A new map produced by the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) reveals the state of LGBTQ+ education in America, highlighting where LGBTQ+ curricula are being attacked and where laws are explicitly requiring schools to include LGBTQ+ education. The tide is turning against LGBTQ+ inclusive education, students, and teachers, despite years of progress in addressing discriminatory standards in schools.
The “LGBTQ Curricular Laws” map shows that discriminatory “no promo homo” laws, many of which were passed in the 1980s and 1990s, have been repealed in North Carolina, Utah, Arizona, and South Carolina, leaving just Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana with such language on their books. These laws prevent schools from portraying “homosexuality as a positive alternative lifestyle” and, in Texas, still require public education programs to “state that homosexual conduct is not an acceptable lifestyle and is a criminal offense.”
Despite these laws being inequitable and legally wrong following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Lawrence v. Texas in 2003, some states are now copying Florida’s restrictive “Don’t Say Gay” law, and bills promoting a “parents’ rights” agenda are spreading throughout the South and other red states. These efforts to erase LGBTQ+ identity and history in schools are only growing.
Eight states have “Don’t Say Gay” laws banning discussion of LGBTQ+ people and issues in at least some grades, and five states require parental notification of LGBTQ+ curricula and allow parents to opt their children out. In contrast, seven states explicitly require LGBTQ+ inclusion in subjects such as history, civics, and social studies. Meanwhile, 32 states, five territories, and the District of Columbia have no LGBTQ+-specific curricular laws.
GLSEN, a LGBTQ+ student education group and MAP partner, identifies four core supports that improve school climates for LGBTQ+ youth: access to inclusive curriculum, comprehensive nondiscrimination and anti-bullying policies, supportive educators, and access to GSAs (Gender and Sexuality Alliances and Gay Straight Alliances). All of these are jeopardized by the growing number of “Don’t Say Gay” laws. Inclusive curricula promote LGBTQ+ youth interest in STEM fields and serve as a protective factor for those experiencing discrimination, stigma, and instability in their lives, by promoting mental health, well-being, and resilience.
In conclusion, the fight for LGBTQ+ education and inclusive curricula is far from over. Despite progress in eliminating discriminatory “no promo homo” laws, far-right Christian Nationalists continue to promote laws to erase LGBTQ+ identity and history in schools. The battle for the hearts and minds of America’s youth is at stake, and LGBTQ+ students and their allies are fighting back to protect their right to a fair and inclusive education.