LGBTQ References Removed from Social Studies Standards in Colorado

The committee in charge of reviewing Colorado’s K-12 social studies standards has reversed its plan to add the experiences of the LGBTQ community to the curriculum for students below the fourth grade after receiving public feedback questioning the “age appropriateness” of the change. 

The social studies framework will not include a proposed revision that would have allowed discussions about LGBTQ historical contributions in social studies classes, kindergarten through third grade. This decision was made after the committee received public feedback arguing that this type of reference is inappropriate for young children. 

The committee is made up of school social studies teachers from across the state; they presented the first draft of revision recommendations to the State Board of Education this past November and recommended changes to the state’s history and civics standard in order to have a more diverse perspective across all grade levels. 

The new changes were made to comply with House Bill 19-1192, “Inclusion of American Minorities in Teaching Civil Government,” which says that social studies and civic classes should include “the history, culture and social contributions of American Indians, Latinos, African Americans and Asian Americans, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals within these minority groups.”

After revisions were made available for public feedback, multiple concerns were raised about references of LGBTQ people in lower grades. From November 12, 2021 to February 1, 2022, during the public feedback window, the state board received 17, 344 items of feedback, mostly letters and emails. Out of those, 4,499 indicated “disagreement with specific revision recommendations,” as the presentation shows.  

The feedback the committee received was mixed; some people supported the changes to include more inclusive perspectives in classes, while others were in disagreement. But the committee only responded to “feedback that provided specific recommendations for committee consideration.”

However, students, parents, and three members of the Colorado School Board of Education have asked the initial committee to add back the language to include the historical contributions of people in the LGBTQ community. The three democrat board members voice their opposition at a meeting last week.

“I want them back in,” says board member Rebecca McClellan, a Littleton democrat. “It is inappropriate to single out one discriminated-against group from the standards. It gives the impression they should not exist, and that’s harmful, not just to LGBTQ students but to all students.”

Board member and Denver democrat Lisa Escárcega agrees.

“We have to be bold in supporting our LGBTQ students just as we are bold in supporting all our students,” says board member Lisa Escárcega, a Denver democrat. “We must provide a safe and accepting environment, and we do that by empowering teachers with the tools and the resources to teach to inclusive standards. I will not vote for standards that don’t include references to LGBTQ students at all grade levels.”