Opponents say it promotes promiscuity, circumvents parents
Posted: October 4, 2003
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com
Embattled California Gov. Gray Davis, facing a recall vote next week, signed a controversial bill allowing public schools to teach and survey students on sexual topics without written parental permission.
Backers of SB 71 argue it streamlines the sex-education curriculum across the state to ensure students are getting the same teaching about topics such as HIV/AIDS prevention and abstinence.
Opponents of the bill, signed Thursday, charge it outlines a radical agenda falsely portrayed by its sponsors as an issue of "women's health and reproductive rights."
"SB 71 is certainly not about women's health or reproductive rights," said Karen England of the Sacramento-based family-issues group Capitol Resource Institute, or CRI.
CRI said the bill removes current requirements that students learn of the emotional and psychological effects of premarital intercourse, the financial obligations of conceiving a child, the issue of statutory rape and ways to fend off unwanted sexual advances.
What the bill really is about, CRI contended in a statement, is "promoting homosexual and transsexual lifestyles, eliminating parental involvement in the sex education of their children and removing important instruction for our children from the education code."
The legislation permits parents to sign a form at the beginning of the year to "opt out" of any sessions to which they object. But Republican opponents charge the bill is a ploy by Democrats to erode the rights of parents, who should be asked for permission to "opt in" as the current law stipulates.
Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Los Angeles, the bill's sponsor, argues its purpose is to streamline a process that now is a confusing patchwork of ''opt-in'' or ''opt-out'' requirements depending on whether the class is about sexually transmitted diseases, HIV education, sex education or surveys related to sexual behavior.
Randy Thomasson, director of Sacramento-based Campaign for California Families, argues current law protects parental rights by requiring written permission before any sex tests, questionnaires, surveys or examinations of their children.
"Mere notification is no substitute for asking parental permission," said Thomasson. "This bill utterly disrespects parents as it blindly pushes sex surveys upon schoolchildren statewide. The attack on parenthood stinks to high heaven."
Thomasson's group noted a "Heterosexuality Questionnaire" distributed by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Teachers Network can be given to California public school children. Some of the questions are:
- When and where did you first decide you were heterosexual?
- Is it possible heterosexuality is a phase you will grow out of?
- Is it possible you are heterosexual because you fear the same sex?
- If you have never slept with someone of the same sex, how do you know you wouldn’t prefer that?
Davis has signed a number of bills in the past month that have riled
conservative lawmakers and advocates, including AB 205, which grants virtually
all the rights of
marriage to "domestic partners."
________________________________
Changes to your subscription (unsubs, nomail, digest) can be made by going to http://sandboxmail.net/mailman/listinfo/sndbox_sandboxmail.net
