Proposed changes in rules for school sex ed would stigmatize LGBTQ+ people, expert says

Proposed changes to Oklahoma law would make it harder for students to receive medically accurate and comprehensive sex education, according to experts who reviewed legislation that recently advanced in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

House Bill 3120 was narrowly approved in a committee hearing last week. Its author, state Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, said his goal is "to put the permissions and the responsibility in the hands of parents or guardians" when it comes to learning about sexually transmitted infections, birth control, consent and the prevention of AIDS.

Under current Oklahoma law, sex education is not required, but schools must provide HIV/AIDS prevention instruction and health education. If a school offers sex education, parents can choose to have their kids skip the class. Williams' bill changes it to "opt-in," meaning that parents would have to provide written approval for their kids to join the class.

"Parents should know what their children are being asked to be involved in," Williams said during a legislative committee hearing where he presented the bill. "I think we've walked away from that. I think the challenges of life sometimes have kept us so busy that we haven't looked at the details.

"But at the same time, I think it should be a quality decision based on education and knowledge, so the parent knows what they're doing when they make the decision for their child," he said.

Changes to lessons on consent, STIs

In its current form, the bill specifically forbids schools from teaching "consent and negotiation skills for sexual activity." Several members of the committee, including fellow Republicans, questioned why it would be banned. If the bill reaches the House floor, Williams said he would agree to restoring one section of the law that requires students be taught the legal definition of sexual consent.

The bill also wades into defining gender roles in reproductive health, which has become a frequent target for conservative lawmakers.

The Oklahoman has sought to identify which individuals or organizations wrote the legislation. Williams, who acknowledged during the committee hearing that he might not have understood exactly what the bill does, did not return messages left at his office.

Heather Duvall is executive director for Amplify Youth Health Collective, a Tulsa-based organization that works to expand access to sex education, promote healthy relationships and encourage community engagement. Through her organization, she's found that 92% of people agree that comprehensive sex education should be happening in schools.

"It's vitally important for young people to learn this information, and we're doing them a disservice if we don't provide them with the education they need to be healthy and safe," Duvall said.

If signed into law, the bill would put Oklahoma in rare company. As of 2022, only eight states required parents to opt-in to sex education, according to SIECUS, an advocacy organization that promotes comprehensive sex education throughout the nation.

"By creating an opt-in when you already have an opt-out, it just creates an extra barrier," said Michelle H. Slaybaugh, director of programs for SIECUS.

Slaybaugh compared it to other policies that rely on students getting a note signed and brought back to school. For example, she said, it's sometimes a challenge for students to get field trip permission slips back to their teachers.

"So when you have a child who may not have a great relationship with their parents, or is afraid of their parents for some reason, requiring them to get an opt-in for vital information that will impact their long-term health outcomes seems ridiculous," she said.

During the committee hearing, Williams said his bill promotes personal responsibility and encourages more participation from parents and guardians.

"I think there are going to be a lot more parents engaged in their children's education completely, not just sex education, because it's going to challenge them to actually be a part of the decision-making process," he said.

As a grandfather, Williams has taught his grandchildren about sexually transmitted diseases.

"I've been trying to teach them if you make good choices, you typically get good results," Williams said. "If you make bad choices, you're probably going to get bad results."

But even if students receive Oklahoma's version of sex education, Slaybaugh said they're exposed to poor quality information that includes stigmatizing claims about LGBTQ+ people.

While HIV can be transmitted during any activity that involves certain bodily fluids, Oklahoma law prioritizes teaching that "engaging in homosexual activity, promiscuous sexual activity, intravenous drug use or contact with contaminated blood products" is the primary cause, and that avoiding those activities "is the only method of preventing the spread of the virus."

"This further stigmatizes learning about HIV information, which puts students at greater risk of not knowing how to find information on how to protect themselves," she said.

Abstinence-focused sex education

The law also prioritizes teaching that avoiding sex outside of marriage is the expected standard for all school-age students, while also teaching the benefits of monogamous heterosexual marriage. Slaybaugh argues that Oklahoma's version of sex education doesn't acknowledge the real situations faced by modern children, and abstinence-based lessons don't speak to consent or intimate partner violence.

"Teaching young people quality sex ed does not increase their chances of becoming sexually active. It actually can delay initial onset of sexual activity, while simultaneously giving them the skills to be smarter about the decisions they make when they choose to become sexually active," she said.

One trend that could help explain the effectiveness of sex education is the teen birth rate. A study of 55 U.S. counties published in 2022 found that funding for more comprehensive sex education led to an overall reduction in the teen birth rate.

Oklahoma's teen birth rate has been steadily falling over the past three decades. In 1991 there were more than 72 babies born for every 1,000 female teenagers. As of 2023, the rate had fallen to about 21 births.

"We know that has happened alongside the expansion of programs and services that support comprehensive sex education," said Duvall.

While a declining teen birth rate is seen across the United States, Oklahoma still has one of the highest rates in the nation, according to Healthy Teens Oklahoma.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Parents would have to opt-in to sex education under proposed law