OPPOSE HB 1047: Protect Childhood Innocence
Summary:
Requires comprehensive sexual health education to be given one time to students in grade 5, two times in total during the period when students are in grades 6 through 8, and two times in total during the period when students are in grades 9 through 12. Comprehensive sexual health education is defined as instruction in human development, sexuality, reproduction, abstinence, anatomy, physiology, consent, contraceptives and condoms, the prevention of pregnancy and STDs, health relationships, and healthy communication skills. Sexual health education must be inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Analysis:
It has been a long-time liberal agenda item to take over and revamp sexual education in schools. This bill is a prime example of one such attempt. Overall, there are several issues with this piece of legislation. Firstly, the bill requires students in fifth grade to be exposed to sex ed. Furthermore, the bill requires students be exposed to four more rounds of sex education before they reach twelfth grade. This is yet another attempt to take away the power and judgement of the parent and give it to a socialized school system. In addition, sexual education is not necessary for the young, immature children in grade school. How each parent chooses to discuss sex should be left to the individual parents and families to decide. Sex ed is not the responsibility of the school system.
Furthermore, teaching LGBTQ tenants and principles is required as a part of this of legislation. Schools have absolutely no business indoctrinating students with complex subjects like gender identity and sexual orientation. These challenging conversations should be left to the parents to discuss with their children when they feel they have reached the proper maturity level to appropriately process information regarding LGBTQ tenants and principles.
Conclusion:
Overall, it is essential the Indiana General Assembly defeat this erroneous bill. Decisions regarding how to instruct children in regard to sex ed should be left to the parents. School corporations should not take away this role. Furthermore, parents should be allowed to decide if it is best to present LGBTQ topics and principles to their children. These principles should not be poured into our young, innocent Hoosier children by school corporations.