Over the Rainbow: - Wrestling With Angels

Reframing Education
The first gay studies course was offered at The University of Nebraska in 1970 as an
interdisciplinary course through the anthropology, sociology, and English departments. In
1974 the National Education Association (NEA) added ‘sexual orientation’ to its resolution on
nondiscriminatory personnel policies (GA, 1996:180). Gay and lesbian studies developed in
universities across the country in the 1980’s. The University of San Francisco was the first to
offer an undergraduate major in gay and lesbian studies. Yale, Pace, MIT, Cornell, City
University of New York, Duke and Temple followed, and gay and lesbian studies are now
standard at many universities (Elder,1991) .
The National MultiCultural Institute (NMCI) was founded in 1983 to provide services and
skills in multiculturalism and diversity. NMCI worked with corporations, educational
institutions, government agencies and non-profit organizations in the areas of workforce
diversity in order “to build an inclusive society that is strengthened and empowered by its
diversity… and help individuals and organizations gain the skills necessary to seamlessly
integrate effective diversity and inclusion practices into their organizational culture” (NMCI,2010).
Diversity training, which included acceptance of the gay and lesbian lifestyles, became the
requirement for educational administrators, teachers and students.
In 1991, The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (CLAGS), the first university-affiliated
research center in the U.S. devoted to the study of gay and lesbian students, was established by
the Graduate School of the City University of New York (CUNY) with a grant from the Paul
Rappoport Foundation, a major supporter of gay/lesbian concerns (Elder, 1991). CLAGS operated
as a clearinghouse for scholarly research and offered symposia, conferences and public
programs on gay related issues. It also prepared syllabi for those offering gay and lesbian
courses and encouraged curriculum reform at all grade levels in support for gay and lesbian
concerns (GA, 1996:185-186).
A group of 70 gay and lesbian educators formed the Gay and Lesbian Independent School
Network (GLSTN) in 1990 to form Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA’s) with the policy to protect
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students. Chapters were established across the
country and in 1995 it became a national organization. Kevin Jennings, GLSTN’s founder and
executive director, was hired as it’s first full time staff person. In 1997, GLSTN changed it’s
name to Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) to attract new members to the
struggle for safe schools for all students, regardless of sexual orientation. GLSEN has
registered more than 4,000 GSA’s on school campuses and grew to 40 full time staff. GLSEN
Over the Rainbow: The Gay Battle for Social Reorganization of America. 2010
Dr. M. L. Coppock
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