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A28 u.s. news
Diamars 29 september 2020

Sex ed mandate sparks bitter Washington state ballot fight

mobilize during the referen- date as heavy-handed. The
dum petition because of the Washington State Catholic
pandemic and was dismayed Conference, the policy arm
that the opposition’s in-per- of church leadership in the
son signature-gathering took state, is especially opposed to
place despite Democratic the affirmative consent aspect
Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at- of the curriculum because
home order. the church opposes premari-
“It seems to be a political, tal sex. “When you get into
partisan turn-out goal rather the issues of how do you say
than really an intention about ‘yes’ or how do you say ‘no,’
student safety,” Normand that can easily open the door
said of the Republican-led to that ‘It’s OK. It’s OK to say
efforts. yes and no,’ and that steps on
our teaching that sexual ac-
As of Sept. 24, almost half tivity is to be reserved for the
of the $1.1 million raised for sacrament of marriage,” said
Safe & Healthy Youth Wash- Mario Villanueva, executive
ington, the campaign in sup- director of the conference.
port of sex ed, has come from The fiercely partisan fight
Planned Parenthood affili- has carried over into the non-
ates. partisan race for state schools
Parents for Safe Schools -- the chief.
campaign against the sex ed
(AP) — Democrats in the A Washington state group parishes that served as sig- bill — has amassed $245,000 Maia Espinoza, who was
Washington state Legis- funded by Republican lead- nature-gathering locations in contributions. Most came a single mother after hav-
lature thought they had ers called Parents for Safe while the pandemic limited from the Reagan Fund, the ing her first child at 19 years
passed a routine sex edu- Schools forced the issue onto traditional petitioning activi- political action committee of old, said she decided to run
cation requirement for the ballot by submitting over ties. the Washington State House against incumbent Superin-
public schools earlier this 264,000 signatures, the most Republican Leadership. Re- tendent Chris Reykdal be-
year. But a coalition of gathered for a referendum to “It feels like we’re just not publicans have slammed the cause she is horrified by the
Republicans and religious overturn an existing bill or being listened to and I think mandate as an affront to lo- sex ed mandate that his ad-
conservatives launched law in the past four decades, this is a very large part of cal and parental control of ministration requested. Two
a swift, historic backlash according to the secretary what this represents,” said education. Though school years ago, Espinoza ran as a
that's led to a bitter parti- of state. It was double the Wirth, a one-time Republi- boards have the author- Republican in a losing bid
san fight and an effort to minimum number needed can candidate who lost a bid ity to create or adopt their for a seat in the state House.
overturn the measure on to make the ballot, with two- for state Senate in 2016. own curriculum, opponents Those in support of compre-
the November ballot. thirds coming from church Courtney Normand, director said the bill would still dic- hensive sex ed say it’s a health
sites. The group helmed by of a Planned Parenthood-af- tate what must be covered and safety measure needed
Democrats in the famously Mindie Wirth, a tech com- filiated political group in the in classes. Opposition lead- to protect children, and that
liberal state say they want to pany manager who lives in state, is leading the campaign ers say they aren’t necessar- there is a wide disparity
protect young people from the Seattle suburb of Bothell, in support of the sex ed bill. ily opposed to sex education among the nearly 300 public
sexual abuse, diseases and in- was aided by Catholic church She said her coalition didn’t but see the statewide man- school districts in the state,
fections. But the increasingly a small number of which do
outnumbered and aggrieved not teach any sex education.
Republicans have taken issue
with the content of the stan- Reykdal, who previously
dards as they rally for local served three terms as a Dem-
control. ocrat in the state House, said
The resulting referendum on the state education depart-
the November ballot marks ment routinely reviews con-
the first time in the country tent standards. He said the
that such a decision on sex ed Legislature was mindful of
will be decided by voters. the sensitivity of the sex ed
topic, issuing age-appropriate
Under the wide-ranging bill, concepts by grade level and
kindergarteners would be allowing families to opt out
taught how to manage feel- of the lessons. Families also
ings and make friends, while have a say when their local
older kids will learn about school district adopts cur-
consent and how to respond riculum.
to violence. The curriculum
must also address issues faced State Sen. Claire Wilson, a
by LGBTQ students. At least Democrat from the Seattle
29 states plus Washington, suburbs, said she was moved
D.C., require public schools to sponsor the bill based on
to teach sex education, but her experience as an educa-
the National Conference of tor working with pre-teen
State Legislatures and the mothers and also by hearing
Education Commission of from men and women who
the States — two organiza- said they didn’t even know
tions that track policy trends the words needed to describe
— said it has never appeared sexual abuse they endured as
on a statewide ballot. Instead, children.
the curriculum has been de-
bated at school boards and “This is not about teaching
statehouses. sex. It never has been and it
never will be,” Wilson said.