A Washington state bill mandating LGBTQ history be taught in public schools was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee earlier this week.
The bill was created in 2023 and pushes for “inclusive learning standards and instructional materials” in state public schools. Educators will be tasked with creating a curriculum that highlights the accomplishments of different LGBTQ+ people. The history curriculum must also cover the accomplishments of different racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.
The bill specifically mandates that all schools create curricula that include “diverse, equitable, inclusive, age-appropriate instructional materials” that reflect the history of historically underrepresented people.
According to the bill, the LGBTQ+ history standards and model policy must be submitted to the Washington State School Directors’ Association by June 1. The state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction is then tasked with disseminating a timeline for implementation of the standards by September 2025.
All public schools are reportedly required to implement the policy by October 2025.
Public school standards in Washington already require students to learn about historical perspectives of tribal communities and American slavery, according to the Seattle Times. This bill explicitly requires lessons on LGBTQ+ history.
Jason Rantz, a popular conservative radio host in the Seattle area, claims that state lawmakers blocked legislation making Holocaust education and the Pledge of Allegiance curriculum mandatory. However, they were quick to pass legislation mandating LGBTQ+ history.
State Sen. Marko Liias claimed that this bill will lead to better attendance and achievement among students.
“The contributions of gay Washingtonians deserve recognition, and just as importantly, students deserve to see themselves in their school,” Liias said. “That leads to better attendance, better academic achievement, and better overall quality of life, ensuring success for all our students.”
Washington is among six other states that have similar LGBTQ+ mandatory curricula. Washington joins California, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, and Oregon.
This piece first appeared at TPUSA.
