In a little-noticed development, D.C. public schools officials on Dec. 16 released for public comment a proposed revision to the standards for teaching social studies from kindergarten through the 12th grade in the city’s public schools that include LGBTQ-related topics.

The proposed LGBTQ-inclusive social studies standards were released a little over a year after the D.C. State Board of Education voted unanimously to approve a resolution introduced by gay education board member Allister Chang calling for inclusive education standards that “reflect on the political, economic, social, cultural, and scientific contributions and experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.”

Chang, who played a role in drafting the proposed social studies standards, has called on members of the LGBTQ community and its allies to submit comments in support of what he calls an important advancement in opening up the teaching of LGBTQ-related topics in social studies classes in the city’s public schools. He said the LGBTQ-related topics would be for social studies classes taught at high schools.

At the time the D.C. State Board of Education approved Chang’s resolution in October 2021, supporters pointed out that while D.C. public schools have been supportive of LGBTQ students, the city’s public school system was far behind school systems in several states in the inclusion of LGBTQ topics in school curricula.

In observing developments in states across the country in which a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation has been introduced related to public schools, with much of it focused on transgender students, Chang said he was concerned that conservative advocates from outside D.C. might attempt to push for blocking the proposed social studies standards from being adopted.

The public comment period of 45 days for the proposed standards is scheduled to end on Jan. 30. At the conclusion of the comment period, the D.C. State Board of Education will make the final decision on whether to approve the revised social studies standards.

“These draft social studies standards were developed by a group of social studies educators, administrators, and academics,” a statement released by the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) says. “They were guided by a set of guiding principles that were approved by the D.C. State Board of Education,” the statement says. 

Chang provided the Blade with these excerpts of the draft standards’ LGBTQ provisions from a document that is 160 pages long:

• Explain the causes of World War II and the rise of fascism in Italy and Germany, and understand how bias and prejudice led to the scapegoating of marginalized groups in Europe, including Jewish, Romani, Slavic, disabled, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and LGBTQ+ communities.

• Evaluate the reasons for the rise of fascism and Nazism in Europe and the scapegoating of historically marginalized peoples (including Jewish, Romani, Slavic, disabled, and LGBTQ+ communities) by Hitler, Mussolini, and Franco.

• Identify different kinds of families and caregivers within a community (e.g. single parent, blended, grandparent-headed, conditionally separated, foster, LGBTQ+, multiracial, etc.) and discuss the importance of demonstrating respect for all people.

• …Engage students in an analysis of the political development of Washington, D.C. and the ways in which local Washingtonians fought for economic, political, and social equality…Students should understand this time period through the study of the perspectives of different segments of the Washington, D.C. population, including but not limited to immigrants, indigenous people, freed people, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

• Analyze the rise in Black art, music, literature, businesses and queer culture in the Black Renaissance period including but not limited to Harlem and D.C. (e.g. Black Broadway).

• Analyze the impact of the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Renaissance in Washington, D.C. on American culture, including analysis of literature, music, dance, theater, queer culture and scholarship from the period.

• Analyze the ways that young people, including but not limited to Native Americans, Black Peoples, Indigenous Peoples, People(s) of Color (BIPOC) and queer youth are impacting change.

The full text of the proposed LGBTQ inclusive D.C. public schools social studies standards and a link for submitting public comments on the standards can be accessed here.