Washington could require schools to teach LGBTQ history

Public schools in Washington may soon be required to teach students about the contributions and history of LGBTQ+ people under a bill approved by the state Senate last week.

Senate Bill 5462 would mandate school districts in Washington adopt curricula that includes “diverse, equitable, inclusive, age-appropriate instructional materials” on historically marginalized and underrepresented groups.

That includes people of color, people with disabilities, people who are neurodiverse and those from various religious backgrounds.

The bill specifically requires the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, in consultation with the Washington State LGBTQ Commission, to update state learning standards at all grade levels to include “the histories, contributions, and perspectives of LGBTQ people” by Dec. 1, 2024.

The legislation passed the state Senate by a 29-19 vote, largely on party lines. It is now being considered in the House.

State learning standards currently call for students to study the historical perspectives of some marginalized groups, such as tribal communities devastated by European colonization or enslaved and free people of color who resisted oppression in the 13 colonies.

But notable LGBTQ+ figures in U.S. history and events important in the LGBTQ+ community are not always taught to Washington students, said Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, the bill’s main sponsor.

“At a basic level, when you see yourself in what you’re learning, you’re more engaged and invested in the learning process,” Liias said, who is also a member of the Washington State Legislature LGBTQ Caucus. “We want all of our kids to see themselves in the work they’re doing.”

Opponents of the bill argued it erodes the power of local school districts and infringes on the rights of parents. Senate Republicans also argued mandating new material on marginalized communities detracts from academic instruction on core subjects like English and math.

“It just seems like the trend is to take more and more discretion away from the local communities and force-feed stuff from the Legislature onto all 295 school districts,” said Sen. Brad Hawkins, R-East Wenatchee, during the Senate floor debate last week.

For some school districts, falling in line with the bill, should it pass, may not be difficult.

Inclusive education advocates noted many schools across the state have already updated lesson plans to include more diverse perspectives, and in some cases, created whole new courses focused on underrepresented communities. At Seattle Public Schools, for example, students can enroll in courses on Black history, Native American literature and Filipino American history.

Devin Israel Cabanilla, a steering committee member of Make Us Visible Washington, a group aimed at increasing the inclusion of Asian American history in K-12 classrooms, said teaching history in a more inclusive way not only provides students with a more well-rounded education, but also helps youth navigate a diverse society.

“Any inclusive or intersectional expansion (of curricula) helps kids understand each other and their world better, and is a long-term way of preventing bullying, hate and violence,” Cabanilla said.

Research has found classes that reflect the diverse identities of its students can provide a host of benefits.

Ethnic studies classes have been shown to increase attendance and GPAs, and improve graduation and college attendance rates. In schools where students learned about representations of LGBTQ+ people, history and events, LGBTQ+ students were less likely to hear homophobic or transphobic remarks, less likely to miss school because they felt unsafe and had better mental health and academic performance, according to a 2021 national survey from GLSEN, an LGBTQ+ education advocacy group.

If SB 5462 becomes law, the Washington State School Directors’ Association, with assistance from the state, must create a model policy and procedure on how to design courses and select instructional materials by June 2025. Then, by October of that year, schools will have to update their policies to incorporate the new curricula.

To help school districts comply, the bill would require each of the state’s nine educational service districts — regional bodies that link local school districts to state and national resources — designate an inclusive curricula coordinator to help schools check for bias in materials, and ensure that themes of inclusion and diversity are blended throughout the curricula as opposed to being taught as standalone topics.

Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks: 206-464-2246 or ayoonhendricks@seattletimes.com.