A government-backed initiative to celebrate the gay community in the UK has students learning about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues right along with reading, writing and arithmetic.

During February, LGBT History Month, many school kids across the pond will benefit from a £35,000 program that encourages teachers to blend homosexual hot topics with regular classroom subjects like math, science and geography. Some examples of the lesson plans include studying animal species (like emperor penguins and sea horses) where the male takes an active role in parenting so that kids can reexamine gender roles. They’ll also get a chance to explore the history of areas such as San Francisco’s Castro district, widely considered America's first, largest, and best-known gay neighborhood.

While not without their critics (of course), the lesson plans are made available by the Schools Out Organization, which says the event is intended to “celebrate the lives and achievements of the LGBT community” and “encourage everyone to see diversity and cultural pluralism as positive forces.” In response to critics, Sue Sanders of the Schools Out Organization said, “All we are attempting to do is remind teachers that LGBT people are part of the population and you can include them in most of your lessons when you are thinking inclusively.” Inclusiveness is a good lesson to learn.