on April 19, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio in opposition to a bill that would ban transgender girls from playing in girls sports at K-12 and collegiate levels. A House education panel voted the Republican-championed measure out of committee Wednesday, May 10, along partisan lines. The full House could put it to a vote as soon as next week.
Protesters fill the Ohio Statehouse corridor on April 19, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio in opposition to a bill that would ban transgender girls from playing in girls sports at K-12 and collegiate levels. The U.S. Department of Education's proposed Title IX rule change would challenge state-level bans on transgender athletes playing sports that align with their gender identity.
Samantha Hendrickson/AP
Equity & Diversity When Graduation Dress Codes Clash With Students' Cultural Expression
Students have sued to wear culturally significant items at graduation, and some states have also passed legislation protecting the practice.
5 min read
A teen boy in a red graduation cap and gown wears an eagle feather on his neck. He stands outside among classmates.
Elijah Wiggins wears an eagle feather, a gift from his grandfather, at his graduation from Cedar City High School on May 25, 2022, in Cedar City, Utah. Utah is one of a growing number of states that have passed laws to allow students to wear items of cultural or religious significance during graduation ceremonies.
Rick Bowmer/AP
Equity & Diversity Laws on Trans, Nonbinary Student Pronouns Put Teachers in a Bind
Under laws passed in nine states, teachers don't have to use students’ pronouns and names if they don’t align with their assigned sex.
8 min read
A crowd gathers at the outside of the Indiana House chamber as the House Education Committee discuss House Bill 1608 at the Statehouse on Feb. 20, 2023, in Indianapolis.
A crowd gathers at the outside of the Indiana House chamber on Feb. 20, 2023, as the House Education Committee discussed the legislation that became a state law that requires teachers to inform parents if their children identify as transgender. Indiana is one of at least nine states that have passed laws targeting transgender students' pronouns.
Darron Cummings/AP
Equity & Diversity Schools Are Part of the Biden Administration's Plan for Combating Antisemitism
The call to action for schools is part of a first-of-its-kind federal strategy.
4 min read
A hand-drawn swastika is seen on the front of Union Station near the Capitol in Washington.
A hand-drawn swastika is seen on the front of Union Station near the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 28, 2022. Such vandalism is part of a nationwide rise in antisemitic incidents the White House wants to address.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP