LGBT In Textbooks

[Cactus]

So, I got bored in study hall the other day and decided to read my history textbook. I read all the way from the 1920s to the present, and one thing that I noticed was that every social group seemed to have a Rights Movement, from the Protestants, to the African Americans, to the Asian Americans, the Mexican Immigrants, the Native Americans. Another thing that I noticed was that there was absolutely no mention of the LGBT community at all. Not the Gay Rights Movement, not even a footnote about their persecution in Nazi Germany. I just wanted to know peoples opinions on this subject, why you think this is and how you feel about it. Thanks! Enjoy Yourselves!

[BillieRose88]

I think tha most textbooks don't include LGBT thins because it is such a large topic of discussion and a lot of people fight about it.
Granted, people also have opinions on the other things listed though it's not as large of an agrument.

In my Geography text book, it featured a gay man going to Mardi Gras and everyone in my class was mature about it.

I guess they don't want to offend any LGBT people or cause argument.

[Mitch]

History is written by the Victors, the LGBT community hasn't really won much...compared to say, African-Americans. But, it also depends when the text book was written, and when the source information was compiled. And yet then, for something so subjective as sexuality and gender freedom, there wouldn't be a class that would actually study it - and it risks offending people. That's what I think anyway.

[Luke.J]

I agree with the above ^^

[George^^]

It would be amazing to have LGBT history in textbooks, but at the moment there is nothing. Maybe in a more accepting world? I know if there was a history class about the LGBT movement my (now ex) class would have made jokes that they thought were "hilarious" that were rather ignorant and bigoted.

[TheCrowing]

Some history textbooks do vaguely mention homosexuals in Nazi Germany.
I believe that within the next 10-20 years, LGBTQ rights and issues will be at least a small addition to textbooks. History textbooks tend to focus mainly on racial issues and those based upon gender.. But seeing that the LGBTQ rights movement is really picking up, I think it will eventually have its place.

[Always *]

I think a lot of it is that the matter is so contested. Things like religious and racial acceptance is no biggie. But things like whether woman are accepted fully or not or whether the LGBT is fully integrated etc. It depends where you live, and it's really hard to teach. Womans rights tend to be talked about first. For example, I have taken classes where they make it sound like everything is A-Ok, woman have total equality, and others make it sound like the total equality is a facade, and ooooh, we are actually seriously oppressed. I think it is a combo, I am defs not "oppressed" but I know there is still a lot o backwards/old fashioned thinking out there screwing woman over too... And it is even more so with the lgbt... I think a lot of what happened there was that it wasn't put right into the laws right away, like woman's rights and racial/religious rights were codified into law no problem, but the lgbt rights have been a bit slower to uptake and tend to rely on other laws such as the general "freed of this that and the other" typed things applying to it

[NevermindMe]

No matter how you personally feel about gay rights and freedom to be gay, we all have to agree that the gay rights movement is historically signifigant.

- Justin

[Always *]

Oh, I am not denying that... And I think it largely depends on what school you go to and what text books the school board/profs want... I had a prof who talked A LOT about it.... But some don't.... I think part of it is WHO is telling about it, like I have had a lot of male profs who have difficulty talking about woman's rights.... So yeah

[LlamaLlamaDuck]

It's a history textbook, the LBGT rights thing is still happening.

[Mitch]

Originally Posted by Gymnophoria

It's a history textbook, the LBGT rights thing is still happening.

^^ As of yet, there isn't really a definitive result in the LGBT rights movement, that is universally accepted.

[LittleMsFOB]

A teacher in a movie I once saw said "If you're not in the history book you don't exist." And I think there's some truth to that. Many people that have influenced history were queer, but their achievements are often erased. Same goes for members of other minority groups that have made an impact. It's ridiculous. Until schools wise up and start placing greater emphasis on the history of people other than heterosexual white men, we'll have to carry it on ourselves. f we don't seek to learn about history outside of the standard history books, then it's like these people never existed at all.