Texas Sex-Ed Texts Barely Mention Contraceptives

Exonerate · Post by **Exonerate** » 2004-11-05 10:38pm

Texas Sex-Ed Texts Barely Mention Contraceptives
Fri Nov 5, 2004 07:07 PM ET

By Jon Herskovitz
DALLAS (Reuters) - Texas education officials on Friday approved health textbooks for high school students that extol the virtues of sexual abstinence but only make passing mention of contraceptives, which critics say violates state regulations and endangers the health of teens.

The battle in Texas has national implications because the state is the second-biggest market for textbooks in the United States. Books approved by the state's school board are typically marketed nationally.

The 15-member Texas Board of Education approved four books, all of which promote a birth control program based on abstinence. Three make no mention of contraceptives, while one makes passing references to condoms.

State regulations require information on contraceptives to be included in the sexual education curriculum, but board members said the books meet state standards because contraceptives are mentioned in separate supplements or in the teacher's edition.

Critics said the board bowed to social conservatives and their approval will leave Texas teens with inadequate information about their health.

"Instead of doing the responsible thing and providing high school students with life-saving information about sex and health, the Board of Education has left them to fend for themselves and get information from each other and sources like the Internet and MTV," said Samantha Smoot, president of the Texas Freedom Network, which battles social conservatives.

The texts are likely to appear in classrooms in August 2005 -- where they could be the standard text for about 10 years. The publishers of the books are Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Glencoe/McGraw Hill and Thomson Delmar Learning, which is owned by the Thomson Corp . Holt is owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV .

Many current textbooks in Texas have more information on contraceptives than the ones the board approved.

Surveys indicate a wide majority of U.S. parents support a strong abstinence message to teens in sex education.

According to Centers for Disease Control figures, Texas has been among the top five states in the country for teenage pregnancies for several years.

When he was governor of Texas, George W. Bush pushed for an abstinence-based sexual education curriculum.

The board also asked on Friday for a change in the definition of marriage for separate middle school health books after a conservative member of the board said new language was needed to replace code words she thought promoted a homosexual agenda.

Board member Terri Leo, a Republican, said terms such as "couples" and "adults" should be replaced with terms such as: husband, wife, mother and father. She wanted to make sure the textbooks did not advocate same-sex marriage.

The board approve language saying: "Marriage is a life-long union between a husband and wife."

The board rejected a proposal from Leo asking for language saying: "homosexuals, lesbians and bisexuals as a group are more prone to self-destructive behavior like depression, illegal drug use and suicide."

Link

Why am I not surprised... Crappy ass-backwards state, we should've never annexed them.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-11-05 10:42pm

They want to strengthen their legions of hicks and produce an army of unstoppable might that will vote more Dubyas into the White House in the future.

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2004-11-05 10:47pm

You know what, I almost wish they'd hurry up and do it. It'd take all the waffling and indecision out of getting the fuck outta this slowly-degenerating country. Damn slow, patient, creeping evil! Have the decency to be fast and instantly vicious!

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2004-11-05 11:21pm

How does this qualify as sex-ed? 'Homosexuals are evil'? WTF?

Mitth`raw`nuruodo · Post by **Mitth`raw`nuruodo** » 2004-11-06 12:28am

Terry Leo (the lady heading the bit about marriage) is apparently a bit of a fundie. Her site. She seems to be part of a big push to teach both "the strengths AND weaknesses of evolution" in Texas (link).

I don't suppose it suprises me really.

Post by **fgalkin** » 2004-11-06 12:32am

Oh god, not again.

The bitch seems to want the fame and power of the Gablers.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2004-11-06 01:17am

"State regulations require information on contraceptives to be included in the sexual education curriculum, but board members said the books meet state standards because contraceptives are mentioned in separate supplements or in the teacher's edition."

Great, so it'll be up to the teacher if he wants to teach the kids about contraceptives.

"Instead of doing the responsible thing and providing high school students with life-saving information about sex and health, the Board of Education has left them to fend for themselves and get information from each other and sources like the Internet and MTV."

"The board rejected a proposal from Leo asking for language saying: "homosexuals, lesbians and bisexuals as a group are more prone to self-destructive behavior like depression, illegal drug use and suicide."

I wonder if she had any actual proof that supported the notion that homosexuality was the cause of such behavior.

"Surveys indicate a wide majority of U.S. parents support a strong abstinence message to teens in sex education."

I think that's pretty obvious. Except that not wanting your kids to have sex is different from preparing them for when they do.

And again with the gay agenda. These people must see more homosexuals than gay people do.

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2004-11-06 05:21pm

I live in the only county in Florida with an abstinence-only education system (Polk). We have the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the state, the highest percentage of teens with AIDS, the highest percentage of teens with other STDs, and the highest rate of teens engaging in sexual activity. Conclusion: abstinence-only education is worse than standard education. It leads to increased rates of sexual activity with a greatly decreased chance of utilizing protection. It is harmful to society, and as such should be banned as a health risk.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2004-11-06 05:49pm

The board rejected a proposal from Leo asking for language saying: "homosexuals, lesbians and bisexuals as a group are more prone to self-destructive behavior like depression, illegal drug use and suicide."

Well, that's mighty white of them...most caucasian, indeed.

Board member Terri Leo, a Republican, said terms such as "couples" and "adults" should be replaced with terms such as: husband, wife, mother and father. She wanted to make sure the textbooks did not advocate same-sex marriage.

Wait a minute, that's not right...couples other than those narrowly defined never have sex?

The board approve language saying: "Marriage is a life-long union between a husband and wife."

Good luck explaining D-I-V-O-R-C-E, morons!

The board also asked on Friday for a change in the definition of marriage for separate middle school health books after a conservative member of the board said new language was needed to replace code words she thought promoted a homosexual agenda.

From the depths, I cry out for a vomit smiley!

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2004-11-06 06:12pm

Mitth`raw`nuruodo wrote:Terry Leo (the lady heading the bit about marriage) is apparently a bit of a fundie. Her site. She seems to be part of a big push to teach both "the strengths AND weaknesses of evolution" in Texas (link).

I don't suppose it suprises me really.

Terri Leo is in fact the top bitch of the 'Fuck Over Texas Education Standards' movement. She was the one who tried to get ID in the science books last year, which my group, ACA, fought and defeated her on. Undeterred by the smack down we gave her over the biology text, she came back swinging with the sex ed books. She wasn't completely successful, but here are some of the things she wanted added:

In the teacher's editions:
"Opinions vary on why homosexuals, lesbians, and bisexuals as a group are more prone to self-destructive behaviors like depression, illegal drug use, and suicide."

"If you discuss homosexuality in class, be aware that Texas law rejects homosexual 'marriage.' Students can therefore maintain that homosexuality and heterosexuality are not moral equivalents, without being charged with 'hate speech.'"

In a Student Edition passage about adolescence, she demanded that publishers note that hormones produced by the body may make students interested in relationships "with the opposite sex" instead of simply "others."

In fact, she insisted that words like "others," "married people" and "couple" were "asexual stealth phrases" that promote homosexuality and same-sex relationships. She demanded that those phrases be changed to words that refer specifically to opposite-sex relationships, like "husband and wife" and "man and woman."

Finally, she submitted material criticizing the 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down this state's sodomy law as "unconstitutional" and "usurping the police power reserved to the states."

Oh and by the way, I just about a week ago found out that after spending about six months in Little Rock starting December, I will be stationed for the next three years back in the great state of Texas. Fuck all!

darthdavid · Post by **darthdavid** » 2004-11-06 06:31pm

Frank Hipper wrote:
The board also asked on Friday for a change in the definition of marriage for separate middle school health books after a conservative member of the board said new language was needed to replace code words she thought promoted a homosexual agenda.
From the depths, I cry out for a vomit smiley!

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-11-06 06:37pm

STOP SAYING THE SOUTH IS BACKWARDS!!! YOU'RE BEING SO UNFAIR!! WAAAAH!!! I WANT MY GUNS!!!!

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2004-11-06 06:52pm

I predict a massive spike in teen pregnancy and STD transmissivity in Texas if this shit is allowed to happen.*

Funny these problems with teenagers are exactly what the selfsame shit is being marketed to 'protect us' from. Same with the Drug War, Prohibition, and the emergent War on Filesharing: Amerika overall has a nasty spate of manufactured social-engineering laws purposely based on 'post hoc ergo propter hoc' self-fulfilling prophecy bullshit. There's no way for anyone to deny that everyone who makes these bullshit problems knows exactly what they're doing either! THEY WANT IT THIS WAY TO MAKE AN EXCUSE TO TIGHTEN THEIR GRIP ON US EVEN FURTHER!

Classic case of "Need a Final Solution? Create the Problem and market it as the Solution"...

*Hell, I think the spike will be nationwide if it happens all over, especially with the way things are headed. At least we'll get another Baby Boom, with a resulting spike in teenagers and young afults ten or twenty years down the road...

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2004-11-06 06:56pm

The board also asked on Friday for a change in the definition of marriage for separate middle school health books after a conservative member of the board said new language was needed to replace code words she thought promoted a homosexual agenda.

Repeat after me:

Alright you Nazi fascist useless scum, THERE IS NO FUCKING "HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA" EXCEPT FOR BEING ACCEPTED IN SOCIETY AND NOT BEING TARGETED BY HATE AND VIOLENCE, ASSHOLES!

I think we severely need a Stonewall Mk. 2, since all these fundies ever listen to is money and violence. I hope this time it's nationwide.

Post by **The Wookiee** » 2004-11-06 07:48pm

Why is everyone so surprised? This is the state that spawned George W. Bush. Homosexuality bad, express-lane capital punishment good.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2004-11-06 07:55pm

The Wookiee wrote:Why is everyone so surprised? This is the state that spawned George W. Bush. Homosexuality bad, express-lane capital punishment good.

Dalton, stop being a dick and realise that there are just some people whom we are best off by their shuffling from the mortal coil. Such as Richard Speck.

SyntaxVorlon · Post by **SyntaxVorlon** » 2004-11-06 10:01pm

MKSheppard wrote:
The Wookiee wrote:Why is everyone so surprised? This is the state that spawned George W. Bush. Homosexuality bad, express-lane capital punishment good.
Dalton, stop being a dick and realise that there are just some people whom we are best off by their shuffling from the mortal coil. Such as Richard Speck.

Try to stay on topic shep.

Well, this Leo woman sounds like a self-righteous bitch. Though you give me an idea Ein. Who here would be in favor of a bloody great stone wall around the south?

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2004-11-06 11:04pm

SyntaxVorlon wrote:Well, this Leo woman sounds like a self-righteous bitch. Though you give me an idea Ein. Who here would be in favor of a bloody great stone wall around the south?

A mile high, and start pumping in water...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots This is what I meant by "Stonewall" actually...

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2004-11-06 11:16pm

Einhander Sn0m4n wrote:I predict a massive spike in teen pregnancy and STD transmissivity in Texas if this shit is allowed to happen.

That's not going to happen, remember when Gov. Mike Foster implimented his abstinence only education in Louisiana? Remember how successful that turned out.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2004-11-06 11:40pm

Wicked Pilot wrote:
Einhander Sn0m4n wrote:I predict a massive spike in teen pregnancy and STD transmissivity in Texas if this shit is allowed to happen.
That's not going to happen, remember when Gov. Mike Foster implimented his abstinence only education in Louisiana? Remember how successful that turned out.

I think I was lucky enough to be out of school by the time it really hit the fan, and my sex ed was way back when I was 13, nine years ago.

Jadeite · Post by **Jadeite** » 2004-11-07 12:40am

Wicked Pilot wrote:
Einhander Sn0m4n wrote:I predict a massive spike in teen pregnancy and STD transmissivity in Texas if this shit is allowed to happen.
That's not going to happen, remember when Gov. Mike Foster implimented his abstinence only education in Louisiana? Remember how successful that turned out.

I've never heard of this, what happened?

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2004-11-07 10:40am

Jadeite wrote:I've never heard of this, what happened?

This is the relevant thread.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-11-07 10:48am

STDs don't give a fuck which god, if any, you follow.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2004-11-07 11:58am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:STDs don't give a fuck which god, if any, you follow.

Jesus can heal herpes.

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2004-11-07 10:01pm

It's a downward spiral. Rates of teenage pregnacy and STDs are high, they change the cirriculum to a more abstinence-only kind, rates go up more, they decide it's the problem of not enough abstience-only education, amend the cirriculum some more, and before you know it, all of the books say that the only kind of sex that won't make you die a long, painful death is procreative sex. Where neither side is doing it for pleasure. Where the woman is artifically inseminated with the man's sperm after he extracts a sample from another room. Where the man is pleasured by his grandmother in order to get the sperm, so he doesn't get any pleasure from masturbation.