We weren't on the agenda, but we made our plea for sex education to the Parma School Board and Administration Monday night! I could explain how it went, but take a look for yourself:


Danny (aka me)

and


Jelena Loncar, a fellow Parma Student.

This meeting was an amazing stepping stone for our future efforts in Parma. We got the meeting we asked for, and so much more:

Coverage on the story by awesome columnist Connie Schultz (who happens to be married to Senator Sherrod Brown):
www.cleveland.com/schultz/index.ssf/2010/02/teens_make_a_request_for_real.html

WCPN, 90.3:
www.wcpn.org/WCPN/news/29778/

After nineteen months, it is our turn to be heard! Look forward to updates!

We've sent the letters, the emails. We've made the phone calls. We've even hand-delivered “lost” mail. I won't say we've done it all, but we finally have a meeting with The Director of Student Services/Curriculum, Laura Watson, next week in the Parma City School District!

**chants over small victory**

It's been a difficult road to something so simple: over a year of communication (and lack thereof) for an afternoon meeting. Although the PCSD doesn't know this, over that year and a half, the Ohio Advocates have met with individuals whose decision-making power is exponential in comparison: Sherrod Brown, Dennis Kucinich, Ted Strickland, Peter Lawson Jones, Tim Hagan, Ohio School Board Memers, Ohio Senators and Representatives; we may be young, but our network of contact proves that we have the leverage over the decisions that are being made.

I hope to carry this message to Parma next Thursday. I mean business, and I feel I have a right as a student and consumer to ask (and then demand) that they take Operation Keepsake out of their district. One problem we've noticed is that there is no cohesion between schools, and sometimes even between teachers—they are teaching whatever they decide, which is not the right way to do things. Someone from one school might be taught something different at another—so after we get OK out of there (because we will), we're gonna ask for a streamlined and universal district sex education curriculum that is, obviously, comprehensive.

While it began over a year ago, the real start (should I say battle?) is next week with Laura. The fate of the meeting remains unknown, but our actions afterward, regardless of her decision, have been mapped out. May the conversation finally begin!

Updates to follow!

I'm extremely excited that last Friday (I know I'm late), Ohio state Rep. Steve Slesnick introduced the Act For Our Children's Future, one of the most important pieces of legislation in the State of Ohio--regarding sex ed of course.  After much talk and anticipation, we can finally go to our state house with "introduced" legislation to discuss. 

The Act would provide that if a school district decides to teach sex education, then it must be comprehensive based, meaning that while the message of abstinence will still exist, abstinence-only programs will no longer be allowed. 

I received the initial update as a forward from my coordinator with her only word being "Yay!!!"  It has been introduced year after year, but this one is special; over the past year, we have established in the state a small, yet powerful, youth activist network (Ohio Advocates), and it is one that will surely influence our legislators to support this legislation.  Our voices--the voices from the Urban Retreat--are going to be heard!  Updates to come. 

"It is time to stop-- stop the masses of students leaving abstinence-only-until-marriage programs unphased and vulnerable to the happenings of unsafe sex; it is time to stop teaching about values when it will be of more value to students and to our communities if we are taught how to be safe; it is time to stop being abstinent for marriage and start being abstinent for our bodies, our minds, our emotions, our health; and its time to stop thinking abstinence is the end; sex is inevitable, so please teach me how to avoid compromising my health."

Its time to start, too.

During the Urban Retreat, I remember thinking, "When I get home, I'm going to go to every lunch table in my cafeteria to recruit new activists; I'm going talk and convince with ease and confidence; and I'm going to get swarms of students to march to the board offices to demand comp. sex ed. (ok, not really that last one--but nonetheless).  Once I was home, I found the situation in Parma, Ohio to be quite different. 

I made two mistakes: not considering the vastness of a cafeteria or the intimidation of noise.  Wait...I'm supposed to go around this place and talk about sex ed. (imagine hundreds of students, loud students) and me, dramatically in the center, wondering where to go first.  Perhaps its yet another problem with abstinence-only education, but it can be very awkward to talk about sex.  I'm totally comfortable, but I've found some that are less than interested in the issue and more so in the 'sex'.  One girl told me I was very bold for talking so openly; another told me "I know its an issue, but I don't know..."  If only they'd had comp. sex ed., this whole battle for comp. sex ed. in Parma would be easier--they'd know exactly what they're missing.  This is a hard issue to explain to someone unknowing.

Nonetheless, they didn't have comp. sex ed., and I've found that at times in our activism we're more so advocates than organizers.  I often find myself speaking for my peers that don't have a voice--yet.  I won't get to every lunch table (it makes me nervous and I've only gone to a few), but I will talk about sex and sex ed. whenever I can.  I will penetrate my peers with information, either directly or indirectly.  I do prefer to speak quietly, but I will not be silenced by intimidation. 

After reading Joe's recent post about sex (or moral) education in Ohio, I thought I'd share my own thoughts as an Operation Keepsake alumnus.

"Think about Marriage: What is it? Realistically, a lot of us have not seen a good example of marriage. Most of us get our ideas about marriage from television and movies. How helpful is this? What does the media say about marriage? I mean, how many faithful, loving, and committed marriages can you think of on television or in the movies?"

More...

I knew it.  I knew having intimate, satisfying sex with a great partner was going to lead me to...kill myself? 

Or so The Heritage Foundation says.  Its an old article, but it proves a point: some abstinence-only organizations will manipulate facts (and thus nullify them) to convince the public that they are right.  Its to no suprise that an abstinence-only until marriage used this statistic in a grant proposal for federal funds. Take a look at what THF wrote:

"When compared to teens who are not sexually active, teenage boys and girls who are sexually active are significantly less likely to be happy and more likely to feel depessed.

"When compared to teens who are not sexually active, teenage boys and girls who are sexually active are significantly more likely to attempt suicide."

More...