SENATOR HOYLMAN HONORS THE EARTH SCHOOL’S “KIDS 4 LGBT RIGHTS NOW” ON THEIR SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE LGBT HISTORY EDUCATION

Hoylman: We know that the only way to combat bigotry and hatred like the kind we saw on full display in Orlando is through education and understanding. Kids 4 LGBT Rights Now, by increasing awareness about LGBT history, have played a part in changing the course of LGBT history.”NEW YORK – State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan), the only openly-LGBT member of the New York State Senate, honored a group of fourth- and fifth-graders at The Earth School today in recognition of their successful campaign urging BrainPOP -- an education company that supplies educational materials to students nationwide -- to include LGBT history lessons in their curriculum."

NEW YORK – State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan), the only openly-LGBT member of the New York State Senate, honored a group of fourth- and fifth-graders at The Earth School today in recognition of their successful campaign urging BrainPOP -- an education company that supplies educational materials to students nationwide -- to include LGBT history lessons in their curriculum.

After being assigned a report on civil rights the students at the Earth School, located in Manhattan’s East Village, found that BrainPOP lacked any information on the history of the LGBT rights movement. In response the students formed a group called Kids 4 LGBT Rights Now and began a successful letter writing and social media campaign to get BrainPOP to include LGBT history lessons among their offerings, including topics such as Harvey Milk, Bayard Rustin, and the 1969 rebellion at New York City’s Stonewall Inn. In recognition of their overwhelming success Senator Hoylman attended the Earth School’s graduation and presented the students as well as their teachers and principal with an official Senate proclamation declaring today Kids 4 LGBT Rights Now Appreciation Day.

State Senator Brad Hoylman said: “As the only openly LGBT member of the New York State Senate and a parent of an elementary school student myself, I couldn’t be more proud to honor the students of Kids 4 LGBT Rights Now as well as their teachers Colin Schumacher and Carol Fitzgerald and principal Abbe Futterman. We know from experience that the only way to combat bigotry and hatred like the kind we saw on full display in Orlando is through education and understanding. The young people who use BrainPOP across the country will now have an opportunity to study the important work of the LGBT rights movement and will learn crucial lessons about tolerance and acceptance. Kids 4 LGBT Rights Now, by increasing awareness about LGBT history, have played a part in changing the course of LGBT history.”

A full copy of the proclamation can be found below:

HONORING “KIDS 4 LGBT RIGHTS NOW” AT THE EARTH SCHOOL FOR THEIR SUCCESSFUL ADVOCACY TO PROMOTE LGBT HISTORY EDUCATION

WHEREAS, Kids 4 LGBT Rights Now was founded by a courageous and thoughtful group of fourth- and fifth-grade students under the tutelage of teachers Colin Schumacher and Carol Fitzgerald and principal Abbe Futterman at The Earth School, located in Manhattan’s East Village and in the 27th Senate District; and

WHEREAS, Kids 4 LGBT Rights Now was formed after students learned that BrainPOP, an educational website used to supplement classroom learning, lacked material detailing the storied history of LGBT rights, while including videos on other American rights movements; and

WHEREAS, Kids 4 LGBT Rights Now wrote a letter to BrainPOP urging them to include LGBT history lessons among their offerings, citing suggestions for topics such as Harvey Milk, Bayard Rustin, and the 1969 rebellion at New York City’s Stonewall Inn; and

WHEREAS, Kids 4 LGBT Rights Now strategically used videos, a website, social media, and direct advocacy to rally the community and elected officials behind their cause; and

WHEREAS, Kids 4 LGBT Rights Now has now received confirmation from BrainPOP that the educational service has heard their message and will publish an LGBT history topic on its site for the first time; and

WHEREAS, as a result of these committed students’ efforts, young people who use BrainPOP across the country will have an opportunity to study the important work of the LGBT rights movement and will learn crucial lessons about tolerance and acceptance; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that I, New York State Senator Brad Hoylman, recognize that in Kids 4 LGBT Rights Now, we have a group of students worthy of our highest respect and esteem; and be it further

RESOLVED, that I, New York State Senator Brad Hoylman, declare

June 23, 2016 to be Kids 4 LGBT Rights Now Appreciation Day in New York State’s 27th Senate District.

Dated: June 23, 2016

In Witness Whereof, I Have Hereunto

Set My Hand And Signature

__________________________

              Brad Hoylman

New York State Senate, 27th District