In the US, a bill requiring schools in California to teach the historical achievements of gays and lesbians was approved by the state legislature on Tuesday, reports Reuters .

Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown has not yet expressed his views on the bill. He has 12 days to sign it or veto it. If he takes no action, the law will take effect.

The bill was approved by 49 parliamentarians in the final vote, 25 were against it, and not a single Republican supported it.

In California, public schools already teach about the contributions to society of women and racial and ethnic groups that have historically been discriminated against. Supporters of the bill said gays, lesbians and bisexuals would now be counted among those who were discriminated against.

“It’s unfair to leave or exclude an entire segment of our country’s population from history,” said Carolyn Laub, executive director of the Gay Ally Network in San Francisco.

“These textbook provisions are put in textbooks for political reasons, not for the sake of learning facts,” argued Republican legislator Donald Wagner. “When we do things, we politicize them because that is the nature of politics. We must leave education to teachers,” he added.

The trial of a teenager accused of murdering a gay classmate has now begun in California. According to investigators, fourteen-year-old Brandon McInerney brought a gun to school and shot fifteen-year-old Larry King , who was sitting at the computer, twice in the back.

Prosecutors say McInerney was influenced by Nazi ideology. He is charged with premeditated murder motivated by hatred, the BBC reports .

The defendant stated that he did not plead guilty. According to his lawyers, the teenager's outburst was caused by sexual harassment of him by the victim.

A law has been approved in California requiring schools to teach a course on prominent gays and lesbians - Gazeta.Ru