The Utah Legislature’s mortification at the idea sexy talk is so extreme the House education committee this week fell on the grenade, so to speak, to protect the full House from discussing the facts of life.
House Bill 215 that would have allowed an extremely tame version of reproductive health instruction in public schools was cock blocked before it could even be debated on the House floor. Proponents tried to make it more palatable by giving it a euphemistic title, “Healthy Relationships Bill.” No dice.
The bill would have allowed kids to be taught things like no is no, sexual abuse, dealing with peer pressure to have sex, etc.—a bit more comprehensive than the state’s abstinence-approach.
“Utahns want a program that protects their kids from the things they will inevitably face in high school and in the rest of their lives,” the bill’s sponsor Rep. Brian King said. “The legislature cannot keep ignoring what the people want. Why are we leaving out the necessary cornerstone of relationships?”
Pssst. If you want to learn more about Utah’s appalling ignorance of sex and basic reproductive information (even educated fleas do it!) that has earned the state skyrocketing S**ually Transmitted Disease rates and a creepy love-hate relationship with pornography—read Susan Lacke’s article “Sex (Mis) Education.” (It’s got naughty pictures.)
Or tune into our Salt Lake Speaks podcast with sex therapist Kristin Hodson, who believes that will a little help from their kids, adult Utahns can talk about sex.
