Lklouise
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Good News Texan* Sex-Ed Advocates! We're not as alone as the religious right would have us believe! The Texas Freedom Network recently released new poll results with some amazingly encouraging statistics for when we approach our state legislative body and our school boards.
Among my favorite of the statistics? 80 percent of likely voters in Texas agree that high school classes on sex education should teach "about contraception, such as condoms and other birth control, along with abstinence." TFN's blog post on the study segregates the findings further between different religious, political and racial/ethnic groups.
I'm going to savor that for a moment. It's nearly opposite of how Texas Sex Education works. While 9 in 10 school districts teach abstinence-only, 8 in 10 Texans want comprehensive sexual education reform. Not only is the will of an extreme majority of Texans being denied, but they are supported by peer-reviewed research that points out comprehensive sexual education makes teens safer and creates a more responsible and educated adult society.
Likely Texas voters respond even more strongly when it comes to LGBTQ youth and "non-traditional" relationships. TFN's report also shares that 88 percent of likely Texas voters think public schools should be required "to protect all children from bullying, harassment, and discrimination in school, including the children of gay and lesbian parents or teenagers who are gay." The hateful and perverse rhetoric continually shouted by anti-LGBTQ groups is falling increasingly on barren ground. This reaffirms the reality that a majority of Americans, including a majority of conservative Americans, are not as spiteful or prejudiced as their leaders or unofficial spokespeople. The Rick Perrys, Sarah Palins and Glenn Becks of the world are speaking to an ever increasing minority.
Unfortunately, this loud, manipulative, and powerful minority must be reminded of reality. These statistics need to be continually in front of them. These statistics also need to be in front of our school districts, School Health Advisory Committees (SHACs), school principals, and teachers as they face down a diminishing and vocal minority unable to accept the dignity of youth and of "others."
Please, contact your representatives and tell them to you agree with the Majority of Texans that Comprehensive Sexual Education is necessary for teens to become responsible adults.
*To be fair, if this is what Texan voters believe, it's good news for everybody. When a (moderate) majority conservative state believes so strongly for comprehensive sexual education, I wouldn't be surprised to see even more extreme numbers in the more liberal states.
crossposted to http://lklouise.com
GarrettMize
| 7/22/10 03:03 PM
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