Telling us no, only makes us want to do it that much more. In this instance sex happens to be the proverbial “it.” Abstinence-only education has been proven time and again to be ineffective, so much so that President Barack Obama eliminated funding for these programs in favor of those that promote a rounded sexual education.
Tennessee seems to have missed the universal memo and instead is favoring a new piece of legislation that fines teachers who do not promote abstinence and protects those who challenge the “scientific weakness” of evolution, the origin of life, global warming and human cloning.
These drastic steps to preserve children’s virginity while instilling a firm belief in creationism mixed with doubting science seem like they are as far out as Tennessee could go. But you would be wrong.
Tennessee also has legislation in the works that prohibits teaching or providing materials on any form of sexuality other than heterosexuality. It’s come to be known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Joey Hensley, said he favors the bill because he doesn’t want his children to be exposed to things he doesn’t agree with. While the bill would have no effect on his children — who are in elementary school and will not receive any sexual education until high school as it is illegal in Tennessee — that is beside the point. If we all had the option to pass a bill eliminating things we don’t agree with from a school’s curriculum — and in Hensley’s case, vocabulary — there will be nothing left to teach. Math and I don’t always agree, but that doesn’t mean I can just get rid of it because of our differences.
At the moment, there isn’t much right with Tennessee. As children and adults we need to be open to new concepts and ideas. Before passing judgment we need to be able to look past any preconceptions we may have and weigh the information at hand. These laws prevent a balanced education and create an influx of close-minded individuals unable to see past what they are told.
Katy Sword can be reached at [email protected]