Carolyn Maloney and Ritchie Torres Introduce the LGBTQI+ and Women's History Education Act
Press Release
Today, Representatives Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and Ritchie Torres (D-NY) introduced their LGBTQI+ and Women's History Education Act. This bill would authorize the Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History to develop and disseminate resources for classrooms to teach LGBTQI+ and women's history education in an inclusive and intersectional manner.
"Make no mistake - LGBTQI+ youth are under attack by Republican legislators across the country. Earlier this month, 10 anti-LGBTQI laws went into effect that target students, including Florida's "Don't Say Gay or Trans' bill. This is unacceptable and will be detrimental to the mental health of LGBTQI+ youth, which is why I introduced the LGBTQI+ and Women's History Education Act," said Congresswoman Maloney. "Women, too, deserve to be seen and represented in the classroom. For too long, this country has downplayed the historical contributions of women, especially women of color. I have led the fight to create a national museum on women, and the LGBTQI+ and Women's History Education Act continues that legacy to ensure that women's history is taught nationwide."
"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. That is why children in classrooms across the US should not be deprived of the opportunity to learn about the heroism displayed by many in the LGBTQ and women's movements," said Congressman Torres. "As Republican legislatures across the country attempt to silence the history and stories of LGBTQ families, we must act to proactively educate American youth. I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me to make it possible for me to be the first openly gay Afro-Latino to be in Congress, and I am proud to work with Congresswoman Maloney on this critical legislation."
"Education is the cornerstone of a multi-racial democracy, and learning about LGBTQIA+ and women's history is necessary to understanding U.S. history," said GLSEN Executive Director, Melanie Willingham-Jaggers. "Through our research, we know inclusive curriculum cultivates safer and more supportive school environments where students hear fewer racial, transphobic, and homophobic slurs and other denigrating language; experience fewer incidents of bullying and harassment; and have a greater sense of belonging and wellbeing that allows them to thrive and reach their full potential. We're so proud to see Congresswoman Maloney championing this bill, which will support educators in teaching lesson plans that promote positive visibility and representation of all communities."
"All children should be able to see themselves and their families reflected and represented in media, and in what they read and learn in school," said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. "Women's history, LGBTQ history and the heroes who have led our movements inspire all generations about the progress we've achieved and the work still to be done. Funding programs to improve the diversity and inclusivity of education is something everyone should support. LGBTQ people continue to contribute to their communities and country and are an important part of history."
"By introducing this bill, the members of the House of Representatives recognize the importance of ensuring the lives and experiences of women and LGBTQI+ are not ignored in the study of history," said Olivia Hunt, policy director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. "What's past is prologue, and today's girls and LGBTQI+ youth deserve to see themselves fairly and accurately represented in history so that they can better see a place for themselves in contemporary American society, and in the future that they'll be building."
"The National Organization for Women (NOW) supports legislation offered by Rep. Carolyn Maloney that would address a long-standing erasure of women's historical contributions from many U.S. history books and educational texts," said National Organization for Women President, Christian F. Nunes. "The LGBTQI+ and Women's History Education Act of 2022 is a brilliant initiative to uplift that important history and to effectively address efforts in some states to remove from curriculum any mention of race, gender or LGBTQ+ communities. The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History will carry forward this honest and long overdue recognition of important contributions by America's diverse individuals and communities."
"The National Women's Law Center supports the LGBTQI+ and Women's History Education Act," said NWLC Vice President for Education and Workplace Justice, Emily Martin. "When students, particularly girls and LGBTQI+ youth of color, are represented in their curricula, they are more likely to feel connected to their school environment and thrive in their classes. This bill will help ensure that schools uplift the often-untold stories of history-making women and LGBTQI+ people as a way of affirming and celebrating their as well as students' intersectional identities."
Full text of the bill can be found here.
Original Co-Sponsors: Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-00), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Anthony Brown (MD-04), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Ed Case (HI-01), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), David Cicilline (RI-01), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Gerald E. Conolly (VA-11), Danny Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Ted Deutch (FL-22), Anna Eshoo (CA-18), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (IL-04), Al Green (TX-09), Brian Higgins (NY-26), Sara Jacobs (CA-53), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Mondaire Jones (NY-17), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Ann Kuster (NH-02), James Langevin (RI-02), John B. Larson (CT-01), Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Grace Meng (NY-06), Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Grace Napolitano (CA-32), Marie Newman (IL-03), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), David Scott (GA-13), Darren Soto (FL-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Paul Tonko (NY-20), David Trone (MD-06), Juan Vargas (CA-51), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24).
Endorsing Organizations: GLSEN, Human Rights Campaign, National Center for Transgender Equality, GLAAD, The Trevor Project, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, National Women's Law Center, National Organization for Women, Feminist Majority Foundation, National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, American Association of University Women, Advocates For Youth, American Psychological Association, American Sociological Association, Tyler Clementi Foundation, Clearinghouse on Women's Issues, Educators for Excellence, Family Equality Council, Freedom for All Americans, German Studies Association, InterACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth, Japanese American Citizens League, Jewish Women International, Keshet, Latinos for Education, National Center for Lesbian Rights, National Council on Public History, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Queer Asian Pacific Island Alliance, National Women's History Alliance, National Council of Jewish Women, National Organization for Women, PFLAG, Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), Society of Architectural Historians, The Association of Research Libraries, ERA Coalition, and Women Sport's Foundation
Background:
Congresswoman Maloney has led the bipartisan movement to create a Smithsonian American Women's History Museum, which has now been authorized and is in the process of finding a location for the museum.
On July 1, a law commonly known as the "Don't Say Gay or Trans" bill went into effect in the state of Florida, which prevents teachers from administering instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary schools.
Unfortunately, Florida is not the only state that has introduced an anti-LGBTQI+ education bill. According to Education Week, at least 15 States are considering nearly 30 bills that would affect discussions or interactions with LGBTQI+ youth in schools during this legislative session.
Women's history is also underrepresented in the classroom. According to the New-York Historical Society Museum & Library, only 13% of named historical figures in textbooks across the United States are women, and even fewer are women of color. And only 3 states have mandated that women's history be taught in elementary, middle, and high schools, despite the unacknowledged role that women-- especially women of color -- have played throughout history in science, medicine, and technology.
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