| Republican presidential candidate and former | | | | education. |
| Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has fired | | | | |
| two salvos on sex education since July, | | | | New Jersey, my home state, mandates sex |
| attacking Democratic candidate Barack Obama | | | | education for all grades K through 12. Human |
| for his support of age-appropriate, medically | | | | relations and sexuality are one of six |
| accurate sex education for elementary school | | | | modules of a comprehensive health and |
| children, then going after the broader | | | | physical education program. The Garden State |
| Democratic field for not rejecting the | | | | mandates 150 minutes of health education per |
| inclusion of gay-related issues in sex | | | | week for all students and has a graduation |
| education for second-graders. | | | | requirement of 3 credits per year for high |
| | | | school students. However, New Jersey law does |
| "Not one candidate was uncomfortable with | | | | not state how much time must be devoted to |
| young children learning about same-sex | | | | sex education, probably to allow educators |
| marriage in the second grade," Romney said on | | | | flexibility to address a bigger health and |
| September 26. "This is a subject that should | | | | fitness picture. |
| be left to parents, not public school | | | | |
| teachers," he said. | | | | Does the Garden State suggest that second |
| | | | graders learn about same-sex marriage? |
| Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham | | | | |
| Clinton shared Romneys view, in my opinion, | | | | The answer: no, only that a second grader |
| saying that it should be parental discretion | | | | should be able identify different kinds of |
| to discuss same-sex marriage with young | | | | families and understand that families may |
| children. Clinton also favors civil unions | | | | differ for many reasons. There is no mention |
| over same-sex marriage; she might be aiming | | | | of same-sex relationships; that leaves such |
| for consistency in her views on these two | | | | instruction in the hands of parents and |
| issues. | | | | teachers. |
| | | | |
| But would a second grader understand civil | | | | I wonder why Governor Romney keeps up the |
| unions, or even care? | | | | attack on sex education, when its essentially |
| | | | a non-issue in the presidential campaigns. |
| First, I wanted to find out if same-sex | | | | Sex education policies, for better or worse, |
| marriage is taught in states that offer sex | | | | are ratified by state legislatures; national |
| education to second graders; Illinois, for | | | | guidelines have almost no chance for passage |
| instance, Senator Obamas home state, does not | | | | by a highly partisan Congress. |
| mandate sex education before the sixth grade. | | | | |
| | | | If parents and teachers have been able to |
| The Sexuality and Education Council of the | | | | work together, must the President be |
| United States (SIECUS) provides guidelines | | | | involved? |
| for comprehensive sex education for grades | | | | |
| K-12. These guidelines recommend introductory | | | | There are numerous policies and practices |
| instruction on homosexuality and tolerance in | | | | among the states from comprehensive |
| the early elementary grades (ages 5 through | | | | approaches, to abstinence is best to |
| 8) and that two people of the same gender can | | | | abstinence-only to abstinence until marriage. |
| live in loving, lifelong committed | | | | Governors, including New Jerseys Jon Corzine, |
| relationships. No mention of marriage or | | | | have refused money for |
| civil unions; those are not the only such | | | | abstinence-until-marriage instruction under |
| relationships. | | | | federal guidelines; their medical accuracy |
| | | | and educational value has been put in |
| So, SIECUS, the leading advocates for sex | | | | question in academic circles, as well as |
| education instruction, advises teaching a | | | | political circles. |
| bigger picture, knowing that same-sex couples | | | | |
| cannot have legally recognized marriages in | | | | Romney says his Democratic opponents are out |
| some states. They are not asking parents and | | | | of touch with the American people on sex |
| children to lend political support for | | | | education. Its Romney who is out of touch; |
| same-sex marriage. They are educators, not | | | | the voters in every state have already told |
| politicians. Sex education professionals rely | | | | their governor and legislators, as well as |
| on these guidelines; they were developed over | | | | their teachers and school boards, about the |
| 40 years ago, continually revised as science | | | | sex education they wantand they dont want to |
| advanced and policies changed. Educators and | | | | lose the chance to change their minds. |
| parents must work together towards a | | | | |
| successful sex education curriculum, not in | | | | I doubt they want Mitt Romney, or any other |
| an adversarial relationship. That view is | | | | candidate who grabs the brass ring, to take |
| shared by sex educators and those who | | | | that chance away from them. |
| historically oppose some units of sex | | | | |