NEW research has revealed how little Americans learn about LGBTQ+ history in school.
The survey revealed that only one in 10 Americans studied the topic while in school.
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The survey of 300 LGBTQ+ Americans found that only 4% learned about LGBTQ+ history in elementary or secondary school, while 6% said it was included as part of their college curriculum.
But respondents hope to see this change: 62% believe there should be more LGBTQ+ history taught in schools.
When asked why, one interviewee said, “LGBTQ+ history is American history and should be taught as such.”
Another said: “I’m 80, when I left, at 14 there was no history, no books, no one to talk to and you were lost with life.
“I don’t want anyone else to feel this way, so teaching history is really important.”
Despite the lack of formal education, data revealed that 72% of respondents feel well informed about LGBTQ+ history.
The research, carried out by Speaker searchPut this knowledge to the test by asking about important dates, activists, and other facts related to LGBTQ+ history.
One-third of respondents (34%) correctly selected 2015 as the year that same-sex marriage became legal at the federal level, with the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v.
The case was brought by James Obergefell and John Arthur James, who were legally married in Maryland in 2013.
James suffered a terminal illness and they filed a lawsuit to acknowledge that they were married on his death certificate against Richard Hodges, director of the Ohio Department of Health.
The case reached the Supreme Court and it was ruled that the right to marry applied to same-sex couples.
Although respondents were familiar with the case, they had less knowledge about the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, which occurred about a decade before the Supreme Court ruling.
Twenty-nine percent incorrectly selected California as the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, when it was actually Massachusetts (which was answered by 27% of respondents).
And only 16% knew that in 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that it was illegal to fire workers because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The survey also asked about famous LGBTQ+ activists: 31% of respondents knew that Gilbert Baker designed the rainbow flag (although his original design had eight stripes, versus the six that are common now).
Thirty-four percent of respondents were able to correctly identify Marsha P. Johnson as one of the prominent figures in the Stonewall Riots.
Research Methodology
This randomized, double-opt-in survey of 300 LGBTQ+ Americans was conducted between June 4 and 10, 2024. It was conducted by a market research firm Speaker searchwhose team members are members of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the European Society for Opinion Research and Marketing (ESOMAR).
Although historical accounts differ on what exactly Marsha did during the riots, it is clear that she was one of the frontliners.
The Stonewall riots took place in a New York City bar and are widely considered a turning point in the Gay Liberation Movement.
When it comes to Stonewall, 38% knew that the riots occurred in 1969 – and a similar number, 39%, correctly said that June is Pride Month because it was the month in which the Stonewall riots occurred.
Regardless of your knowledge of Pride Month and LGBTQ+ history, 75% of survey respondents said they were “proud” to be members of the LGBTQ+ community.
To test your knowledge of LGBTQ+ history and see how you compare to those interviewed, take this quiz here.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
