{"id":195485,"date":"2019-02-05T12:45:23","date_gmt":"2019-02-05T18:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=195485"},"modified":"2019-02-03T00:53:46","modified_gmt":"2019-02-03T06:53:46","slug":"colorado-ban-abstinence-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/colorado-ban-abstinence-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorado bill would ban abstinence-only sex ed in schools"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Legislators in Colorado have recently proposed a bill that would ban abstinence-only sex education in the state\u2019s public schools. The bill, HB19-1032<\/a>, requires that public schools adopt a mandated curriculum or teach nothing at all. It has drawn strong opposition from the state\u2019s Republican party and conservative groups.<\/p>\n

While most of the state\u2019s public schools have taught a \u201ccomprehensive\u201d sex education curriculum since the passage of a different law in 2013, some rural and charter schools have opted out in favor of sticking to an abstinence-only curriculum. This new proposal, backed by Planned Parenthood<\/a> and the ACLU, would ensure that these schools drop the abstinence-only education. It’s an alarming development<\/a> for charter schools in the state, which have their own governing boards and historically have been allowed to choose their own curricula.<\/p>\n

READ: \u201cCalifornia sex ed curriculum encourages many behaviors\u2026 except abstinence\u201d is locked\t California sex ed curriculum encourages many behaviors\u2026 except abstinence<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The bill\u00a0\u201cclarifies content requirements for public schools that offer comprehensive human sexuality education” and “prohibits instruction from explicitly or implicitly teaching or endorsing religious ideology or sectarian tenets or doctrines, using shame-based or stigmatizing language or instructional tools, employing gender norms or gender stereotypes, or excluding the relational or sexual experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colorado GOP Chairman Jeff Hays called the proposal \u201cradical sex ed,\u201d saying<\/a> that it would \u201crequire sex-ed curriculum in Colorado public schools to conform to radical notions of sexuality and gender, while allowing classes to cover these topics without parents being notified.”<\/p>\n