A coalition of advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students called this week for that address the needs of all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
The push was led by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U. S., or SIECUS, in partnership with Advocates for Youth, Answer, GLSEN, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Sixty-one additional organizations signed onto the 鈥渃all for action鈥� policy paper.
鈥淎 Call to Action: LGBTQ Youth Need Inclusive Sex Educationurges educators, advocates, and policymakers to take immediate, concrete steps to provide LGBTQ inclusive education for all students鈥攆rom crucial guidance for LGBTQ students on protecting themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, to ensuring safe, supportive environments in which to learn about their sexual health,鈥� SIECUS said in a news release. 鈥淧rograms that overlook LGBTQ students, or worse, stigmatize and stereotype them, contribute to unsafe school environments.鈥�
As I鈥檝e reported previously, a patchwork of state and local policies means , and those that do don鈥檛 always include lessons on contraceptives or medically accurate information. In some places, state laws require that
According to the Human Rights Campaign, California, Colorado, Iowa, Washington and Washington, D.C., are alone in having state laws or regulations requiring sex education programs to include information relevant to LGBT students.
Twitter users used the hashtag Wednesday to share about their experiences and support more comprehensive approaches.
preached abstinence, abstinence, abstinence, pregnancy, pregnancy, pregnancy. I was gay and closeted and had 1000 questions...
-- Dr. Sean Boileau (@sboileau1)
back in the 80s seems similar to what my children are learning now. There鈥檚 something seriously wrong with that. Time for a change!
-- Cheri (@chezcheri)
stigmatized anything not taking place between two married people of the opposite gender.
-- Justin Hyphen-Name (@KeepCalmJustin)
was great - if you were straight. Made *me* feel that no one like me existed.
-- Eliza Byard (@EByard)
Related reading on sex education: