Bill Wright

If the kids never learn about sex, then they will never think about it and never engage in sex until married, right? That seems to be the line of thought by some Utah legislators. The Utah House passed HB363, which effectively eliminates sex education in the public schools. This bill allows local school boards to decide if they wish to participate in sex education programs. If they do, the course has mandates that eliminate the teaching of sex and most education on the topic. Here are the highlights, if it can be called that, of HB363:

Human sexuality instruction or instructional programs shall teach and stress:

• the importance of abstinence from all sexual activity before marriage and fidelity after marriage as the only sure methods for preventing certain communicable diseases;
• personal skills that encourage individual choice of abstinence and fidelity;

The bill is right; abstinence is the only way to completely prevent “certain communicable diseases.” However, it interesting that the bill’s sponsor, the prudish Bill Wright, can’t even directly state the purpose is the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. I assume that we are all supposed to wink and nod in agreement that the code words “certain communicable diseases” does not mean the flu or measles but syphilis and gonorrhea.

Teaching kids not to succumb to peer pressure and say “no” is a worthwhile undertaking, but when the rest of the language in this bill is considered, it doesn’t bring a lot of confidence that this process is going to provide much information and probably even fewer sensible suggestions.

Human sexuality instruction or instructional programs may not include instruction in or the advocacy of the intricacies of intercourse, sexual stimulation, or erotic behavior

Great idea! Let’s teach human sexuality without mentioning intercourse. While these 45 great minds in the Utah House are at it, why not teach math without numbers and English without letters? Be sure to leave out “sexual stimulation or erotic behavior” too, because if these boys and girls on the edge of adulthood learn about the feelings inside them and changes in their bodies they might learn that sex is as natural to human beings as drinking a glass of water. Basically, this bill is offering the teaching of sex without sex. It is senseless.

As if the above not being taught is bad enough, here are the rest of the banned subjects:

• homosexuality
• contraceptive methods or devices
• sexual activity outside of marriage

Of course, any hint at homosexuality was to be avoided. That is assumed in a bill like this, but contraception too? This form of sex education sounds like training to get couples married and keep the women barefoot and pregnant.

I particularly like the ban on “sexual activity outside of marriage.” This legislation is not even allowing the discussion of sex in marriage because intercourse is forbidden to discuss. Not encouraging sex outside of marriage is easy when talk of sex is forbidden, period.

So Utah’s possible new sex education classes don’t provide information about sex. What happens when a student, bored by nonsensical babble, or just curious about his or her own genitalia, dares to ask a question that needs a real answer? HB363 has an answer for that as well.

An instructor may respond to a spontaneous question as long as the response is consistent with the provisions of this section

It’s okay to take real questions, but don’t give real answers.

The thinking behind this pseudo-education is explained by the bill’s sponsor Bill Wright:

“We’ve been culturally watered down to think we have to teach about sex, about having sex and how to get away with it, which is intellectually dishonest,” said bill sponsor Rep. Bill Wright, R-Holden. “Why don’t we just be honest with them upfront that sex outside marriage is devastating?”

That fairly well addresses the real problem here. The Utah House is packed with people who think sex is dirty, evil and wrong. The message the Utah House is sending to students in its state is clear: “Kids, don’t have sex, whatever that is, because it will destroy your lives.”

If sex can’t be taught in these sex education classes, then just what can? H363 clearly states that a school board “shall recommend abstinence-only instructional materials for use in human sexuality instruction or instructional programs.” That is it. Utah is going to teach sex education with abstinence-only materials and never broach the subject of sex. Frankly, they may as well junk the entire sex education program if this bill becomes law, because the students enduring this propaganda will learn more on the street than in the classroom.