Sex education is a highly contested topic – or it would be if elected representatives actually talked about it. Discussing sex education is often seen as inappropriate, even among adults. And when it is discussed, it is often laid out in a manner that is condescending, not well thought out, and not medically accurate.

Case in point: in many areas across the country, conservative and/or religious interests influence many of the sexual education programs implemented in U.S. public schools. One reason for this is that progressive groups don’t add comprehensive sex education to their agenda out of fear of alienating constituents, or, simply, they don’t understand why sex education is important. But it is an important. If progressive groups want to push for protecting secular education, women’s equality, and LGBTQ inclusivity, there needs to be a comprehensive sex education policy.

Most people form an opinion around sex education when they go through it in primary school. Some may remember it as informative, some may remember it as the irrelevant. Some may remember it as co-ed, some as gender-segregated. Some may remember it as abstinence only, some may remember it as comprehensive. This is the problem; sex education is an issue that is so pushed off the policy radar, it can be taught in any way those teaching it see fit. In New York State, as in many other areas across the country, there is no comprehensive sex education requirement. It is baffling that in a state that is so progressive in many ways – the birthplace of the movements for women’s suffrage and LGBT rights – something so critical to health education can be forgotten. When something like this is tossed aside and is put into the hand of those who are unqualified to implement it, such as uncredited organizations and untrained teachers, it can do a lot of damage, particularly to girls and LGBTQ youth. Things such as safety, consent, and tolerance can be missed or mistaught.

The ideal sex education program would include information given to ALL students, regarding ALL aspects of human sexuality, including but not limited to:

• All forms of birth control (male and female condoms, diaphragms, IUD’s, etc.)
• Consent
• Abstinence
• Healthy relationships (whether it’s heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual)
• Gender identity

It is especially important that a comprehensive sexual education policy heavily emphasizes LGBTQ identity in sex education, because in doing so, schools could create a cultural shift for LGBTQ acceptance, without forgetting their non LGBTQ counterparts. If homosexual/non gender conforming identities are taught alongside heterosexual/cisgender identities, students will (rightfully) learn that non-conforming identities are perfectly normal, and thus should not be subject to discrimination.

An emphasis on LGBTQ identity in sex education also raises the status of girls within the sexual sphere. Because the sexual oppression of women and LGBTQ people are similar, normalizing attitudes that fall outside of traditional gender roles can create a space where girls can feel empowered in their own sexuality, not to mention receive crucial information that relates to their own sexual health, such as the use of dental dams (which are often not discussed due to the fact that mainstream sexual culture demonizes giving oral sex to women).

Fortunately, the New York state legislature does have bills pending in the house and senate that would require all schools to offer secular, medically accurate sex education as determined by the commissioner of education. While these bills do not emphasize LGBTQ inclusion, they are a start. If we wish to see real change in our schools, we can start by talking. Talking to our parents, friends, neighbors, teachers, elected officials and the commissioner about the power sex education has and the difference it could make in the lives of developing adults.