California governor Jerry Brown signed a bill on Thursday that requires the contributions and history of gays and lesbians in the United States to be included in state social studies courses and textbooks. California is the first state to take this step, which is seen in part as a way to combat homophobia, an idea that has proven effective in other schools. The legislature passed a similar bill in 2006, but Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it at the time. Some people aren't excited about it, of course:
“It’s a sad day for our republic," said Tim Donnelly. "[It] prohibits schools from presenting gays and lesbians in anything other than a positive light. It's censorship."
Preventing statements like that is why this law sounds like a great idea. In any case, Jerry Brown notes that it's kind of the opposite of censorship:
"History should be honest,'' Brown said. "This bill prohibits discrimination in education and ensures that the contributions of Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life are included in our history books.''