SEASIDE, Ore. - A group of concerned citizens gathered outside the convention center Monday morning to protest an adolescent sexuality conference, because they feel that some of the material being presented has become pornographic…. “We want them to be accountable to the parents of the children that they’re sending to the conference - and also bringing this content back to the public schools,” said Michael Kelly, who is concerned about the conference. “And a lot of parents are completely in the dark about what goes on here and the content.”…. The protesters are also worried parents are being left out of the conversation that they should be having with their children.
As a nation, we may be many things, but open-minded and honest about sex isn’t on the list. Perhaps it’s the old Puritan ethic, the fear that someone might decide that sex is fun and great recreation, rather than a deadly serious act to be employed only for purposes of procreation. For too many, sex is evil and dirty, and the idea of having sex for pleasure is as sinful as the day is long. I’d hazard a guess that most folks who feel this way aren’t getting any and haven’t for a long time.
I’ve never understood why something so genuinely and naturally human as sex and sexuality should be the source of so much controversy. Why do normally lucid, open-minded people turn into raving loons when it comes to the subject of sex education? The fear seems to be that if we edumicate our progeny about sex and sexuality, they’ll turn into raving, uncontrollable horn dogs, randy lustbots lacking the ability or desire to keep from doing the horizontal mambo. If we don’t teach our children that sex is dirty, nasty, and sinful- or so the theory seems to go- how do we know they won’t be rutting like horny moose?
Evidently the protesters in Seaside have their panties in a wad because educators are doing their jobs and educating children. Heaven forbid that our children should learn about healthy relationships, HIV/AIDS, pregnancy prevention, and other issues regarding sex and sexuality. If they’re informed, their parents (and their hangups) can’t make sure kids stumble into adulthood unprepared to deal with adult issues. And they certainly won’t be able to enjoy the great American pastime- teenage pregnancy.
Because sex is a dirty, nasty, sinful business, don’tchaknow? And we just can’t be teaching kids that sex is a beautiful thing that, when done right, can be a helluva lot of fun. If we don’t teach our children to fear pleasure and intimacy, how can we ensure they’ll grow up to be as repressed, uninformed, and uptight as we are? After all, we turned out just fine….didn’t we??
Conference organizers say their purpose is simple.
It’s “To provide educational resources to adults, teachers who work with youth in the area of human sexuality, in the area of health, and to provide knowledge and skills to youth so that they can make healthy choices in their lives,” said Brad Victor, chair of the Oregon Teen Pregnancy Task Force.
About 20 percent to 25 percent of the attendees are high school and college students. Anyone under 18 has to have a parent’s permission to attend and has to be chaperoned throughout the conference.
So any attendee older than 18 is an adult and free to be there of their own free will, and anyone under 18 has to have a note from their parents? Then it would seem that everyone in attendance is their because a) they want to be, or b) they have their parents permission. That being the case, where’s the fire? What is it that the protesters are so spun up about? No child is being force-fed information about sex and sexuality, and since the emphasis is on preventing teen pregnancies, it’s all good? Right??
This particular adolescent sexuality conference has taken place annually for 37 years, and this year is the first time there’s been a protest. Call me silly, but I have to believe that there’s something else going on here, something that has nothing to do with ensuring parents aren’t left out of the loop. No, it seems clear the protesters are incensed that children are being taught that sex is something other than dirty, nasty, sinful, and therefore should be done only in the missionary position and ONLY for purposes of procreation.
When it comes to issues related to sexuality, it’s generally accepted (by those not hung up or sexually repressed) that more knowledge is a good thing. Give the very serious health issues out there (HIV/AIDS anyone?), you’d think that people would want children armed with as much knowledge is possible.
Educating kids about sex and sexuality is NOT pornography…unless you believe the human body is a vessel of sin and depravity, of course.
While I’m thinking about it…abstinence DOESN’T work. Abstinence is a fantasy designed by sexually repressed adults who’ve long since forgotten what being a hormone-soaked teenager is like. While stellar in concept, abstinence in reality is a recipe for failure. Rather than expecting teens to adhere to a black and white ideology designed to instill guilt when they (almost inevitably) fall short, wouldn’t it make sense to teach them about sex and sexuality? Should they be given the tools they need to make intelligent decisions and minimize the risks of STDs and unplanned pregnancies?
Or would you rather that our children play sexual roulette while bathed in ignorance because the adults in their lives are too embarrassed to discuss sexual issues openly? Isn’t it time we prepared our children for life as adults and stopped acting as if sex isn’t beautiful, natural, and one of the things that makes being human truly wonderful?
