Washington has passed a bill mandating the inclusion of history in school that is based on certain sexualities.
House Bill 5462 was passed using the diversity, equity, and inclusion framework as its basis, to further implement “inclusive learning standards and instructional materials in public schools.”
The bill passed in the state House by a vote of 56 to 37. It then passed in the state Senate, albeit by a slimmer margin, at 28 to 20.
Educators will be required to create a curriculum that covers accomplishments of individuals based on their sexuality, in addition to history in relation to other characteristics like race, ethnicity, and religion, KPTV reported.
The legislation officially stated that the curriculum must include “diverse, equitable, inclusive, age appropriate instructional materials that include the histories, contributions, and perspectives of historically marginalized and underrepresented groups.”
This also includes those with “differing learning needs, people with disabilities,” and “LGBTQ people.”
According to official Washington state documents, “LGBTQ” refers to “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities.”
“LGBTQ identities were erased in schools, and largely in most places they still are,” Ken Shulman told KGW8. Shulman works as an executive director for an LGBTQ youth center, according to the local outlet.
He noted that the legislation will lead to children having a greater acceptance and understanding of certain sexualities. Shulman then stated that he feels it is important to inform children of the sexual orientation of historical figures.
“It’s considered too controversial to mention to kids that Thoreau was gay or Walt Whitman was gay,” he said. “Alan Turing, who invented the first computer, helped serve the Enigma code, and win World War II was gay.”
The bill recognizes that materials referencing the contributions of “historically marginalized and underrepresented groups” may vary in their availability but states that school districts still must seek out materials that are “as culturally and experientially diverse as possible.”
By June 1, 2025, state school directors will need to have evaluated and revised their policy. By September 2025, the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is required to have created and disseminated a timeline for the reform of learning standards.
Districts are then required to “conform with the model policy” by October 1, 2025. They have 10 days from the due date to confirm that they have officially implemented the new curriculum.
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