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.