A new sex ed bill is being opposed. | Pexels.com / Cottonbro
A new sex ed bill is being opposed. | Pexels.com / Cottonbro
Parents advocacy group Awake Illinois is pushing back against a mandatory sexual education bill.
“Glad to see this push back against Groomer Bill 5188. Next best thing IL Assoc School Boards has done after breaking from the National Association (that called parents terrorists),” Awake Illinois said on Twitter.
The Illinois Association of School Boards issued a “call to action” against HB 5188. The IASB included an appeal to members to contact legislators to express a lack of support.
“We need your help to stop the passage of HB 5188, as amended, which will MANDATE Illinois public schools to teach 'age appropriate' sex education beginning in kindergarten,” the IASB said in its alert.
“PLEASE ACT NOW to contact your State Senator to encourage them to VOTE NO on House Bill 5188, as amended. The full language of the amendment can be found on the General Assembly Website.”
“Late last evening, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) posted an amendment to HB 5188 that would require sex ed to be taught in kindergarten through grade 12 in Illinois schools. IASB has worked in good faith with stakeholders on sex ed standards and curriculum for several years. Previous sex ed bills focused on content of the curriculum while still preserving local control around the decision to offer sex ed to all students. HB 5188 removes that local option and MANDATES the national sex ed curriculum standards for all schools.”
“Please call your Senator's office directly.”
Awake Illinois previously shared a one-pager describing the bill and its effects.
“No later than July 1, 2023, public schools must provide age and developmentally appropriate consent education from kindergarten through 12th grades,” the resource reads.
“These courses must incorporate and align with the "National Sex Education Standards" published by the Future of Sex Education. These standards call for:”
"2nd graders to be able to define consent, define gender identity and stereotypes, define reproduction, and identify different types of families, including cohabitating and same gender."
"5th graders to be able to describe the potential role of hormone blockers on young people who identify as transgender, distinguish between 'sex assigned at birth and gender identity,' define and explain differences between cisgender, transgender, gender nonbinary, gender expansive, and gender identity, explain that gender expression and identity exist along a spectrum."
"8th graders to be able to define sexual identity and explain a range of identities related to sexual orientation (e.g., heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer, two-spirit, asexual, pansexual); they should also be able to define vaginal, oral, and anal sex; describe pregnancy options, including abortion. All pregnant young people to have decision-making power in their reproductive health decisions. The use of a student's self-selected pronouns. They also specify that no one, other than the individual, is 'qualified to label or judge another person's sexual identity, including their sexual orientation or gender identity.'"
Due to education in the state trending left and poor results in such highly politicized environments, State Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) has suggested conservatives run for local school boards in order to take back control of the reins of education.
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