College & Workforce Readiness

Creating an LGBT-Friendly Curriculum

By Caroline Cournoyer — January 24, 2011 1 min read
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Students in England will begin to see gay issues popping up in their classes, as the government pushes to raise awareness about the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual community, according to the Daily Mail.

Beginning in February, which is LGBT History Month in the U.K., the organization Schools Out will make lesson plans with gay themes available for math, geography, science, and English teachers to download. Math problems and assigned reading will involve gay characters, and language classes will use words such as “outing” and “pride,” reports the Mail. The Department of Education is backing the initiative, which includes lessons for children as young as four.

“All we are attempting to do is remind teachers that LGBT people are part of the population and you can include them in most of your lessons when you are thinking inclusively,” Sue Sanders, a member of Schools Out, told the paper.

Critics contend that the campaign is an unnecessary use of resources, “particularly when we keep hearing how tight budgets are,” said John O’Connell of the TaxPayers’ Alliance.

A $35,000 grant from an education nonprofit is funding the initiative.

“It’s not about teaching about gay sex,” said a teacher who supports the effort. “It is about exposing children to the idea that there are other types of people out there.”

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A version of this news article first appeared in the Teaching Now blog.