From Children of the Rainbow to "Don't Say Gay": Parallels in Persisting Discourse Over LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Education

EJ Bell, CUNY Graduate Center

Debates over LGBTQ+ inclusion in education have persisted for decades, often repeating the same rhetoric of "parental rights" and the alleged influence of queer representation on children. This article traces the discursive and rhetorical continuity from the Children of the Rainbow Curriculum controversy in early 1990s NYC to the current "Don't Say Gay" legislation sweeping across the nation. The Children of the Rainbow Curriculum was a multicultural curricular supplement for NYC first grade classrooms. This curriculum guide included mentions of same-sex families and homosexuality on seven of its 443 pages, leading to a media firestorm, the removal of the Chancellor of NYC Schools, and intense school board battles. Paralleling these debates are modern "Don't Say Gay" bills which similarly invokes themes of "parental rights", "protecting children", and fears of "indoctrination". Through an analysis of historical and contemporary arguments against LGBTQ+ inclusion in schools, this article argues that rhetorical strategies persist across time to label LGBTQ+ visibility in schools as a threat to children's safety. This examination highlights the enduring challenges of LGBTQ+ inclusion in schools and has implications for policy, pedagogy, and LGBTQ+ rights.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 194. Thematizing Social Things: Heretical Literatures, Curricula, and Institutional Memories