After reading this, I wonder how many of you have had homosexuality taught in your schools as part of your curriculum? Md. judge ends legal fight over sex ed curriculum Sexual orientation taught to be innate By JOSHUA LYNSEN | Feb 6, 3:25 PM A judge has ended the legal battle over Montgomery County’s new, gay-inclusive sex education lessons. Maryland Circuit Court Judge William Rowan III ruled last week that he had no reason to overturn earlier decisions that allowed the curriculum, which describes sexual orientation as innate, to be taught. “The Board of Education’s opinion stated that the lessons regarding the origins of sexual orientation are not open to an evidentiary hearing and are within the legal purview of the school to include or not include in the lessons,” he wrote. “Therefore, this court finds that there is nothing to demonstrate that the Board of Education’s opinion is arbitrary, unreasonable or illegal.” Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, Parents & Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays and Family Leader Network had challenged the Maryland State Board of Education’s decision to approve the lessons. State officials said in July that legal challenges to the curriculum, raised by the three conservative groups, were unfounded and the curriculum is legal. The lessons, titled “Respect for Differences in Human Sexuality,” explain concepts such as sexual identity and orientation using what supporters say is nonjudgmental language. Montgomery County Public Schools students in grades eight and 10 are taught to recognize healthy relationships and to define human sexuality, gender identity and other terms. Older students also examine topics such as coming out, and are asked to consider the challenges a transgender student might face. They also are taught how to use a condom. No special instructions are given to gay students. Curriculum opponents focused their arguments during a Jan. 16 court hearing on how the lessons might violate laws governing school curricula. Attorneys for the conservative groups said the lessons could violate parts of the Code of Maryland Regulations that bar classroom discussion of “erotic techniques.” But the judge wrote state officials correctly “determined that it was within the local school board’s role to determine that the lessons did not contain erotic techniques.” Jerry Weast, superintendent of Montgomery County’s public schools, praised the ruling in a statement. “We hope that we can put this litigation behind us now once and for all and move forward with our primary mission — educating our children.” But Richard Thompson, president of the Thomas More Law Center, which is representing the three conservative groups in court, said this week the ruling might be appealed. “Judge Rowan’s ruling gives a green light to homosexual groups throughout Maryland to pressure school boards to adopt similar policies,” he said. “We will be meeting with our clients next week regarding an appeal.”
Way back when I was in high school, I believe that there was about five seconds worth of homosexuality in the sex-ed class. The teacher acknowledged its existence and moved on to reproductive health.
There was no mention of homosexuality when I was at school. Just the basic straight sex education, which itself was very limited. In the UK Section 28 of the Local Government Act came into effect in 1998 and remained in place until 2003. This stated that stated that a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship". It was highly controversial legislation at the time. It was introduced by the Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher and finally repealed after a three year struggle (the House of Lords resisted) by Tony Blair's Labour government. During the period that it was in effect, schools generally avoided any mention of homosexuality.
Oh, wait! I learned about it in a college course last summer! [But they referred to it as an alternative to getting married] Does that count?
hmmm....margaret thatcher....that name sounds so familiar...hmm....and no i cant remember a time when homosexuality was taught in school....but then again, what's there to teach about it (dont take that as it sounded...)
just as an aside in sex education and not quite the same thing, but "homophobia has to got to go" posters and the like
Actually I don't have many complaints here. I was first taught about homosexuality in a sex-ed calss (a special class) but it was very brief. Later we were taught about it in biology. Then some mentions of it in "health and teenagers" a government regulated class which meant very limited info. And also we heard about it in psycology class. But I think it had something to do with Freudian theories and the development of sexuality and the sexual stages, which practically goes against what they're trying to do (sexual orientation innate).
We weren't really formally taught about them but we have many teachers who adamantly support them and they are allowed to make that very clear. Most of them do.
As part of the Holocaust unit we did in English, we also were told about homosexuals being one of the main victims. Our teacher, who is one of the most non-judgmental, open, caring individuals I know, taught us about it without any hesitation and even made it clear that they aren't bad people and not to make any jokes. It was very cool, and I was proud to be in that class at that moment. I even came out to her a couple weeks ago. Greatest teacher I've ever had <3
I checked 'No' but then I realized there were a few instances where we talked about homosexuality. Last year, we saw a video about HIV/AIDS in my World History class and it featured a gay man grieveing over his partner who died of AIDS. It also showed men and women holding hands and showing obvious affection for one other. It was meet with disgusted 'ughs!' and boos until my teacher told the kids booing exactly this: 'Oh calm down, it's just two guys holding hands!' and after one kid just would not stop, the girl beside him turned around and yelled: "Shut up! Why do you care so much what two people are doing with their lives? It's not affecting you in any way, so grow up!" He quickly hushed. I was pretty amazed. Then, in Health, some guy (who was rather perverted) came in to talk to us about STDs and sex. During his discussion, a girl asked something about lesbians and the whole class fell silent. The speaker responded and quickly went on to talk about something else. In my U.S. History class that I have now, the only time we've talked about homosexuality is when we were talking about the Puritans and how homosexuality=death in their society. My teacher mentioned how two men were found quote 'wrestling' and were hanged. Then, when we were talking about some prince (I think they called him Bonnie Prince Charlie or something), he mentioned they suspected he was gay since he never married and it was extremely rare for that to occur. People made snide remarks like 'He probably wanted to paint the castle pink' but other than that, it wasn't bad.
When I was taking sex-ed, there was a brief (and I mean BRIEF) mention of it, but nothing more. We had this question box where you could write your question and have it answered - avoiding the discomfort of asking out loud in front of the class. Somebody once asked about how gay people have sex. The teacher answered the question and the topic was never mentioned again. There was no stress on teaching homosexuality.
No. The more conservative teachers joke about it and the immature students laugh at it, but homosexuality has never been a part of school curriculum in my area.