Removal of LGBTQ, people of color mentions in Colorado social studies standards “boldly thwarts” law, state legislators say

The final revisions of Colorado’s social studies standards, which removed many references of people of color and those in the LGBTQ community, “boldly thwarts the legislative intent” of a 2019 law that instructed public schools to include diverse perspectives in history and civics lesson, said lawmakers from four minority caucuses in a letter sent to the state Board of Education on Wednesday.

“As legislators and members of the Latino, Black, LGBTQ, and Women’s caucuses we know firsthand the impact these standards will have on our Colorado communities and the acceptance and celebration of diversity and inclusion in our state,” they wrote in the letter.

The letter was signed by the state’s Democratic Latino Caucus, the Black Democratic Legislative Caucus of Colorado, the Colorado Legislative LGBTQ Caucus and the Democratic Women’s Caucus of Colorado and former Rep. Bri Buentello, a sponsor of the bill.

Together the groups are comprised of 45 Latino, Black, LGBTQ and women lawmakers.

The letter from the legislators comes after the committee tasked with revising the standards removed many mentions of the minority groups that it added to its first draft of proposed changes in 2021 to comply with House Bill 19-1192, which requires schools to include the experiences and perspectives of Black, Latino, Native American and LGBTQ individuals, as well as religious minorities, in history and civics lessons in public school.

The review committee has said it removed the language following public feedback questioning the “age appropriateness” of having students below the fourth grade learn about the historical perspectives and experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people.