In Historic Move, HHS Encourages LGBT-Inclusive Sexual Education

[ProSense]

In Historic Move, HHS Encourages LGBT-Inclusive Sexual Education

Last Friday, under the Affordable Care Act, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released two funding announcements regarding sexual education. For the first time, notes Ty Cobb at the Human Rights Campaign, the “language in the funding announcements for federal sexuality education dollars” urges states designing their sexual education programs to consider the needs of LGBT and questioning youth:

As States design their programs, ACF also encourages them to consider the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth and how their programs will be inclusive of and non-stigmatizing toward such participants. Under this announcement, funds are available for projects operating in one or multiple sites that target impacts on key sexual behavioral outcomes for youth.

The funding announcement funnels $55 million to the new Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) — “which supports comprehensive, evidence-based efforts to prevent teen pregnancy and reduce sexually-transmitted infections” — and $50 million to abstinence-only programs. Since marriage equality is not recognized in most states, abstinence-only-until-marriage programs often exclude LGBT students and do not fully address their needs. However, HHS does require that both PREP and abstinence programs are “medically accurate,” which is a huge step in the right direction for LGBT-inclusive sex education.

Still, past attempts to embrace LGBT-inclusive sexual education have, unsurprisingly, attracted considerable conservative vitriol. When the Minnesota legislature considered comprehensive sexual health education appropriate for its straight and LGBT students in March, the state’s right-wing Minnesota Family Council was quick to testify that comprehensive sex education would advance “homosexual behavior, anal or oral sex, things like that.”

And in June, after pressure from parents, officials in Johnson County, KS reversed their decision to accept a $300,000 comprehensive sexual education grant involving Planned Parenthood. Last month, a broad K-12 health and nutrition education proposal in Helena, MT emphasizing tolerance, safe sex, and anti-bullying caused the right-wing to go apoplectic over the curriculum as a weapon to promote a homosexual agenda.

[vaberella]

1. Oh my gosh. Great news. So many forget the youth in this.

Thanks Obama.

[ProSense]

2. Any comments in opposition to this? n/t

[SoxFan]

3. Amazing

I am shocked that the Perpetually Pissed caucus hasn't found an excuse to gripe about this.

[Beetwasher]

9. They'll Just Ignore It Because These Type Of Things Shatter Their Whole Meme

And Obama does stuff like this all the time, under the radar and there is absolutely NO reason for the Obama admin. to do this type of stuff except that it's the RIGHT thing. It would mean they would have to question their preconceived notions about him.

[Odin2005]

4. This will drive the Religious bigots insane.

"The Kenyan Communist is trying to teach Sodomy to our childrens!!!" :eyes:

[TK421]

21. This is something I would expect them to riot over n/t

[dsc]

5. so let me get this straight, so to speak

47.6% of the money is still being spent on abstinence only programs, and this is a huge victory? Incidently the medically accurate only refers to the PREP programs and not the abstience only ones. I actually looked at the link that both they and you provide. Is this a step in the right direction, yes. Is it something as someone who works with gay youth as part of my job I am satisified with, no.

[ProSense]

6. "and this is a huge victory?" First

the President made comprehensive education the goal and funded it. Republicans did slip amendments into the bill, that one belongs to Orin Hatch.

Second, you don't think that, in addition to an administration determined to focus on comprehensive sex education, LGBT-Inclusive Sexual Education is a victory?

[dsc]

10. It is if you are a kid in the about 52% of classes that aren't abstinence

only. I am not saying it isn't a victory at all but it surely isn't a great victory that your OP suggests.

[ProSense]

11. "I am not saying it isn't a victory at all but it surely isn't a great victory that your OP suggests

So because a Republican got an amendment in to fund abstinence programs, funding LBGT-inclusive education is less of a victory?

[dsc]

12. yes it is

A miniscule less than half the money spent on sex ed in this country will be on abstinence only. Oh, and Obama was quick to threaten a veto when money was being spent on a plane he didn't want (and I agree with him on that) but no such threat accompanied this. I suspect that most of this money will be spent in states that are already hospitable to this kind of sex ed and not in states where they aren't. I doubt a gay kid in say Texas will learn anything now he wouldn't have the day before this bill passed.

[ProSense]

13. Your argument is simply to diminish the fact that this is a huge victory while

ignoring the reality of the administration's position and the fact that they are in charge:

"However, HHS does require that both PREP and abstinence programs are “medically accurate,” which is a huge step in the right direction for LGBT-inclusive sex education."

[dsc]

14. that statement is baldly false

I read the link that supposedly backed that up since I had no idea how an abstinance only program could be medically accurate. Turns out that the medically accurate clause only refers to the PREP program not the abstinence only ones. It is a pdf so I can't cut and paste but it is in there in section III vii. Oh, and I pointed that out already in my first post.

[ProSense]

15. Denial?

The administration doles out the funds. You can sit here and argue about the abstinence programs all day, but it doesn't change the facts of the announcement, which is: "In Historic Move, HHS Encourages LGBT-Inclusive Sexual Education"

[dsc]

16. you are the one in denial

I don't care who signs the checks. Abstinence only has a very defined meaning. If half the money is going to that crap, then half the country will be not one whit better off than before.

[ProSense]

18. Here:

The fall of abstinence-only

According to the council's "Sexuality Education and Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs in the States" report (say that seven times in a row), $190 million has been poured into real live sex education in the many months since Obama took office. Initiatives like the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), offered up by Democrat Sen. Max Baucus as part of the Obama healthcare package, fund education about sex that is complete, non-religious and, you know, based on facts. The great news is that it's not just the feds doing their part -- states, cities, and individual school districts are starting to forge ahead with more comprehensive sex ed as well.

Feel free to read the rest of the article.

[dsc]

19. I agree with much of this article

but funny how you left out the parts about GA and TX which, it should be noted, are the heart of my problem. The last sentence sums it up.

But it's better than nothing.

It is, as the title said, a step in the right direction.

[SunsetDreams]

7. K&R

[Beetwasher]

8. Beautiful Move, Absolutely Beautiful

:thumbsup:

[vaberella]

17. Freakishly enough some people on this thread don't think so. n/t

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ProSense]

22. "I just don't think it is as good as you and the OP state."

The OP has nothing to do with whether or not abstinence programs still exists. It has everything to do with the fact that the Obama administration supports and is funding LBGT-inclusive education.

You introduced your objection to the existence of abstinence programs simply to reject the important and historic nature of the announcement.

[dsc]

23. That is like when a student says they should get an A because they answered

questions 6 through 10 correct, never mind they missed 1 - 5. It would be one thing if the funding weren't nearly equal. I do give A's to students who get questions 2-10 correct but miss question 1. I could live with a 90/10 split but this is 52/48. That is not a humungous victory.

[ProSense]

24. No, it's not

The OP answers one question: Is LGBT-inclusive education now part of the program?

[dsc]

25. Oh gee

then maybe you should have chosen a different article to quote. Clearly they felt the split was relevant.