8.10.20 — FROM ANNE NEWMAN
ACTION ALERT
Shocking Testimony on Proposed Health TEKS
Speak Up Now!
Note: It is crucial for the State Board of Education (SBOE) to hear from you. A coalition of 27 groups is promoting egregious sex education for Texas children. This is my 2nd Action Alert about the Health TEKS. If you didn’t receive the first, email me. If you contacted the (SBOE) after reading the first alert, thank you!
Shocking Testimony
The State Board of Education held a 15-hour online hearing on June 29 on the proposed K-12 Health curriculum standards, called the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Over 200 of the over 260 testifying spoke in favor of Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE). (See Resources concerning CSE — below)
Tasnim Islam testified on behalf of Deeds Not Words, an organization founded by former State Senator Wendy Davis to “give women the tools needed to turn their passion into effective action – teaching civic engagement skills to young women who use what they learn to organize, advocate for policy change and increase voter participation.” The group supports abortion and “other reproductive rights.” See:
https://deedsnotwords.com/aboutTasnim Islam Testimony – Excerpt:
“… I’m here on behalf of Deeds Not Words. I was 15 the first time I wanted to have sex. My girlfriend at the time and I didn’t know what to do when having sex, because we weren’t ever taught. We had to figure it out all by ourselves when our straight counterparts didn’t. And it’s not fair. Even right now, I’m still trying to figure out sex on my own because public sex education taught me nothing about different gender identities. My current partner is a transgender man, and he has been omitted from the conversation. He had nothing to turn to that teaches him about having sex as transgender man. Again, this is not equitable and alienates, queer and trans people. … I ask that you include queer and trans people of color healthcare professionals in the conversation … I ask that you include info on how LGBTQ plus folks can prevent pregnancy and STI’s in sex education that we can get through all methods of sex, whether it’s using strap-ons, lube, dental dams, HIV prevention, drug PReP, getting vaccination, cleaning toys, cleaning oneself before anal, et cetera.”
To learn more about the SBOE hearing, see “You Won’t Believe What Kind of Sex Ed LGBT Activists Want in Texas Public Schools”
What You Can Do:
Sample emails to send to school board members:
Note: Please put this in your own words.
I am writing to ask you to respect Texas law that requires that students be taught the standard of abstinence from sexual activity when you vote on the revised Health TEKS. Please support Risk Avoidance instruction. All risky behavior should be treated the same: Avoid it! We do not tell children “Don’t vape” or “Don’t Smoke” but then tell them how to do it with less risk to alleviate the consequences. Please do not support comprehensive sex education and risk-reduction instruction. There is an age of consent law in Texas!
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I am appalled and saddened by the testimony of those supporting Comprehensive Sex Education at your June 29 hearing on the proposed Health TEKS. One young woman testified about how she and her girlfriend wanted to have sex when she was 15 but they didn’t know how. Apparently, she was not taught about the Texas age of consent law.
Please keep Health education focused on basic health. Do not support comprehensive sex education, and do not include gender ideology, which is based on feelings not science. It is not the school’s job to teach children how to have sex.
2. Plan to testify at the SBOE hearings September 8 and November. More information will be provided about the latest revision of proposed TEKS.
RESOURCES TO UNDERSTAND COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION (CSE)
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Anne Newman
Donna Garner
