Letter to the editor: Do the sensible thing and reject R-90

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Age-appropriate, medically accurate sex ed information — that’s what SB 5395 called for, right? So why are opponents trying to repeal it with Referendum 90? Proponents of Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE) hide behind the bill and the standards, insisting neither require explicit information. But teachers don’t stand in front of the class and read the bill or standards. They teach from the curriculum.

Proponents can chant age-appropriate and medically accurate all they want. They can even click their heels together three times. But nothing is going to make most parents believe it’s age-appropriate to tell kindergartners about “a very sensitive little area at the top called the clitoris,” or that 12-year-olds should be encouraged to bathe together and engage in mutual masturbation. These examples are from curricula on the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s (OSPI) list. And there’s much, much more.

The fact districts can choose from different curricula is little help when one is just as bad as another. And children can’t be opted out of schoolyard discussions and the culture change that takes place at schools with CSE.



Read the curricula and see why 58% of respondents in OSPI’s own survey said “No” to CSE.

Then vote Reject R-90.