First Graders in San Francisco Learn About Marriage Equality for Harvey Milk Day

SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. - Author Eric Ross visited an elementary school in San Francisco last week to read his new marriage equality children's book, 'My Uncle's Wedding' to approximately 40 first grade students. The reading coincided with the celebration of Harvey Milk Day, a holiday celebrating the achievements of the late Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected into public office in California.

"It was an honor to read 'My Uncle's Wedding' to the kids," said Ross. "I wish all schools had a more inclusive curriculum that didn't sensor history or current events."

Maybe Eric Ross will get his wish after all, at least in California. During his book launch, CA Senator Mark Leno stopped by to present him with a proclamation for 'My Uncle's Wedding,' a book which Leno said played a "vital role in creating a brighter future for our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth and their parents." Leno went on to talk about the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act, a bill that would amend the Education Code to include social sciences instruction on the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. A video of Leno's speech on the proclamation and the FAIR Education Act can be found here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLaD044fjak

"I can't wait for the day when our children get a complete picture of history instead of one-sided, fractioned pieces of information," said Ross. "Knowledge is power and hiding information from people only hurts us. Maybe HIV and AIDS wouldn't be as devastating now if Reagan didn't hide from the fact that it existed for so long. And if you didn't know that the President failed to acknowledge the existence of the epidemic until over 20,000 Americans died, you would benefit from the passing of the FAIR Education Act."

Ross hopes that having an LGBT inclusive curriculum will also help children see the important contributions from the LGBT community. "Hopefully people will learn the value that we bring to society, and hopefully students that struggle with their own sexual orientation or identity will be less likely to commit suicide when they see that diversity is something that should be celebrated."

Want to improve student education in your city? Consider donating a book to your local school or library. Sometimes donating books is the only way to get them into schools and libraries, and 'My Uncle's Wedding' would make an excellent gift.

To learn more about Eric Ross' marriage equality children's book, 'My Uncle's Wedding, visit www.myuncleswedding.com

To learn more about the FAIR Education Act, visit http://www.eqca.org/site/pp.asp?c=kuLRJ9MRKrH&b=6451639