California parents remove 650 children from school over LGBTQ-inclusivity lessons

Parents in California have removed hundreds of children from a school district in a one-day protest over LGBTQ-inclusivity lessons. Rocklin Unified School District adopted the LGBTI-inclusive social science and history curriculum earlier this month.

The district introduced the lessons under the FAIR Education Act of 2011. This requires schools to offer lessons about people with disabilities, various sexual orientations, and racial ethnicities.

Some parents had argued that teaching historic LGBTI figures was ‘far too complex’ a topic for elementary school children.

However, LGBTQ rights advocates have hit back, arguing it is important to teach diversity in public schools, and combat the notion ‘that straight is “normal”‘.

Speaking to Yahoo, Rachel Henry, of the Sacramento LGBT Community Center, said: ‘We know that teaching children tolerance, love, and kindness isn’t enough — we have to actively teach about diversity within our community. Because if we’re not naming those identities, we’re ignoring and silencing them.’

 ‘We’re just fighting against the idea that straight is “normal”,’ she added. ‘Aside from gay marriage — which is only one aspect of equality — gay people still aren’t a federally-protected class.’

via Gay Star News