LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Jonathan Lindsey on Thursday voiced his opposition to newly proposed health standards by the State Board of Education that could include sexual topics and concepts.
“While schools are bogged down in bureaucracy and student outcomes across the state are toward the bottom 10% nationally, the State Board of Education is narrowing its focus on blurring the lines between health and sex education by attempting to include overtly sexual topics like gender ideology and same-sex attraction as part of the health class curriculum,” said Lindsey, R-Coldwater.
Michigan law outlines standards for local districts that choose to teach elective sex education courses, requiring local control of curriculum. Under current law, sex education guidelines allow districts to opt out, require parental notice and the ability to opt out of such lessons, and may include family planning, reproductive health and STD risk and prevention.
The State Board of Education is holding meetings to consider a proposal that would blend sex education topics with traditional health education lesson plans, which are a requirement for graduation. The proposal highlights items like gender ideology, gender expression, sexual orientation and same-sex attraction, while normalizing sexual promiscuity. These could be taught to students as young as sixth grade. School districts, however, would not be required to adopt the proposed changes to the health class curriculum should they be adopted by the state board.
“This is a clear attempt at an end run around current law and the safeguards originally included by the Legislature to protect parents’ right to decide the moral direction of their child’s education,” Lindsey said.
Several parents and lawmakers have publicly opposed the newly proposed curriculum changes.
“Health class should focus on teaching healthy habits and lifestyles, not normalizing sexual perversions or teaching young students about gender ideology and sexual orientation — especially behind the backs of parents,” Lindsey said. “I vehemently oppose this proposal, and while the public comment period is now closed, I encourage parents to continue speaking with their local school boards and making their voices heard!”
The proposal has not been formally adopted by the State Board of Education.
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