For Teachers, Much Gray if Curriculum Adds Gays
By Scott Gold and Hemmy So, Times Staff Writers
May 13, 2006

Would the state of California "out" Abe Lincoln, now that a controversial biography has suggested that he not only changed the course of a nation but also shared a bed with men?

Would Eleanor Roosevelt be singled out not just for her seminal work pursuing the New Deal and fighting for human rights, but for her relationship with a woman?

Would Renee Richards, the tennis player who underwent sex reassignment surgery in 1975 and fought successfully to compete as a woman, merit mention in a history book?

On Friday, a day after the state Senate voted to require that the historical contributions of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people be taught in California schools, the weight of practicality — how would it be accomplished? — settled in.

Many educators and activists found themselves in a briar patch of confusion — even those who believe that folding the concept of sexual orientation into the school curriculum would lead to greater levels of tolerance and acceptance. the rest