When school begins in this fall, history teachers will be mandated to teach the cultural contributions of gays, lesbians and bisexuals.
This law is terrible! The first half of world history is taught in sixth grade. Is it going to matter that Alexander the Great, arguably the most important person in history, was a bisexual? Is it important that Socrates, Plato, Pythagorus, Euclid, virtually every ancient Greek was bisexual? (The Greeks had institutionalized bisexuality.) Is it important that Julius Caesar was bisexual? Michaelangelo? What about the modern age?
Many actors and actresses have been gay or bisexual. Charles Laughton, Van Johnson, Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter were gay. For writers, what about Gertrude Stein, James Baldwin, Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote?
The list goes on and on. But the important thing is that these people and others like them, achieved eminence because they were immensely talented, intelligent, determined and ambitious.
Their sexual orientation had nothing to do with their outstanding success. Therefore, their sexuality should not be included in their contributions to our culture.
“Tolerance,” on the other hand, which is what this new law is attempting to teach, should be taught. Anyone who has heard the horror stories of gay, lesbian and bisexual adolescents would clamor for such a class. The point is: this class is not a history issue; it is a psychological and sociological issue and should be taught as such.
This law is an unnecessary intrusion into the history curriculum!
Charles Moton
Lucerne
