Sex ed for kids — a la carte
Jan 17th, 2025 by Jessica Gold Haralson
When it comes to the emotionally loaded topic of K-12 sex ed, the debate is usually framed as a battle between the condom distributing, Tristan Taormino quoting liberal left, and the torch wielding, chastity belt sporting conservatives who believe premarital sex is a one way ticket to Hades. Although this bipolar caricature doesn’t fully represent most middle-of-the-road American families, it still remains that sex ed options are usually presented in a binary fashion.
Which is why this new Texas bill, in its seeming spirit of compromise, is intriguing:
“The principle behind the bill is to have parents more involved in the education of their children regarding sex education,” says Emily Snooks, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of North Texas.
House Bill 311 would require a school district to obtain written consent of a parent before the student could take sex education. Currently, all Texas students take sexual education unless a parent requests otherwise. Under the bill, all parents would have to make a choice.
What do you think, Carnival readers? Is opting out a pro-active option for parents to take charge of their child’s sexual education… or a grave disservice to the kids who should learn with their peers sans meddling?