GOOD Decision Out of California On Tuesday

No, I’m not talking about Prop 8. I’m talking about the decision by the Alameda school board to adopt an LGBT-inclusive safe schools curriculum.

I wrote last week about the brewing controversy in Alameda, so I’ll refer you to that post for the details. Here’s the short version:

Supporters of the measure wanted to curb anti-LGBT teasing and harassment, and thought the proposed curriculum would help teachers debunk stereotypes and teach children about different types of families. Detractors got their knickers in a twist thinking that elementary school students would be learning about sex and having a political agenda pushed on them. (Where have we heard that before?)

The San Francisco Chronicle reports: “The topics the board approved start at the lower grades with the negative impacts of generic teasing. As students advance, the lessons introduce vocabulary such as gay, lesbian and bisexual, and include discussions related to diverse families and sexual orientation stereotypes.” They note, “Teachers will begin to use the words ‘lesbian’ and ‘gay’ in fourth-grade classes.”

OK, fine. But what are they going to do when little Johnny in the first grade pipes up with, “My moms are lesbians, and they can’t get married in California”?

Still, it’s a heartening bit of news from the Golden State this week. Kudos to the school board and all of the parents who had the courage to speak up for tolerance.