A new law signed by Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday says that public schools in Washington State must update their lessons to include LGBTQ histories and perspectives.
Senate Bill 5462 mandates that the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction incorporate “the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion” into any new or modified learning standards.
“We should recognize the great things that Gay Washingtonians have accomplished.” More importantly, students should be able to see themselves in their schoolwork,” said Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, the bill’s main sponsor, that same day. “That means more students will show up to school, do better in school, and have a better quality of life in general, which means all of our students will be successful.”
At a public meeting in February, Vienna Pham spoke in favor of the bill.
As a Vietnamese American, the Lake Washington High School student said she knows how important it is for schools to be welcoming to everyone.
“Like many students with minority backgrounds, I have often felt invisible in the classroom due to the lack of representation of my culture,” she shared.
At the same meeting, concerned citizen Gabriel Jacobs spoke out against the bill.
“You may not be aware that members of the [Washington State] LGBTQ Commission are advocates for legalizing sex work, and this bill requires them to collaborate with OSPI to set histories, perspectives, etc.,” he told us. “We should not be writing legislation that mandates that those who advocate for legalized sex work consult with OSPI on kindergarten education criteria.”
Center Square tried to get a statement from the Washington State LGBTQ Commission but did not hear back.
At the meeting in February, Trish Huddleston spoke out against the bill. She said this was another attack on local power because she was on the Woodland School Board.
“There are no educational standards in this bill,” she stated. “I would prefer we see those and have a chance to provide feedback before this becomes law.”
She said that the state already makes it mandatory to pick a curriculum that is free of bias and includes tools for underrepresented groups in the classroom.
Some school district leaders were worried that they would have to replace curriculum that is working well for them when money is already tight.
According to SB 5462, the Washington State School Directors’ Association and OSPI need to make a model policy by June 2025. This policy should require school boards to use age-appropriate teaching materials that honor the past and contributions of LGBTQ people.
By September 2025, the law says that OSPI must update its website with new learning standards. By October 2025, it says that schools must change their policies to match the model ones.
The Legislature passed Initiative 2081 this session, and then signed SB 5462.
Parents have the right to quickly access school materials like textbooks, curriculum, and medical records for their children. This is what I-2018, also known as the “parents’ bill of rights,” says. It also lets parents choose not to give their kids tasks that might involve sexuality or the family’s political or religious views.
