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Conservative group asks for referendum on gay, lesbian text requirement

July 16, 2011

A conservative organization based in Sacramento filed documents Friday to begin a voter referendum regarding the recent passage of a bill requiring schools to teach the contributions of gay, lesbian, transgendered and bisexual individuals. [SFGate.com]

Paulo Sibaja of the Capitol Resource Institute filed a request for a title and summary with the attorney general’s office. The institute is a hard-line, socially conservative organization that has long opposed attempts in California to expand rights for the LGBT population.

Sibaja is the institute’s legislative director; he and backers of the referendum will need to collect 433,971 signatures to let voters decide whether to keep or reject the measure that Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law on Thursday.

The institute officially opposed the bill throughout the legislative process. A coalition has formed behind the effort to remove the law from the books but Sibaja would not elaborate, saying more details would be available in a press conference on Wednesday.

The law is the first of its kind in the nation and requires, beginning Jan. 1, public schools to include in their social sciences curriculum information about the contributions of LGBT individuals. State budget woes, however, will delay the purchase of new textbooks until 2015.

Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, who introduced the Senate Bill, said he wasn’t surprised by the institute’s action. He called the group “extremist,” adding: “I think it will be a challenge for them to get the signatures. If they succeed, I’ll bet Californians” reject it.


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I’ll sign. As will a great majority of Californians. Once this gets out to the public, the signatures will come.


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SB 48


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


SECTION 1. Section 51204.5 of the Education Code is amended to

read:

51204.5. Instruction in social sciences shall include the early

history of California and a study of the role and contributions of

both men and women, Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican

Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, European Americans,

lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, persons with

disabilities, and members of other ethnic and cultural groups, to the

economic, political, and social development of California and the

United States of America, with particular emphasis on portraying the

role of these groups in contemporary society.

SEC. 2. Section 51500 of the Education Code is amended to read:

51500. A teacher shall not give instruction and a school district

shall not sponsor any activity that promotes a discriminatory bias

on the basis of race or ethnicity, gender, religion, disability,

nationality, sexual orientation, or because of a characteristic

listed in Section 220.

SEC. 3. Section 51501 of the Education Code is amended to read:

51501. The state board and any governing board shall not adopt

any textbooks or other instructional materials for use in the public

schools that contain any matter reflecting adversely upon persons on

the basis of race or ethnicity, gender, religion, disability,

nationality, sexual orientation, or because of a characteristic

listed in Section 220.

SEC. 4. Section 60040 of the Education Code is amended to read:

60040. When adopting instructional materials for use in the

schools, governing boards shall include only instructional materials

which, in their determination, accurately portray the cultural and

racial diversity of our society, including:

(a) The contributions of both men and women in all types of roles,

including professional, vocational, and executive roles.

(b) The role and contributions of Native Americans, African

Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders,

European Americans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender

Americans, persons with disabilities, and members of other ethnic and

cultural groups to the total development of California and the

United States.

(c) The role and contributions of the entrepreneur and labor in

the total development of California and the United States.

SEC. 5. Section 60044 of the Education Code is amended to read:

60044. A governing board shall not adopt any instructional

materials for use in the schools that, in its determination, contain:


(a) Any matter reflecting adversely upon persons on the basis of

race or ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, nationality, sexual

orientation, occupation, or because of a characteristic listed in

Section 220.

(b) Any sectarian or denominational doctrine or propaganda

contrary to law.

SEC. 6. It is the intent of the Legislature that alternative and

charter schools take notice of the provisions of this act in light of

Section 235 of the Education Code, which prohibits discrimination on

the basis of disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity,

religion, sexual orientation, or other specified characteristics in

any aspect of the operation of alternative and charter schools.


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teaching children about gay sexual behavior in school is offensive to lot of parents. what about their rights ?


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no one is teaching about gay sexual behavior, this is about textbooks excluding people

Brown vs Board of Education 54 tangential to parents rights I think.


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whatisup

This is how they were able to slip in or sell “personal and private behind the door sexual preference” into the mix of sound good legislation.


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This being done, shows that an endless list of other things can be added when you have position, power and clever.


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And while we’re at it, why don’t we get a petition to eliminate the contributions of african americans from our history books as well. This is absurd.


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We know who the African Americans are/were by the color of their skin. How is someone in history sexual preference to be determined?


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What makes you think that all history books are packed with pictures? It’s common knowledge that J. Edgar Hoover was a cross dresser, so put it in the history books.


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Sorry, that is a hoax:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2423/was-j-edgar-hoover-a-cross-dresser


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I didn’t look at your link yet as I’m in a bit of hurry but there are some sources that say that it was a hoax but there are many credible sources that say it’s not and that he was a cross dresser. If I get a chance tonight then I’ll pull up something that shows to the contrary that yes he was a cross dresser.


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Hoover was such a jerk, I think it would be very funny to tell everybody that he was a cross dresser! Can anyone imagine that macho egotist dressed up in woman’s panties, a bra and garter belt? LMAO


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I spent a few moments thinking…why on earth would any man willing put on a bra? I long for the time I get to take mine off everyday!


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Danika, for once I agree with you on that one!


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Trouble is, the books are not going to be allowed to speak adversely about their subject. Does that mean that the history books leave out the part about J Edgar keeping secret files about his personal enemies?

Pictures are not necessary as far as Blacks go. For as long as I can remember, anything said about Blacks is always prefaced with the person being Black. Good or bad, unnecessary as far as I am concerned.


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The secret files should also be part of the history that our children are taught and I would imagine that is being taught to our high school kids now, if not then it should be. You’re right though, blacks are usually identified when there’s not a picture which is great for black children especially if that black historic person played a positive role in history. There’s no reason that a history book can’t tell the story of how Hoover had secret files and that he was gay. If you’re doing a bio on Hoover then that should be part of it. How does that hurt anyone? I’m not saying that every remark about person should state ‘he was black’ or ‘he was gay’. But when studying a person or reading a bio then yes it should be stated.


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Count me in. I’ll sign. Just curious, are they planning on “outing” people in history or what?


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Excellent question.


Too, if homosexuality doesn’t matter vis a vis your accomplishments, why bring it up at all? Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb and it doesn’t matter what his sleeping arrangements were.


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The same with Abraham Lincoln ? (shared a bed with another man above a store in Springfield)


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I’ll sign


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I’ll sign.


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I’ll sign


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I’ll sign.


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I’ll sign


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I’ll sign.


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