Wanted: Truly Comprehensive Sex Ed

What did you learn in sex ed? Did you hear anything about LGBT identity? If there had been more representation of queer identities when I was in K-12, I can’t help but wonder how much earlier I could have begun coming to terms with my own sexuality. Today's discussion of sex ed reform is still severely lacking as relates to LGB and especially T issues.

As part of welfare reform, congress passed legislation in 1996 apportioning $50 million in federal funds for sexuality education programs. This could have been a progressive step, except the funding must be used for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. Since they’ve passed this legislation, there has been substantial opposition to the use of federal funds on these faulty programs. People are increasingly aware of this problem, but when will we see progressive steps taken to reform sexuality education?

What Sex-Ed Reform Will We See?

Research continues to support the need for comprehensive sex ed. U.S.-based research organizations such as the Sexuality Information & Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) and Advocates For Youth describe comprehensive sex ed as addressing both abstinence and age appropriate contraceptive use. My issue with these organizations is that their focus is on reforms that address issues of unwanted pregnancy and STD/STI prevention, but fail to give needed focus to other important sexuality education issues.

Where do LGBT Issues Fit In?

Issues of unwanted pregnancy and STIs affect the majority, and have substantial effect on the well-being of our nation. But what about sexual minorities? Why are we being left out??? Because we are a minority, it seems far easier for sex ed reformers to soft peddle the need for LGBT inclusion in sexuality education. I'm not saying that our needs are being completely ignored. SIECUS works to provide support of LGB inclusion through research, educator resources, and policy reform resources. I really feel like this isn’t enough.

What Can We Do?

I have a friend who identifies as trans who grew up in an area very politically similar to my own, and they always come to mind when I’m thinking about sex ed reform. Where I grew up, the population was very homogenously white, Christian, hetero-normative, and very trans-unfriendly. As a gay male, I couldn’t imagine coming out in that environment, and the lack of support contributed to my not coming out until my early 20’s. I can’t imagine how much worse it would be coming out as trans in that area. There seemed to be absolutely no representation of who I was in the people around me, or in the sex ed curriculum covered in school. There was little to no awareness, only a lot of homo and trans phobia. These are prime examples of the isolation and marginalization that make this reform such a personal issue to me, and probably to many of you.

We can advocate for reform in sex ed just like we’d advocate for anything else. We can work at this on a local level, informing local K-12 educators. We can express our concerns to our political representatives, especially when we hear of upcoming, relevant legislation. As a political entity, we, the LGBTQIA... population are very organized on issues like marriage and domestic partner benefits, issues that more directly affect those of us with privilege and the power to advocate. It seems like we focus so much on these issues that other issues tend to lose our attention. My hope with this post is not only to raise awareness about the need for sex ed reform, but to raise awareness of the need for our community to advocate for issues that less directly impact us.