Discussion: Gay Sex Ed in Public Schools

I would say not so much "gay sex", but anal sex in general. This would include straight teens who want to try it out (because yes, there are many who do), and it would still fulfill basic gay sex ed. I just don't like the idea of "gay sex" being taught in schools. If one can teach the basics of gay sex, enough to where it helps gay teens, and still make it more geared to the general audience (straights and gays alike), then I'm all for it.

I suppose they could throw in a segment about lesbian sex, although there's many different ways and depending on the type, they might just have to talk about usage of toys in sex ed (which would still help straight teens if they choose to talk about toys). Overall, I think they should teach sex in general that would benefit LGBT students and straight students at the same time. I would cringe in class if my teacher started talking to us about gay sex. I really would.

 

Affirmative:

Yes, since gay/bi people need to learn how to have same-sex sex safely. BUT I think that people, like with opposite-sex sex lessons, should have the option to drop out.

 

Kritik: People can parse out arguments without AFFIRMATIVE and NEGATIVE headings.

The purpose of sex education is harm reduction. Teenagers are adjusting to changing from children into adults. A lot of important development is going on, and desires are not always properly restrained by safety considerations, reciprocity and consideration of others. The general public makes the mistake that educating people about something is endorsing it. (I actually do endorse healthy sexuality between adolescents, so there.) But, suppose, even within the sex negative frame of the general public, there's something not to be excited about with teenagers getting it on. Fair enough... But they are going to do it anyway. So, rather than be saddled with teen pregnancy, STI outbreaks, or an increase in abusive relationships where participants don't know what's happening to them (and their friends don't know how to spot the warning signs), let's educate people about healthy relationships and sexuality.

Holistic sex education provides additional benefits:

1) Gay, bisexual, asexual and transgender people are humanized.
2) Psychopathic children of cretin parents are properly rebuked.

~ Adrienne

 

AFFIRMATIVE

lol. I feel like a robot saying that.

Anyway...

I feel like there should be more information given out on the subject. Our sex ed mainly consisted of talks on contraception and "waiting 'till marriage".

Someone actually asked about same-sex relationships, and our teacher just went on a rant about how "gay sex is pointless and unnecessary" and how "If you can help it, don't have gay sex". Which was rather annoying because they asked HOW to stay safe, not whether they agreed or what their opinion was on the subject.

Then again, he was just our regular science teacher and not a sex ed instructor.(That's a thing, right? I think it is).

What annoys me is the comments people make on this subject like-

"If they start teaching about same-sex relationships, what's next? Masturbation classes?"

:lol: (Legit comment I saw on a video on this subject).

Then there's the ones like "Gays don't need no special education, they just need to know the basics like X,Y,Z" and they'll go into detail about things like everybody learnt about the things they did.

Safe-sex between women definitely needs to be addressed. If you search for these things, many websites will come up with "If you ever sleep with a man" at the top and will go into masses of detail about that and then maybe a little bit on safe-sex between women. You have to look quite hard for that kind of information. Most of what comes up is just people making jokes on how little they know about the subject. At least EC has some decent information on the subject in their "health" section under "resources". Also the "STDs" section is quite informative as well, which is also under "resources".

It's not just LGBT people who are left confused either. I remember the bit on condoms we did in sex ed which was just "well, you probably know about that by now so I guess we can just move on". We never did the whole putting a condom over a banana thing.

What I gathered from sex-ed was this:

Don't sleep around, wait until marriage (at the time I think they'd only just allowed same-sex marriage here, or it might've been just before that) Take contraception but don't rely on it because it might not be enough to protect you from getting pregnant, and your condom might break so you're better off being in a long term relationship when you decide to have sex. AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T HAVE GAY SEX.

So yeah, I think there should be more information provided really.

 

I would almost certainly disagree, but I would be interested in reading a 'NEGATIVE' answer. That said,

AFFIRMATIVE.
Certainly. And there are many points as to why I think it should; some of them are listed below.
1) To learn about safe sex when it comes to anal sex and cunnilingus. This is important for both gay and straight teens who are experimenting with these forms of sexual activity. Learning about protection etc. is crucial in maintaining their health, both in protecting them from STDs and protecting them from e.g. damages to one's anus.
2) To reduce stigma around the idea of homo- and bisexuality. I think it could be especially fruitful if, like Skaros suggested (more or less, I think ), it's done not with gays and lesbians as the sole target audiences, which might be alienating, but with everyone doing it together, learning about this surfacing aspect of their lives together, and learning that sex isn't at all weird or gross; whatever its form, it's just a normal part of life.
3) Good way to normalize the idea of homo- and bisexuality, as well as free expression of sexuality within healthy and ethical frameworks regardless of sexuality. I'm kind of repeating myself now, but if one talks in the sense that "anal sex is commonly enjoyed by many people, whether straight, gay or lesbian" or "cunnilingus is a common praxis between heterosexual couples and lesbian couples" (or words to that effect), I think that's a great way to promote the ideal that, you know, all of us aren't so different after all, no matter our gender and if we like boobs or brawn or both or whatever.

 

I support school choice, so some schools can have it, others can choose not to. The parents in that area can choose if they want their child to learn it or not.

Personally, I think it's better for some to be taught, like protection options for lesbians and STDS that can only be contracted by one gender. I don't, however, believe anything political about it should be taught. In the example of religious schools, I think it's fine if they want to teach against gay marriage, so comparatively, schools should be able to teach that being gay is okay so long as the parents know that it's being taught--but I think it's better if it sticks to protection & STDs.

 

So I opened this thread, didn't read it, and went for a shower, where I ranted to myself about a whole bunch of issues that I feel need to be resolved in sex ed, and didn't even get to anal sex or lesbian sex. :/ The whole system is a little outdated in my opinion.

I do support parent/gaurdian choice in whether or not their child participates in sex ed at school, however at some point I think that knowledge does need to be tested (like any other homeschooling). I don't think public schools should be allowed to pick and choose what they teach regarding sex ed. (That comes from observations that schools that are offered a choice, when they choose what to teach, and many parents, teach abstinance only; which is wholey anti-thetical to sex ed. and actually poses a public health risk.)

Here's the thing; we have "Physical and Health Education" and spend most of it running around. Which is fine and healthy. But not having comprehensive education on how our bodies work and respond beyond "running good, MacDonald's bad, piv-boy-girl-sex good after marriage" is unhealthy.

So... yes, teaching anal sex would be a good start.

 

I am starting to love my school's Sex ED. We are taught about most things, well so far any way I have like another term or so until we finish Sex ED.
We're taught about safety in Sex and things like STD's and all. We haven't really talked about relationships between Gay and Trans people and that would be helpful.
I am defiantly not against it cause we all gotta be safe no matter what. Equality.

---------- Post added 22nd Apr 2016 at 03:28 PM ----------

I just read what I wrote and realised it made no sense but not going to try and fix it.

 

I don't mean to be provocative (or yes, I do), but... In other words, you think it's okay to be political against homosexuality but not for homosexuality?

 

Homosexuality wasn't even mentioned in Sex Ed when I had it. I'm sure if someone had asked about it, they would've answered their question, but as it was, no one did. It could've been nice to have some discussion of LGBT, but imagine the shitstorm that would happen if more conservative areas were required to teach about it.

 

I do not think we should teach the kids the ins-and-outs of anal sex, but rather that being gay is normal and to be accepted, despite the screams of the bigoted parents. This is the same reason I think sex education should me mandatory with no option for the parents to take their kids out of school and exempt then from the lesson. Too many kids are getting pregnant at younger and younger ages, and the parents are too red-faced to say anything about it.

 

No. I think schools should be able to teach that it's okay or teach that it's not okay. But if I were a parent and the political climate was like it is now, I would prefer my kids be sent to a bipartisan school.

 

I see. Then I understand. I don't agree (I think that homophobia, if expressed, should be fully punishable by law regardless of where it's coming from), but then I understand at least.

 

Sex ed in my school is all for cisgender heterosexual people with no regard to the people who are in anyway differing from that..

 

AFFIRMATIVE

Of course! I think that EVERYONE, regardless of their sexual orientation (or lack of) should be taught about all types of sex. Not to make it awkward or anything, but just because, I think if it was something "special" that people would have to sign up for, it automatically puts a stigma on it and people don't want to single themselves out, you know?

Personally, although I am bi, I would never have signed up for a course on f/f safety because the atmosphere at my high school was pretty homophobic in general, so I think that teaching all types of sexual safety to everyone would be a great way to teach kids about every type of sexuality, rather than the hetero-cisgendered-normative stuff that is the default in almost every school.

 

AFFIRMATIVE

I'm in health class right now in school, and I really hate how heteronormative everything is. I feel like I don't get much out of the sex ed stuff because it doesn't feel like they're talking about me.

A lot of people are gay; chances are that someone in the class will be something other than straight. We don't need them feeling alienated, and we don't need them thinking that their sexual health doesn't matter.

 

Affirmative:

It is in the best interest of society to have comprehensive sex-education, not only in regards to affirmative consent, contraception, STI's and HIV, but also that sexuality and gender are included in that conversation. People need to be taught that heterosexual and cisgender are not "defaults", and that LGBTQ individuals have their own specific needs that need taken care of in regards to sex as well. I know many people who say they would have benefitted from sex ed if only it weren't taught in such a cis/heteronormative setting.

 

I'd only be for it if, like others have said, that they teach it like it's a general thing, for safety(no pun intended) reasons. There are still people who aren't out, etc. who wouldn't be comfortable to feel singled out.

I'd also hope that asexuality is brought up in at least some kinda statement(if simply to normalize it). It always feels kinda awkward looking back because I'd say it helped make me feel like something was wrong for not having those same 'feelings that everybody has/should have'.