"Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education"
Friday, March 24, 2006
One of our most important causes - as Christians, as Americans - ought to be the protection of our children from unplanned / teenage pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Unfortunately, President Bush takes his cues on this subject from the Religious Right instead of educators or even medical professionals. The result: the federal government is spending millions on abstinence-only programs that simply do not work and the administration is opposing proven methods to reach kids that do. There is, however, a bill in Congress now being considered that could shift federal policy in a director that favors the health of kids. The United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries office reports:
The Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act, S 368/HR 2553 (visit THOMAS to read the bills) was introduced in Congress last spring and is still awaiting congressional action. The bill addresses the unbalanced approach to sexuality education currently being funded by Congress. Since 1996, federal tax dollars have been used solely to fund "abstinence-only-until-marriage" sexuality education programs.
These programs and school curricula are prohibited from discussing contraceptives unless they are portrayed as ineffective. Some of these programs contain medically inaccurate and incomplete information, and use fear and shame tactics to educate young people about sexuality. The programs cannot address reproductive choice or sexual orientation. Congress continues to fund these programs despite research that shows them to be less effective than programs that include information about both abstinence and contraception.
The REAL Act would allow states and local communities to provide responsible, comprehensive sexuality education that includes information about abstinence and contraception that is medically-accurate and age-appropriate. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll shows that 93 percent of Americans support teaching comprehensive sexuality education in high schools, and 83 percent support teaching comprehensive sexuality education in middle/junior schools. Education makes for better choices, and it can save lives.
On Tuesday, March 28, 40 youth and young adult advocates from the United Church of Christ and the Unitarian Universalist Association will take to Capitol Hill to meet with their members of Congress and urge them to support the REAL Act.
Add your voice to this effort by e-mailing your members of Congress or by calling them on March 28 and urge them to support the REAL Act. Find out if they are a cosponsor of the bill. Thank them if they are, and urge them to sign on if they have not yet done so.
Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
Click http://www.ucctakeaction.org/action to send a message asking your members of Congress to support the REAL Act.
The Our Whole Lives Curriculum, published jointly by the United Church of Christ and the Unitarian Universalist Association, provides responsible, comprehensive, age-appropriate, accurate and value-based human sexuality education. Find out more about Our Whole Lives at http://www.ucc.org/justice/owl/index.html.
Don't let the Religious Right be the only religious voice speaking out on this critical issue. Send a message to Congress today.