Legislation that would have specified the inclusion of LGBT-history instruction in Illinois classrooms will not be voted on until at least this fall.
The spring session ended May 31 without the House voting on the bill, which passed the state Senate 34-18 in May.
"While there is much to celebrate, we leave the spring session disappointed that the Inclusive Curriculum Bill to include the teaching of LGBTQ people in U.S. history is not yet headed to the Governor's desk," said Equality Illinois CEO Brian Johnson in a June 1 statement to supporters. "Rep. Anna Moeller [D-Elgin], the bill's fearless sponsor in the House, decided to move the floor vote to the fall to allow her more time to secure the necessary votes to guarantee passage.
"Rep. Moeller, Sen. Heather Steans [D-Chicago] ( our chief sponsor in the Senate ), and our partners in this work have much to be proud of … It has bipartisan support in the House of Representatives."
In the same statement, Johnson lauded the recent passage of the Equal Rights Amendment in the General Assembly as well as other progressive accomplishments in the spring session. Johnson further noted that the education legislation was written to go into effect in mid-2019, so a delay in the vote until the fall would not delay its implementation.
"This delay is an important reminder that our full equality is not guaranteed," he added.
