LGBT sex education
LGBT sex education refers to an educational program, most commonly found in schools, that addresses the sex education needs of LGBT individuals and covers topics related to homosexuality. It is usually integrated into the general sex education courses (alongside heterosexual topics). There is disagreement about whether LGBT sex education should be included in sex education curricula. Advocates of LGBT sex education say that the inclusion of LGBT issues into sex education programs would reduce homophobic bullying, improve the health of LGBT people, and decrease instances of problems common in LGBT students such as depression and low self-esteem; opponents argue that LGBT sex education programs would force a political point of view on students, misuse tax dollars, and disrespect religious values.
Background
LGBT sex education is currently not covered in many schools.[1] Research has also posited that students often don’t find existing LGBT sex education programs to be effective. Teachers have differing views on the subject of homosexuality, and these personal opinions can impact LGBT sex education when it is implemented.[2]
Omitting LGBT sex education
Multiple studies have concluded that LGBT sex education is often not encompassed in school sex education courses and that most students do not receive effective instruction in LGBT sex issues.[1][3][2] In a study conducted by Ellis and High (2004), 384 students were surveyed; the results showed that 24% had not received instruction in LGBT sex issues.[2] According to research reported by Burston and Hart in 2001, 45% of surveyed students believed that they did not cover LGBT sex education sufficiently in school. Research has shown that there can be an implicit assumption that all students are straight in sex education classes.[4] The LGBT students in Eleanor Formby’s 2011 study of sex education said that they do not always feel welcomed by sex education classes or at school.[1] Sex education courses commonly idealize marriage (not acknowledging that many countries outlaw same-sex marriage) thereby presenting a heterosexual view of sex and relationships.[1] Studies have also shown that sex education programs often do not cover safe sex practices for LGBT individuals.[1][5] However, there are some sex education programs that do cover LGBT issues.[4]
Ineffective programs
Research has also illustrated that some sex education courses present LGBT issues in a negative light—portraying LGBT sex as something wrong, sick, or not normal.[2] According to the American Civil Liberties Union, “Abstinence only” approaches to sex education can also be alienating to LGBT students, because these programs assume that marriage is a possibility for all students; however, same-sex marriage is illegal in many countries.[6] Ellis and High’s survey research in 2004 (including 384 students) revealed that 59% of students who did receive LGBT sex education found it to be ineffective.[2]
Teachers
Teachers have been identified as a hindrance to LGBT sex education in some studies. Teachers frequently have their own opinions about homosexuality, and, according to these studies, if teachers have negative views toward LGBTs this can come through in their teaching—causing LGBTs to feel unaccepted (Ellis and High 2004, Burston and Hart 2001).[2][4] According to Ellis and High, this can result in LGBT students feeling worse than if homosexuality were left out of the curriculum (Ellis and High 2004).[2] Researchers have said that such teachers can be prejudiced and ignore instances of homophobic bullying directed at LGBTs (Formby 2011).[1] Researchers Burston and Hart reported that teachers sometimes believe that they should not take a side on the issue of homosexuality, and therefore should not interfere when homophobia occurs in the classroom (Burston and Hart 2001).[4] According to Formby (2011), even phrasing that subtly casts homosexuality in a negative light can have a detrimental effect on LGBT students’ experience of sex education.[1]
There have also been issues around teachers feeling free to teach sex education that equally emphasizes both heterosexual and homosexual sex health information (Burston and Hart 2001, Morrow 1993).[4][3] Deana Morrow’s study reported that some teachers said they were afraid they might be fired if they discussed LGBT issues (Morrow 1993).[3] Similarly, teachers can feel hindered because the school environment is inhospitable to homosexuality; in Burston and Hart’s 2001 study, some even said that they were under the impression that the school would not allow them to teach LGBT sex education (Burston and Hart 2001).[4]
Classmates can also be unreceptive toward LGBTs issues in current sex education courses and students are often hesitant to talk about it, according to Buston and Hart (2001).[4]
From the Haft Awrang of Jami, in the story A Father Advises his Son About Love. His counsel is to choose that lover who desires him for his inner beauty. See Sufi outlook on male love Freer and Sackler Galleries, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.
Proposed LGBT sex education programs
Policies LGBT sex education advocates support
Advocates for LGBT sex education have suggested adjustments to current sex education practices in schools. One common place that LGBT sex education researchers have identified for improvement is the angle from which sex education is approached in general. Buston and Hart, Ellis and High, and others have recommended that teachers frame sex education in terms of relationships rather than merely reproduction, which can lead to exclusion of LGBT students (Buston and Hart 2001, Ellis and High 2004).[4][2] Ellis and High mention that sexual orientation might be more appropriately taught as “an aspect of culture and identity” (Ellis and High 2004, pg. 11).[2] Other researchers such as Morrow believe that in order for sex education to be effective, it must present LGB as just as natural and legitimate as heterosexuality (Morrow 1993).[3] Advocates for LGBT sex education ask that LGBT sexual health issues be given equal weight in the curriculum accordingly (Buston and Hart 2001).[4] They also say that more resources concerning LGBT sexual health issues need to be made available (Formby 2011).[1] According to the Center for the Study of Women’s Policy Brief 11, LBGT students may not be willing to reach out of guidance themselves (Sanchez 2012).[5]
Policies LGBT sex education advocates dislike
Researchers have recommended that teachers in sex education programs avoid framing homosexuality as something that is fundamentally connected to sexually transmitted diseases and refrain from practices potentially detrimental to LGBT students such as referring to partners as specifically “him” or “her” (better to use the more flexible “they”) (Buston and Hart, 2001, Formby 2011).[4][1] Advocates for LGBT rights also say that teachers need to abandon any reluctance to take a side in the debate about homosexuality (Ellis and High 2004).[2]
Argument against LGBT sex education
Opponents of including LGBT sex education in school curricula argue that it is wrong to teach students about the issue of homosexuality because it is too contentious. They say that parents should have control over what their children are exposed to and taught, and allowing public schools to cover LGBT sex education would undermine this right, forcing a particular political view on students. According to the Christian Post, many parents do not want their children to study homosexuality.[7] Critics have also said that citizens’ tax dollars shouldn’t go to programs that they might not agree with (Moran 2001).[8]
According to Formby (2011), opponents have also argued that LGBT sex is harmful to students because they say it exposes them to damaging information.[1] They claim that the students should not learn about LGBT issues until they are older.[7] Some opponents of LGBT sex education have argued that including LGBT issues in sex education programs will encourage more young people to practice homosexuality as well.[3][9] LGBT sex education has also been seen as supporting something that is disrespectful to some families’ religious beliefs.[9] The Christian Post argued that if schools elect to teach about LGBT people and neglect religious topics, the curriculum would be unfairly balanced.[7]
There have also been concerns that LGBT sex education wouldn’t be effective because it is difficult for students to accepting homosexuality, which may prevent them from being receptive to the instruction.[4]
Argument for LGBT sex education
Advocates for incorporating LGBT sex education into school curricula commonly present several arguments. According to the Huffington Post, some supporters say that failing to include LGBT issues in sex education programs will overlook a significant number of students who identify as LGBT;[10] the Center for American Progress says that this can cause them to feel marginalized and removed from the lesson because it doesn’t pertain to them.[11] LGBT sex education advocates also argue that leaving LGBT safe sex instruction out of the curriculum will increase the likelihood of health problems for LGBT students.[5][11] Supporters say that since LGBTs are particularly at risk for HIV/AIDs, it is especially important to provide them with sexual health information.[12] According to researcher Eleanor Formby (2011), lesbian women are a high-risk group for STDs, because many do not know that they can be susceptible to STDs or how to engage in safe sex—and thus it is important that they receive lesbian sex education.[1] LGBT sex education advocates say that because LGBT students aren’t taught sex education that pertains to them in school, they feel unprepared for sex, unable to talk about it openly, and have to learn about it by themselves—which can result in negative health outcomes.[11][1] Sanchez (2012) argues that LGBT students are unlikely to reach out to resources that could give them good information on their own, which furthers the need for LGBT sex education in schools.[5]
LGBT sex education supporters have also argued that the inclusion of LGBT topics in the curriculum can decrease instances of bullying in schools by familiarizing students with the range of sexual orientations and reducing harmful stereotypes.[10][11][3] The Center for American Progress argues that LGBT sex education results in a decrease in homophobic comments. According to the Huffington Post, supporters say that educating young people about LGBT individuals could help them have a more positive attitude toward gay peers.[10] The Center for American Progress (2013) says that LGBT sex education would therefore reduce common problems LGBT students face as a result of negative attitudes; these include mental health issues like depression, the risk of suicide, drug abuse, self-esteem issues, and poorer academic performance due to stress caused by discrimination; they argue that covering homosexuality in sex education programs helps students feel more secure at school.[11]
Finally, backers of LGBT sex education have said that curricula that explore all facets of sexuality would be beneficial to straight students as well, because they claim that it presents a more accurate picture of the world. They also argue that it can be of assistance to any questioning students that might be in the class.[10]
According to the Center for American Progress (2013), the majority of parents support including homosexuality in the sex education curriculum; they report that 73% of high school parents think LGBT issues should be taught. The CAP claims that this high percentage of support indicates that LGBT topics should be incorporated.[11]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Formby, Eleanor (2011). "Sex and relationships education, sexual health, and lesbian, gay and bisexual sexual cultures: views from young people". Sex Education. 11 (3): 255–266.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) Cite error: The named reference "Formby" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ellis, Viv (2004). "Something More to Tell You: Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual Young Peoples". Journal of Adolescence. 30 (2): 213–225.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) Cite error: The named reference "Ellis" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ a b c d e f Morrow, Deana (1993). "Social Work with Gay and Lesbian Adolescents". Social Work. 38 (6): 655–660.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) Cite error: The named reference "Morrow" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Buston, Katie (2001). "Heterosexism and homophobia in Scottish school sex education: exploring the nature of the problem". Journal of Adolescence. 4 (1): 95–109.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ a b c d Sanchez, Marisol. "Providing inclusive sex education in schools will address the health needs of LGBT Youth" (PDF). Center for the Study of Women UCLA. Retrieved October 17 2013.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) Cite error: The named reference "CSW" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ American Civil Liberties Union. "Helping Teens Make Healthy and Responsible Decisions About Sex". https://www.aclu.org/reproductive-freedom/helping-teens-make-healthy-and-responsible-decisions-about-sex. American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved October 17 2013.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); External link in|work= - ^ a b c Villalva, Brittney. "Sex Education in Schools Should Include a Gay Agenda, Report Claims". The Christian Post. Retrieved 11/02/2013.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Moran, Joe (1). "Childhood Sexualities and Education: The Case of Section 28". Sexualities. 4 (1): 73–89.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=,|date=, and|year=/|date=mismatch (help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ a b Janofsky, Michael. "Gay Rights Battlefields Spread to Public Schools". The New York Times. Retrieved 11/02/13.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ a b c d Goodman, Josh. "5 Reasons Schools Should Adopt LGBTQ-inclusive Sex Ed". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 11/02/2013.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ a b c d e f Slater, Hannah. "LGBT-Inclusive Sex Education Means Healthier Youth and Safer Schools". Center for American Progress. Retrieved 11/02/13.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Roberts, Scott. "National AIDS Trust welcomes Labour's call for LGBT inclusive sex education". Pink News. Retrieved 11/02/13.
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