When Revolutions Align

There is a really interesting debate going on in California right now concerning a proposed bill to include gay history in public school curriculum. You can read about it here.

Many of the tactics used by opponents of the bill are remnants of earlier struggles, such as the civil rights and women's rights movements. Let's take a look and see how these tactics have been recycled throughout the years...

• "There's just no infrastructure in place." We've heard this before, right? Most recently, this argument has been thrown out in opposition to immigrants in the United States. The problem with this line of thinking is that it places more value on economics and the status quo over what is fair, just, and logical. (Even as I write this, I realize that my personal values and beliefs are influencing what I feel is "logical", which is why these conversations are so hard to have on a national level.) In this example, opponents have said that teaching the history of the LGBTQ community would "burden an already crowded curriculum".

• "This group needs to stop pushing their agenda on this country." Dominant groups are always afraid of losing power, whether that is a conscious fear or not.  As one opponent of this bill stated, "What are we going to take out of the curriculum to get this type of curriculum in? Are we going to take Winston Churchill out?" Presenting these 'all or nothing' scenarios is truly fear-mongering. To tell people that in order to include someone else, they will have to give up a part of themselves and their history is an effective way to halt progress.

• And then there's the idea of "indoctrination". This is a scary word thrown around by folks on both sides of the party line, something I've used myself when discussing the separation of church and state. Religious groups who oppose the proposed education bill say that it would "indoctrinate children to accept homosexuality".  What about the indoctrination of ISMs and stereotypes youth receive every single day in school? Pubic school curriculum is heavily focused on the contributions of the dominant culture, with the history of marginalized populations thrown in for "color".  Isn't the absence of these communities' histories and the simultaneous reinforcement of the "superiority" of White, heterosexual culture a form of indoctrination? 

This article reminded me again of how important it is for all groups that have and continue to experience oppression to work together for the inclusion of all people.  I'd love to hear ideas on how we can take this beyond the individual and to more of a community level!