Nevada will become the sixth state in the nation to require school curriculum to include history lessons on LGBTQ people and historic events.
Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) signed the legislation into law – along with three other LGBTQ rights bills – at the Henderson Pride Festival.
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“It is so important that we bring these bills to the community, to this center to help you understand how important this is,” he said before signing the bills.
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A.B. 261 requires both public and charter schools to provide instruction from kindergarten through graduation “on the history and contributions to science, the arts and humanities” from multiple minority groups, including “persons of marginalized sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Sisolak also signed three other bills into law that were specific to the LGBTQ community.
S.B. 109 requires local governments to collect demographic information that includes LGBTQ people.
S.B. 237 allows LGBTQ-owned businesses to be designated as “minority-owned” when applying for grants or public contracts.
S.B. 275 decriminalizes transmitting HIV. Originally enacted in the early days of the AIDS crisis, a previous law made “knowingly or willfully engaging in a manner” that could transmit HIV a felony. Science has shown that laws like this can discourage testing while not actually preventing HIV transmission.
California, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, and Oregon already require schools to teach about the contributions of minority groups to American history and civics.
Today, I was proud to sign #SB109 into law. Sponsored by @Senatorspearman & presented in partnership with Andre Wade from @silverstateeq, this law requires local governments to collect demographic information related to race, ethnicity, gender identity, and gender expression. pic.twitter.com/LEYxWWDAwE
— Governor Sisolak (@GovSisolak) June 6, 2021
I want to everyone from the @HendersonEQCtr for inviting me today and to everyone who joined us at their grand re-opening event where I had the opportunity to sign four very important pieces of legislation into law, #SB109, #SB237, #SB275, and #SB325. pic.twitter.com/wCIvMn1VLR
— Governor Sisolak (@GovSisolak) June 6, 2021
