California Is the First State to Approve LGBTQ-Inclusive History Books

LGBTQ people in contemporary history have come a long way--from complete erasure and discriminatory mentions, with many children outside of suburban areas either not learning about queer history or being taught about it through a negative light--to it now being included in primary school textbooks.

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The California state board of education approved last week 10 new textbooks for students in K-8 schools which include LGBTQ history, making it the first state to go to such measures for younger students. This leap in the right direction comes thanks to the 2011 Fair Education act, which requires social sciences and history classes to educate children about LGBTQ history and people with disabilities.

"This long fought victory is the next step for California students to learn about the contributions and history of LGBTQ people," said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California. "Approval of these textbooks means that California schools now have access to approved materials that accurately represent LGBTQ people, and Equality California applauds the State Board of Education for this historic decision."

Though 10 books were approved by the state board, two were disallowed, having not covered sexual orientation to satisfaction standards set out by the bill.