New Jersey law requires LGBT contributions to be included in public school curriculum

A law approved by the governor earlier this year in the state of New Jersey will require public schools to incorporate information about the contributions of LGBT people into middle and high school curriculum in the 2020-2021 academic year.

The law does not include an opt-out option for parents. “Advocates say such an option would not be practical, since the intent of the law is for lessons to be weaved in throughout the year rather than taught only as stand-alone lessons,” a northjersey.com article explains.

“A board of education shall include instruction on the political, economic, and social contributions of persons with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, in an appropriate place in the curriculum of middle school and high school students as part of the district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards,” the law states. It also says that, “When adopting instructional materials for use in the schools of the district, a board of education shall adopt inclusive instructional materials that portray the cultural and economic diversity of society including the political, economic, and social contributions of persons with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, where appropriate.”

via Academia.com