Thank you for this thoughtful comment. And you are right — “gay” was historically used as an umbrella term to refer to the entire spectrum of identities that now comprise the modern LGBTQ initialism.

You know, I studied American history and culture in graduate school and didn’t encounter much queer history until I made a concerted effort to seek it out on my own. Even now, I am constantly coming across things that make me ask: “How did I not know this before? Why wasn’t this information available to me as a young person and as a student?”

I hope more states will follow the example of California and require that LGBTQ history be included in the curriculum.