Illinois state Rep. Anna Moeller (D-Elgin) lauded the passage of House Bill 246, which formally amends the public school code in Illinois to make certain the contributions of LGBTQ people are more included as part of the history curriculum.
"Today is an important and historic day for fairness and compassion in Illinois,” Moeller said in a statement soon after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law. “I was proud to sponsor House Bill 246 and am delighted to see it become Illinois law.”
Moeller said the aim of the legislation is simple and straightforward: to make certain that people from different backgrounds have the same opportunities to have stories about their contributions to society shared and highlighted.
"Historically, gay and transgender people have been treated as second-class citizens: persecuted, discriminated against and forgotten,” she said. “As our society has evolved to rectify these injustices, our school teaching should as well. I hope Illinois schools will embrace the opportunity to show that we all are equal and valuable through this commonsense update to their curriculum.”
With the signing, Illinois becomes the fifth state in the country and the first across the Midwest to adopt such standards.
"I look forward to continue working on legislation that recognizes we all matter, and we all deserve to be able to live happily and find our own path forward," Moeller said.
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