Should Sexual Orientation Be Taught in the Classroom?

March 22, 2007 — -- Kids grow up inundated with messages about sex. From the Internet to the TV to the playground, they're seeing and hearing more about sex than ever before.

And then there's the classroom, where many middle school children get their first formal lesson on sex. Sex education in schools has sparked controversy since its inception: How should it be taught? What should be taught?

Now, there's a new question: Should sexual orientation be part of a sex-ed curriculum?

Earlier this month, several schools in Montgomery County in Maryland launched a pilot program for eighth and 10th grade health classes that includes references to sexual orientation, homophobia and transsexuality.

"Young people are growing up in a world where sexual orientation isn't as big of a taboo topic as it used to be for many people of different generations," said Monica Rodriguez of the Sexuality Information and Education Council.

But some parents are outraged.

"Starting at the eighth grade levels, we are concerned about the ability of these 12- and 13-year-olds to be able to fully grasp what is being presented to them," said Michelle Turner, co-founder of the Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum.

Turner helped create the group in late 2004 when the Montgomery school board first decided to introduce sexual orientation into the classroom. She believes the curriculum encourages students to accept individuals who are homosexual, which she believes is a choice that many kids have been taught is wrong or inappropriate.

Fellow Montgomery resident and father Jim Kennedy disagrees.

"Some people think that you can just not mention something and it will just go away," he said.

Kennedy and others argue that the program will help promote tolerance among students. Dr. Justin Richardson, who has written on the subject of sex education, isn't surprised by the controversy the program is causing.

"I think that, given that some of these children sitting in these classrooms are going to grow up to be gay, I think that schools do have a responsibly to try and help those kids come to terms with themselves and their sexual orientation," he said.