The California Department of Education has adopted and rolled out the K-12 health curriculum framework to conform to the state’s LGBTQ affirming sex education law (the Healthy Youth Act).
Every parent should be alarmed that the new CA Dept. of Education’s “health” guidelines include an emphasis on normalizing and even encouraging multiple partner lifestyles. This is the EXACT opposite of what every health organization, and professional association has recommended for the last century.
There are mountains of evidence which demonstrate that the single greatest risk factor for contracting a sexually transmitted infection is the NUMBER OF LIFETIME PARTNERS. Nevertheless, all K-12 students in California public schools will now be told, “Some students may be non-monogamous” and "the term ‘partner(s)’ may be used to be more inclusive.” The entire proposed K-12 health curriculum framework includes 842 mentions the words “sex,” “sexual,” and “sexuality; 239 mention of “gender,” but mentions “abstinence” only 2 times in the entire 1,000-page health framework.
Christian/Catholic/Jewish/Muslim and other conservative-minded parents should be aware that these health lessons will attack and undermine religious values such as marital fidelity, abstinence outside of marriage and celebrating differences between males and females. And that students will be taught types of abuse they should avoid, include “emotional, physical, sexual or spiritual.”
For example, the Framework describes "religious abuse" as,
Forcing others to adhere to rigid gender roles.
Not allowing a partner to do things they enjoy.
Imply that students should have only one sex partner at a time.”
How can parents respond? There are 3 options:
Option One -- "Opt Out." Parents can request in writing that their child not participate in the Comprehensive Sex Education lessons taking place in 7th and 9th grade. We have heard from parents that attempting to do this may mean administrative pushback (multiple meetings attempting to overcome objections and persuade parents to abandon their objections). Be aware, however, that opting out of CSE will not exclude your child from having the States preferred values introduced in other subjects.
Option Two: Homeschool or Private School. Many parents have told us when they realized public and charter schools will now be environments meant to first, confuse and then encourage, non-hetero and multiple partner behavior, they decided to take their children out. Obviously, the decision to homeschool will have an impact on every other aspect of your family's life.
Option Three: Fight the System. Parents don't have the right to know if there are gender-non-conforming students at their child's school, but they can absolutely choose to be preemptive about their children's rights. If a majority of parents make the following accommodation requests, CA schools will be forced to adapt. Parents have both SCIENCE and THE LAW on their side.
It is a SCIENTIFIC FACT that the prefrontal cortex (the higher reasoning part of the brain) is not fully developed until age 25. Suggesting and encouraging children to make life-altering decisions before they have the capacity to understand the long-term consequences of them is both anti-science and potentially, child abuse.
It is a SCIENTIFIC FACT that the HEALTHIEST sexual behavior is one uninfected, faithful, lifetime partner. It is reasonable to expect and demand that's educators apply the same health standard they use for smoking, recreational drugs, and alcohol to the risks of sexual activity: RISK-AVOIDANCE, not Risk-Reduction.
The LAW protects parents choices and rights. CA Education Code § 51937: “[P]arents and guardians have the ultimate responsibility for imparting values regarding human sexuality to their children.”
The LAW allows parents to control their child's moral instruction. CA Education Code § 51240: “(a) If any part of a school’s instruction in health conflicts with the religious training and beliefs of a parent or guardian of a pupil, the pupil, upon written request of the parent or guardian, shall be excused from the part of the instruction that conflicts with the religious training and beliefs. (b) For purposes of this section, “religious training and beliefs” includes moral convictions.”
The LAW allow parents to require the school provide bodily privacy adaptations for their child. Minors enjoy a right to privacy under Article I, Section I of the California Constitution that is enforceable against private parties and government officials. A parent can tell the principal that "IF the decision has been made to allow non-gender conforming students to choose which bathroom, locker room, shower and other private spaces they prefer, I intend to exercise my child's right to bodily privacy." The LAW states that schools must provide an alternative, such as a “gender neutral” restroom or private changing area may be used by any student who desires increased privacy, regardless of the underlying reason... and shall be a matter of choice for a student.
Parents who want to opt-out should anticipate there will be some pushback. Take another parent and/or a legal adviser to any meeting with administrators or teachers to review or discuss the CSE materials. And always ask for permission to record the conversation (required in CA).
You can get some guidance at Alliance Defending Freedom or the Pacific Justice League.
You can read the entire CA framework here: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/he/cf/
You can read an assessment of the "effectiveness" of Comprehensive Sex Ed programs here: https://institute-research.com/CSEReport/Global%20CSE%20Report--US%26non-US_Combined__4-1-19.pdf
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