%5672%

New legislation introduced today would require gay history in textbooks to combat bullying.

Openly gay state Sen. Mark Leno is sponsoring a bill that would incorporate into instructional materials prominent historical figures in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, the Sacramento Bee reports.

“Most textbooks don’t include any historical information about the LGBT movement, which has great significance to both California and U.S. history,” Leno said. “Our collective silence on this issue perpetuates negative stereotypes of LGBT people and leads to increased bullying of young people."

 Equality California, a gay rights organization, is a sponsor of Leno's bill, Senate Bill 48.