May 24, 2023

National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) signed onto a recent statement by the American Historical Association (AHA) opposing the exclusion of LGBTQ+ history in the state of Florida.

According to the AHA, "The statement condemns the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE)'s recent ruling banning educators from 'provid[ing] classroom instruction to students in grades 4 through 12 on sexual orientation or gender identity unless such instruction is . . . expressly required by state academic standards.' 'This erasure flattens the story of America's long Civil Rights Movement… [and] bars students from examining cultures, religions, and societies—including Indigenous nations within Florida—that have embraced traditions of gender fluidity and homosexuality as meaningful categories of social identity and organization,' the AHA wrote. 'We ask that the FLDOE reconsider its vague and destructive policy of censorship, and instead encourage the teaching of accurate and inclusive histories of the United States and the world.'"

NCSS' support for this statement continues its responses to recent events that seek to marginalize voices and exclude specific learning experiences from the social studies classroom.

Recent Related Responses

NCSS Statement in Support of Trans Youth, Trans Educators, and Our LGBTQ+ Community
NCSS's Continued Commitment to Inclusivity
Contextualizing LGBT+ History within the Social Studies Curriculum