Sex Education for All: Building LGBTQ+ Inclusive Sex Ed Programs

Learning Objectives Participants will be able to explain the importance of LGBTQ+ inclusive sex education. Participants will be able to analyze a sex education curriculum and determine if it is inclusive or not. Participants will be able to adapt non-inclusive sex ed curriculum to be more inclusive of all students.

Current Sex Ed Policies

24 states and DC mandate sex education. 34 states and DC mandate HIV education; of these states, 12 mandate only HIV education. 27 states and DC mandate that, when provided, sex and HIV education programs meet certain general requirements. 13 states require that the instruction be medically accurate. 26 states and DC require that the information be appropriate for the students' age. 8 states require that the program must provide instruction that is appropriate for a student’s cultural background and not be biased against any race, sex or ethnicity. 2 states prohibit the program from promoting religion. 38 states and DC require school districts to involve parents in sex education, HIV education or both. Guttmacher Institute

37 states require that information on abstinence be provided. 18 states and DC require that information on contraception be provided. 37 states require that information on abstinence be provided. 26 states require that abstinence be stressed. 11 states require that abstinence be covered. 18 states require that instruction on the importance of engaging in sexual activity only within marriage be provided. 12 states require discussion of sexual orientation. 9 states require that discussion of sexual orientation be inclusive. 3 states require only negative information on sexual orientation. 28 states and DC require the provision of information about skills for healthy sexuality (including avoiding coerced sex), healthy decision making and family communication when sex education is taught. Guttmacher Institute

COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION ABSTINENCE-ONLY-UNTIL-MARRIAGE EDUCATION Teaches that sexuality is a natural, normal, healthy part of life Teaches that sexual expression outside of marriage will have harmful social, psychological, and physical consequences Teaches that abstinence from sexual intercourse is the most effective method of preventing unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV Teaches that abstinence from sexual intercourse before marriage is the only acceptable behavior Provides values-based education and offers students the opportunity to explore and define their individual values as well as the values of their families and communities Teaches only one set of values as morally correct for all students Includes a wide variety of sexuality related topics, such as human development, relationships, interpersonal skills, sexual expression, sexual health, and society and culture Limits topics to abstinence-only-until-marriage and to the negative consequences of pre-marital sexual activity Includes accurate, factual information on abortion, masturbation, and sexual orientation Usually omits controversial topics such as abortion, masturbation, and sexual orientation Provides positive messages about sexuality and sexual expression, including the benefits of abstinence Often uses fear tactics to promote abstinence and to limit sexual expression Advocates for Youth

Teaches that proper use of latex condoms, along with water-based lubricants, can greatly reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of unintended pregnancy and of infection with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV Discusses condoms only in terms of failure rates; often exaggerates condom failure rates Teaches that consistent use of modern methods of contraception can greatly reduce a couple's risk for unintended pregnancy Provides no information on forms of contraception other than failure rates of condoms Includes accurate medical information about STDs, including HIV; teaches that individuals can avoid STDs Often includes inaccurate medical information and exaggerated statistics regarding STDs, including HIV; suggests that STDs are an inevitable result of premarital sexual behavior Advocates for Youth

Often promotes specific religious values Teaches that religious values can play an important role in an individual's decisions about sexual expression; offers students the opportunity to explore their own and their family's religious values Often promotes specific religious values Teaches that a woman faced with an unintended pregnancy has options: carrying the pregnancy to term and raising the baby, or carrying the pregnancy to term and placing the baby for adoption, or ending the pregnancy with an abortion Teaches that carrying the pregnancy to term and placing the baby for adoption is the only morally correct option for pregnant teens Advocates for Youth

What are some ways that sex education can be exclusive?

What is Inclusion?

Four WRONG ways to include LGBTQ+ content

The Ignoring Approach THIS APPROACH….. Ignores the existence of LGBTQ+ people and non- heterosexual behaviors completely. Not only is there an omission of LGBTQ+ people and related topics, but heterosexuality is put forth as the norm and only conceivable option. Given its focus on marriage (almost exclusively defined as between a man and a woman), abstinence-only education often falls into this approach. GLSEN

The Demonizing Approach THIS APPROACH….. Includes, yet demonizes, LGBTQ+ people and non- heterosexual behaviors by either explicitly teaching that homosexuality is wrong or implicitly communicating that being LGBTQ+ is undesirable and unacceptable. Some curricula equate homosexuality with child sexual abuse or insinuate that gay men are responsible for the AIDS epidemic. GLSEN

The Stigmatizing Approach THIS APPROACH….. May not outright condemn LGBTQ+ people or any non-heterosexual feelings or behaviors, but mentions LGBT people only when discussing risk behaviors (e.g., those related to HIV or other sexual transmitted infections). This portrays LGBTQ+ people as dangerous and their sexual behaviors as risky and abnormal. GLSEN

The Transgender-Excluding Approach THIS APPROACH….. May include LGB people and non-heterosexuality in an affirming, respectful manner, and yet still exclude transgender people and issues completely, negating their existence and value. GLSEN

One RIGHT way to include LGBTQ+ content

The Truly LGBT-Inclusive Approach THIS APPROACH….. Includes and infuses LGBTQ+ people and issues throughout the sex education curriculum Does not assume heterosexuality in its definitions of sexual activities or discussions of romantic relationships. Challenges the gender binary (i.e., that there are only two genders, male and female, and that are mutually exclusive) and pays more than token attention to transgender people and concerns. Avoids relegating LGBTQ+ issues to “special topics” and instead includes discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity throughout the curriculum. GLSEN

Truly LGBTQ-Inclusive and not just in Sex-Education “There are many notable LGBT people that can be included in school curricula across a variety of fields such as Harvey Milk, Sylvia Rivera, Michel Foucault, Audre Lord, and Bayard Rustin; as well as notable media and sports icons like Anderson Cooper, Ellen DeGeneres, Jason Collins, Lady GaGa, and Laverne Cox. Talking about these individuals’ contributions to society, as well as the battles faced by the LGBT community as a whole, could open people’s minds to LGBT issues.” -- The Century Foundation

Teaching Tips Always assume that there are LGBTQ+ youth in the room Avoid making assumptions about identities, bodies and behaviors Use inclusive language such as gender neutral pronouns Use language that describes the anatomy itself, rather than equating it with a gender identity Create a respectful place by respecting pronouns and identities and avoiding stereotypes Include scenarios and examples that acknowledge a wide variety of people and relationships to affirm all identities Ask questions! If you make a mistake, apologize, correct yourself, and MOVE ON. Healthy Teen Network

Recommended curricula

6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade High School Creating the Classroom Climate Introduction to Sexuality Communication and Refusal Skills Media Literacy and Sexuality Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships Reproductive Anatomy   Relationships and Boundaries Sexual Identity Addressing Obstacles to Abstinence Gender, Sex and Shared Responsibility Male Anatomy and Reproduction Creating a Safe School Environment Comprehensive Protection Methods Female Anatomy and Reproduction Deciding About Sexual Behavior STI/HIV Transmission Reasons and Methods for Preventing Pregnancy Puberty Defining and Maintaining Abstinence Living with HIV Preventing STIs and HIV Abstinence Introduction to Sexually Transmitted Infections Refusal Skills Sexual Risks and Low-Risk Intimacy Decision Making and Values Introduction to Protection Methods Goals and Decision Making Negotiating Postponement and Protection Conclusion and Review Get Real Capstone Project Social Media Literacy and Sexuality Assessing Risk and Accessing Sexual Health Care

Recommended Resources

AMAZE

Are you including everyone? There is an activity called “Who is responsible for pregnancy?” The options are “the boy”, “the girl”, or “both”. You make up a role play and only use names like Sally and Jason or Michael and Rachel. While explaining birth control, you say “NuvaRing is placed inside of a vagina.” An activity is titled “How I want to be treated by my boyfriend or girlfriend”. While answering a student’s question about condom use, you say “when the man puts the condom on his penis…”

Are you including everyone? 6. You overhear a student say “ugh, that’s so gay.” You move on without addressing it. 7. When explaining anatomy, you say “this is a picture of a normal penis” and display an image of a penis without foreskin. 8. A student asks the question “What is transgender?” Your response is “Thank you for that question. Transgender means that someone’s gender identity and biological sex do not line up.” 9. When teaching sex ed you say “everyone enjoys sex!” 10. When introducing yourself to a group of students, you share your gender pronouns and encourage them to do the same.

Sex education that is LGBTQ+ inclusive should at a MINIMUM…. • Include information for all students about sexual orientation and gender identity that is medically accurate and age-appropriate • Be designed with the needs of LGBTQ students in mind and be implemented with awareness that all classes are likely to have some LGBTQ students • Include depictions of LGBTQ people and same-sex relationships in a positive light in stories and role-plays • Use gender-neutral terms such as “they/them” and “partner” whenever possible

Sex education that is LGBTQ+ inclusive should at a MINIMUM…. • Ensure that prevention messages related to condom and birth control use are not relayed in a way that suggests only heterosexual youth or cisgender male/female couples need to be concerned about unintended pregnancy and STI prevention • Avoid making assumptions about students’ sexual orientation or gender identity

Allyship

Call to Action Become advocates for LGBTQ-inclusive sex education Ensure that school is a safe and accepting space for LGBTQ+ students Call your local schools and find out what is being taught Implement LGBTQ-inclusive sex education in schools, community settings and online Work to remove state-level legal and policy barriers to LGBTQ-inclusive sex education in schools and require inclusive programs Contact your local Planned Parenthood 

Sarah Dahlston sdahlston@ppswo.org Erica Klang eklang@ppswo.org