Massachusetts legislators and advocates for a bill to update the sex education curriculum in public schools gathered yesterday at the steps of the State House on Beacon Hill.
The state Senate bill, “An Act Relative to Healthy Youth” (S.2541), would create guidelines “based in fact, in science, [teaching] things like consent” and would be “affirming to all our LGBTQ students,” one advocate, Jacklyn Friedman, cochair of the Healthy Youth Act Coalition, told NBC Boston-10.
The bill has previously passed the state’s Senate three times over the last eight years but stalled each time in the House. Now, it has stalled again in the House Ways and Means Committee with the legislative session end approaching on July 31.
Reports NBC Boston-10.
It’s been decades since any significant reform has been made to the sex ed being taught in Massachusetts public schools and advocates say it is antiquated and even dangerous.
“We can’t teach abstinence only, because that is not the way the world works today,” bill co-sponsor Sen. Sal DiDomenico, D-Everett, said.
He challenged naysayers to be honest about where many kids get their sex education if not in the schools adding, “they’re getting it from their friends on the street. Let’s not put our heads in the sand and say they’re not talking about this. They are talking about it. They’re getting bad information.”
Or, Megara Bell of Partners in sex education said, young people often turn to the Internet.
“Too many of our students are getting outdated, shaming and destructive sexual health education, full of misinformation, sexist and dangerous stereotypes,” she said.
Advocates left the rally to enter the State House and lobby their lawmakers. Many made the point that the curriculum is not mandated and that parents can choose to opt out.
See the complete NBC Boston-10 report here.
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