Jayda Spencer –
Jayln Hodge Shaw (JHS) and Grace Olson (GO) created RSB/22-4-5 to require sex education in Tennessee high schools. Sex education gives young people the knowledge and skills they need for a lifetime of sexual health. 40% of U.S. teens are sexually active according to the CDC. Many teens are sexually active and without proper sex education, leading to consequences like accidental pregnancy and the spread of STDs and STIs. We all need to be aware of these things, especially our youth.
In sex education classes, children “learn how to have healthy relationships, make informed decisions about sex, think critically about the world, be a good ally to those who are marginalized, and love themselves for who they are” according to Planned Parenthood. Sex education supposedly works best when it’s “taught by trained professionals, taught early and often throughout the lifespan, includes both information and skill-building actives, evidence-informed, inclusive of LGTBQ+ youth, rooted in anti-racism practices, trauma-informed, and adapted to the needs of the community.” I personally felt like these last statements went well with the bill that these two ladies wrote because their bill is inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community.
I asked these two ladies a couple of questions about their bill and why they decided to write it.
JS: What kind of books and resources would this class course need?
JHS: So we planned on making our books [and] taking part of the current curriculum. So taking the family life, the STIs, the contraceptive information from the curriculum, and then adding information from resources we pulled from accredited universities and their studies to try to get reliable information for students so that it’s actually helpful for everyone. [It] teaches people on what they need to know.
GO: The section in the current lifetime wellness as Jayln mentioned does not include anything along the lines of LGBTQ+ per the current standards of Tennessee.
JS: Why is it important that you make the LGBTQ+ community inclusive within your sex education programs?
JHS: Personally, when I go into my wellness class, I don’t think I’m represented and some things like STI information are good to know because I personally would like to avoid getting anything that would cause me or anyone else harm. But it’s good to be inclusive for everybody so that everybody can feel represented in the classroom…[and] people will actually be able to engage into what they are learning.
GO: Our bill includes how to teach yourself what to identify as because we believe that is something important, and you should embrace who you are. Going to a very diverse school, we see this firsthand everyday, and we want to include those types of people.
Learn More:
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2020/05/06/CDC-40-of-US-teens-are-sexually-active/8811588709258/
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/for-educators/what-are-goals-sex-education-youth
Department of Public Information 