Growing up during the 2000s and 2010s while attending a middle class, New York State public School, "gay" was on the list of bad words. I didn't know anyone who was gay, and I can't remember anyone ever talking about it until middle school when a girl told me I couldn't come to her birthday party because "dykes" weren't invited. This was the first time I remember ever learning anything about being gay, or the LGBT commuity because I googled "dyke" on my ipod touch when I got home that night. 

Now, as a 22 year old graduate student, and a member of the LGBT community I am able to reflect on the utter lack of education on LGBT history, awareness, and acceptance during my schooling; I am not the only one who has experienced this as A 2019 study found that only 19% of LGBT identifying students nationwide, reported learning about LGBT topics in school, while 64% reported feeling uncomfortable and not accepted in their school. To help combat this phenomenon a bill has been proposed to the NYS assembly and senate (Senate Bill S1729 and Assembly bill A0817), that would amend New York’s current education law and require the inclusion of education on the historical treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender non-conforming individuals in schools’ curriculum across the state.

Though new to NY, this is not a novel concept; 6 other states including California, New Jersey, Colorado, Oregon, Illinois, and Nevada already have laws in place requiring this addition to their schools' curriculum. It is the third time this bill has been referred to NY's comitte on education (it has died twice previously while in commitee) and requires aciton now to be written in law by the 2022 school year.  “Students should be exposed to the historic treatment of LGBT people, because those who do not study and remember our past are doomed to repeat and forget it.”