The Importance of LGBTQ+ representation in curriculum and textbooks
Image by Freepik LARRY SMITH | Special Guest Contributor A Williams Institute survey in 2020 found that 9.54 percent of American youth between the ages of 13 and 17 identify as LGBTQ+.
Finding representation in school curriculums and textbooks is not that common. In 2011, California was the first state to include LGBTQ+ contributions in social media studies.
Colorado and New Jersey passed similar legislation eight years later. Sex education happens in 29 of the 50 states in the U.S., but only 11 ensure that the curriculum includes information relevant to LGBTQ+ students. Why is LGBTQ representation important? Not giving LGBTQ+ students sex education that applies to them can have a negative impact on their physical and mental health.
Affirmative sex education could help to lower the stigma and likelihood of victimization. An LGBTQ+ academic curriculum can result in less victimization based on sexual orientation in schools.
