HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

151st GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 90

ENCOURAGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO IDENTIFY AGE-APPROPRIATE LESSONS FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 7-12 RELATING TO LGBTQ+ HISTORY.

WHEREAS, learning the history and contributions of different cultures, communities and events helps people develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the struggles and challenges some groups have faced, as well as their triumphs and accomplishments; and

WHEREAS, issues and historic incidents involving the LGBTQ+ community have often been overlooked in educational programming; and

WHEREAS, the history of the LGBTQ+ community is woven into the fabric of American and world history, including many well-known periods and events; and

WHEREAS, the LGBTQ+ community has a long, deep and rich history that is unknown to many residents; and

WHEREAS, During the Nazi regime’s rise to power, persecution of homosexuals rose exponentially, leading to 100,000 men arrested between 1933-1945 and several thousand imprisoned in concentration camps during the Holocaust; and

WHEREAS, the “Lavender Scare” was a mid-20 ^th century anti-homosexual paranoia campaign during which the United States government viewed homosexual employees as security risks, with Congressional inquiries and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signing a 1953 executive order that explicitly added sexuality to the criteria used to determine suitability for federal employment, leading to thousands of gay and lesbian federal employees being fired; and

WHEREAS, the 1969 Stonewall Riots, sparked by a police raid at Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village in New York City, served as the catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States; and

WHEREAS, misconceptions, bigotry, violence and hatred have continued to plague the LGBTQ+ community, including the anti-gay paranoia surrounding the AIDS epidemic, the 2016 Pulse Nightclub massacre, and continuing legislative actions in states to limit exposure to the LGBTQ topic, which is projected to have negative impact on student’s mental health; and

WHEREAS, results from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control has found LGBTQ+ young people are more likely to experience violence, victimization, and suicide than their peers; and

WHEREAS, LGBTQ+ people have made countless contributions to the betterment of our society, but the fact that they were part of the LGBTQ+ community is often overlooked when being taught, leading to less understanding of the breadth and depth of their role in our society; and

WHEREAS, Delaware has strived to be an open, friendly and inclusive state to residents of all walks of life, providing protections for LGBTQ+ people and being one of the first states to pass marriage equality in 2013; and
‎ WHEREAS, Delaware’s educational programming attempts to provide a well-rounded and inclusive curricula to students at all levels of their schooling; and

WHEREAS, incorporating these and other lessons into existing curricula would enrich the educational experience for children, and Delaware students would gain a better understanding of their classmates, neighbors, friends and family members through these lessons; and

WHEREAS, incorporating these and other lessons into existing curricula would provide students with additional perspectives and experiences in history without placing an undue burden on educators.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the 151 ^st General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, request that the Department of Education identify these and other short historic lessons that educators can incorporate into existing curricula for students in grades 7-12.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these lessons should be age-appropriate for students and can be simple points of information that increase the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community’s contributions and struggles throughout history.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education should consult with outside groups, including but not limited to, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, the Trevor Project, GLSEN, and the American Civil Liberties Union, for applicable information and lessons to provide to educators.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education should identify these lessons and have them available for schools to utilize for the 2024-25 school year, that the materials should be posted on the Department’s website, and that the Department should notify all public school districts and charter schools of the availability of the materials and where they are located.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that local educators are encouraged to incorporate these short lessons into their existing curricula to provide a broader, more inclusive education to students.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives send suitable copies of this resolution to the Department of Education, local school districts, and charter schools so that they may be apprised of the sense of the House of Representatives and Senate in this matter.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is encouraged to survey school districts and charter schools after the 2024-25 school year to determine which schools utilized these materials and to gather information about its implementation and whether any changes to the materials and presentation are warranted and report their findings to the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate.

SYNOPSIS

This concurrent resolution encourages the Department of Education, in consultation with key stakeholders, to identify age-appropriate lessons for students in grades 7-12 related to LGBTQ+ history by the start of 2024-25 school year. It also encourages the Department of Education to survey school districts and charter schools regarding the utilization of related materials and short lessons by the end of the 2024-25 school year.