TRENTON – New Jersey will be the second state to mandate middle and high school students to learn about LGBTQ contributions.
Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law Senate bill 1569, which requires schools to adopt a curriculum that “accurately portray political, economic, and social contributions of persons with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.”
“The Governor believes that ensuring students learn about diverse histories will help build more tolerant communities and strengthen educational outcomes,” Murphy spokesperson Christine Lee said in a statement, the Huffington Post reported Thursday.
The policies go into effect for the 2020-2021 school year, according to HuffPost.
One of Murphy’s plans when running for governor was expanding “LGBTQ equality” was , according to his campaign website.
“In the era of Donald Trump, Phil will not give an inch on the equal treatment of our LGBTQ neighbors,” Murphy’s governor campaign website said.
Murphy passed a law in July 2018 where people could have their sex designation changed on birth and death certificates, HuffPost reported.
California was the first state to require addressing LGBTQ in school curriculums through FAIR Education Act, which was signed in July 2011 and enacted in 2012.