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If so, at what age/grade would it be "appropriate" to introduce said history into the curriculum?
Hmm, should there be a specific section focusing on "GLBT" history? Probably not.
Should GLBT issues in civil rights/civil liberties be discussed? Yes.
Should historic figures well known to be GLBT (were there any historic figures who were incidentally transgendered?) be identified as such? Yes.
At what grade: probably Sophomore year of high school at the earliest.
If this were to become academic curriculum in public schools, I can see future history teachers screening the movie "Milk" (or maybe the "edited for television" version) for their 11th grade history classes.
It's important to inform kids on situations that can affect their lives dramatically like having children in their teen years or contracting STD's. It's not up to the school to explain to anyone who anyone's partner/s may or may not be or how they conduct their own sex lives.
It's important to inform kids on situations that can affect their lives dramatically like having children in their teen years or contracting STD's. It's not up to the school to explain to anyone who anyone's partner/s may or may not be or how they conduct their own sex lives.
At what grade: probably Sophomore year of high school at the earliest.
It's never too early to say the word "gay" in a positive context to a child. God knows they're going to hear the word a LOT more in a negative context from their peers.
I don't know what people are afraid of. You accept that kids will use gay slurs toward each other, right? But then you don't want a teacher saying anything positive about a gay person until they're in junior high or later? Pfft. That's absolutely ridiculous, cowardly, and homophobic. Grow up.
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Originally Posted by AnUnidentifiedMale
It's never too early to say the word "gay" in a positive context to a child. God knows they're going to hear the word a LOT more in a negative context from their peers.
I don't know what people are afraid of. You accept that kids will use gay slurs toward each other, right? But then you don't want a teacher saying anything positive about a gay person until they're in junior high or later? Pfft. That's absolutely ridiculous, cowardly, and homophobic. Grow up.
I think the elementary years should be focused on developing basic skills; such as reading, writing, math, etc. Precious time should not be used to discuss history based upon a group's sexual orientation. Usually, social studies are geared towards teaching children world history anyways. It is not until kids get into secondary education where topics such as the women's and civil rights movements are discussed so GLBT history would be inappropriate in elementary school. Also, many parents object to teaching about homosexuality in schools so this will not fly anyways.
It's never too early to say the word "gay" in a positive context to a child. God knows they're going to hear the word a LOT more in a negative context from their peers.
I don't know what people are afraid of. You accept that kids will use gay slurs toward each other, right? But then you don't want a teacher saying anything positive about a gay person until they're in junior high or later? Pfft. That's absolutely ridiculous, cowardly, and homophobic. Grow up.
No need to be so defensive.
It's not about saying anything positive or negative, it's about "when" to teach it as part of a history cirriculum. Most kids get their world and American history classes around their sophomore year - around the same time sex ed is taught in health/phys ed classes. It's academic pragmatism.
Values and social tolerance will be instilled in the homes more than in the schools.
Values and social tolerance will be instilled in the homes more than in the schools.
I agree, but many of these same people would probably object to teachers saying the word "gay" in any context, which is ridiculous, in my opinion. If the kids are old enough to use gay slurs against each other, they're old enough to hear the word "gay" in a positive context from a teacher.
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