Title: States That Require Schools to Teach LGBT History | Best States | US News
Headings: These States Require Schools to Teach LGBT History
These States Require Schools to Teach LGBT History
The 10 Best U.S. States for Education

Content: States That Require Schools to Teach LGBT History | Best States | US News
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These States Require Schools to Teach LGBT History
Illinois is the latest state to expand its definition of American history. By Casey Leins
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Aug. 14, 2019
By Casey Leins
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Aug. 14, 2019, at 1:25 p.m.
States Where Schools Teach LGBT History
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Public schools in Illinois must include LGBT history in their curriculum starting in 2020. Getty Images/Blend Images
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation Friday making Illinois the fourth state to requiring public schools to teach LGBT history. "One of the best ways to overcome intolerance is through education and exposure to different people and viewpoints," said bill sponsor state Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago), according to the Washington Examiner. The law, which goes into effect in July 2020, requires textbooks purchased with state grant funds to "include the roles and contributions of all people protected under the Illinois Human Rights Act." It states that "the teaching of history in the United States shall include a study of the roles and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the history of this country." The 10 Best U.S. States for Education
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California became the first state to pass a law requiring schools to teach LGBT history in 2011, followed by Colorado and New Jersey in 2019. Civil rights and advocacy groups have praised these states for expanding their definitions of American history in the classroom. "Our youth deserve to see how diverse Amerian history truly is — and how they can be a part of it one day, too," said Christian Fuscarino, executive director of the advocacy group Garden State Equality. But the laws also have their fair share of critics, including Barnegat, New Jersey, Mayor Alfonso Cirulli, also a former assistant principal, who said "the government has no right to teach our kids morality," according to the Asbury Park Press.