In the wake of Governor Herbert's veto of Utah House Rep. Bill Wright's HB363, the knucklehead sex ed bill which "would have prohibited Utah teachers from instructing students about contraceptives, premarital sex or homosexuality," and ultimately provoked irate Utah citizens by the thousands to storm the gates of the Governor's office and demand the Herbert drive a stake through that ill-conceived legislation's heart, there's more legislative activity on the sex-ed front, as one local "Capitol Hill Critter," Ogden's own Senator Stuart Reid, announces new legislation designed to teach parents of school aged children about the "birds and the bees." No, we are not making this up. Click the link for the full story, which includes a dandy bonus video clip:
Yesiree... we agree... it would be great if there was a formal way that parents out there in the Utah backwoods could "learn where them babies come from."
In this connection, we'll also link this additional online story, where Martha Kempner, columnist for the Reproductive Health Reality Check website gives Senator Reid's proposed new bill the once over:
Ms. Kempner's summary paragraphs provide the "drift." It's a savvy take, as far as we're concerned:
Many in the state opposed the bill, noting that the law already required schools to stress abstinence and arguing that such a law usurped parental authority. Thousands of residents wrote letters to the governor, 40,000 signed a petition asking him to veto the bill, and hundreds protested the bill at the state Capitol. Ultimately, Governor Gary Herbert vetoed the legislation, saying in a tweet: “I cannot sign a bill that deprives parents of their choice.”Yes, that'll be interesting indeed.
Not only did parents in Utah rally against stricter sex education rules, nearly 95 percent of parents choose to send their children to sex education programs despite the administrative hurdle posed by the state's opt-in policy. While one might assume this means that parents in the state (like parents around the country) want their children to receive sexuality education courses from trained professionals in schools, Reid’s take away is that parents are simply scared to do it themselves: “I think often the parents choose not to opt out for their children out of sex ed in the schools because they’re uncomfortable providing that training.”
Personally, I’m fascinated by Reid’s new approach. There is not a sexuality educator I know who wouldn’t jump at the chance to ensure that parents had accurate information about sexuality and provide them with strategies for talking with their kids about sex. Most of them would probably agree with Reid that many parents avoid discussing sex with their kids, “either because they don’t know how to do it or it’s sensitive, or they need training how best to approach that with their children.”
Of course, our hope as sexuality educators would be that once parents had this training, they would not only be more comfortable having conversations about sex with their kids at home but they would be eager for their kids to learn more about such important topics from trained professionals in school.
If Reid’s bill manages to pass, it will be interesting what happens after parents attend the sexuality education seminars.
It'll also be fascinating to see whether House Rep. Wright's HB 363 arises from the legislative dustbin again in the 2013 legislative session, with Senator Reid's possible companion legislation in tow.
Remember, folks, the right wing puritan faction in the state legislature never gives up. We'll therefor be watching closely to see whether HB 363 will "enjoy" a reprise, once the pesky 2012 election is out of the way, and elected Utah government officials can once again "safely" put their Utah constituents back on "ignore."
Don't let the cat get your tongues, folks.
