Illinois House Passes Bill Requiring Schools to Teach LGBTQ History

Illinois may be about to join New Jersey and California in being one of the only states in the country to require the inclusion of LGBTQ history in textbooks.

On Wednesday, the Illinois House voted in favor of a bill that would require certain history textbooks purchased for K-12 public education to include and be non-biased about the historical contributions of various ethnic groups as well as of LGBTQ people.

“Under current practice in many of our schools, the contribution of LGBT individuals in history has remained hidden and unacknowledged,” said Representative Anna Moeller. “…and it also has denied LGBT people their identity and reflection in our school curriculum.”

A version of the bill was approved by the Illinois Senate last year, but didn’t make it to a vote in the House during that session. It will now go back to the Senate and, if approved, to the governor to sign.

Though the bill would only effect certain purchases with state money, and would likely take some time to go into effect regardless, there is already some outcry from Republicans and conservatives.

“Forcing [LGBTQ history] on 5-year-olds and elementary school children is more of an effort of indoctrination than of learning history about individuals who accomplished important discoveries in science or created great works of art,” said Representative Darren Bailey, who voted against the bill.

Bill Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois, disagrees, and voiced his support of the bill last year.

“We think all students are better off when we teach them the full breadth of history,” he said. “It makes them more likely to understand that a diverse cast has contributed to our society.”