Letter: Navigating sex ed in schools today

Pritzker's office states the new sex ed standards are "voluntary," only mandated for schools already teaching comprehensive sex education; therefore, NO individual sex ed school determinations are allowed to be taught without these requirements.

Monica Cline, (former Planned Parenthood sex-ed instructor) founder and director of "It Takes A Family," told Breitbart News: "By looking at the standards and resources the NSES (National Science Education Standards) provide, states who encourage adoption of this content advocate for the abuse of our children by exposing them to obscene sexual notions and inappropriate ideas for their age. Simply, they are enticing and grooming our children for sexual activity."

Advocates for NSES said the standards will provide children with "medically accurate and age-appropriate" education, even as the standards state that between grades K-2 children should learn to "define gender, gender identity and gender role stereotypes."

Between grades 3-5, children should learn to "distinguish between sex assigned at birth and gender identity," "define and explain differences between cisgender, transgender, gender nonbinary, gender expansive and gender identity, explain that gender expression and gender identity exist along a spectrum."

Also required to learn is "the potential role of hormone blockers on young people who identify as transgender."

In grades 6-8, children must "define ... bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer, twospirit, asexual, pansexual," as well as different types of sex. Also required: "List at least four methods of contraception that are available without a prescription and "describe ... pregnancy options, including ... abortion."

High school students must "define reproductive justice, explain how it relates to sexual health and must analyze how homophobia, transphobia, racism, ableism and classism can influence decisions regarding sexual behaviors."

Cheryl Doros

Grayslake