The California Assembly on Tuesday
approved a bill that seeks to include the historical contributions of
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans in the state's
textbooks, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Democrat-controlled Assembly voted
49 to 25 in favor of Senator Mark Leno's FAIR Education Act.
The Senate approved the measure in April. It now goes to Governor
Jerry Brown for his signature.
Assemblyman Tim Donnelly of San
Bernardino, a Republican, argued against the bill on the Assembly
floor. He said the measure would promote “a homosexual agenda.”
“As a Christian, I am deeply
offended,” he said.
Leno, an openly gay Democrat from San
Francisco, told Senate colleagues that his legislation would help
curb the bullying of gay teens.
“We are second-class citizens and
children are listening,” he said. “When they see their teachers
don't step up to the plate when their classmate is being harassed
literally to death, they are listening and they get the message that
there is something wrong with those people.”
“The struggle of the multicultural
and multiethnic LGBT community in California is one of the greatest
stories yet to be told,” said Equality California Executive
Director Roland Palencia. “The FAIR Education Act will ensure that
public schools acknowledge the heroism of individuals and communities
who in spite of countless barriers continuously overcome adversity.”
Opponents of the legislation include
SaveCalifornia.com, the socially conservative group headed by Randy
Thomasson, which called the bill the state's “most in-your-face
sexual indoctrination yet,” and called on Brown to veto the
measure.
“This sexual brainwashing bill would
mandate that children as young as 6 years old be told falsehoods –
that homosexuality is biological, when it isn't, or healthy, when
it's not.,” Thomasson said.
“Parents don't send their sons and
daughters to school to learn to admire homosexuality, bisexuality,
cross-dressing, 'sex-change' operations, homosexual 'marriage,' or to
support legal persecution of people who disagree,” he added. “We
urge Governor Brown to respect parents, remember basic academics, and
basic family values, and veto this bad bill when it reaches his
desk.”