Gay rights groups plan to tell a state commission Wednesday that they object to several of the textbooks that could be recommended for use in California schools, saying the books don't include enough information about the contributions of LGBT Americans.
The state Department of Education is preparing to update textbook recommendations for the first time since California became the first state to require teaching about the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
A state commission is weighing which of 12 history and social science textbooks to recommend for pupils in kindergarten through eighth grade.
A coalition of LGBT rights groups is recommending that two of the books be rejected and a third be rejected unless the publisher agrees to make changes.
To receive the state's recommendation, the books are supposed to comply with a framework that requires teaching about LGBT people and events and to portray diverse Americans.
California's decision to require teaching about the contributions of gays and lesbians was sparked contentious debate in 2011, including an unsuccessful attempt to refer the mandate to voters.
The recommendations by the Instructional Quality Commission must be ratified by the Board of Education, likely in November. School districts are not required to select from the recommended textbooks.
