HB19-1032, the Youth Wellness Act, is what Colorado students need. It would update and expand Colorado’s current sex education laws to include LGBTQ youth, clarify that sex education must not shame students and prohibit endorsement of any religious ideology within sex education.
Teens need comprehensive sex ed because most parents aren’t experts and it’s uncomfortable for them to answer our questions. And we have questions that we don’t want to try to answer alone.
For example, if your family is uncomfortable with your LGBTQ status, you can get information about healthy sexuality and relationships through inclusive sex ed without having that difficult or even dangerous conversation with unsupportive parents.
Even if our parents think we won’t, the reality is most teens have sex and we need a reliable source to teach us. We need to hear all our options, like waiting until marriage as well as safe sex practices, without judgment.
HB19-1032 means that students learn about sex in a way that is not based in shame but is inclusive and evidence based. This bill includes that healthy relationships and consent are part of sex ed.
Teens don’t always know about healthy relationships, many of our friends are in unhealthy relationships. Nobody really teaches us what a loving, healthy relationship looks like.
What is the difference between love and sex? How do we form healthy habits in relationships and identify the bad ones?
Comprehensive sexuality education gives us the opportunity to learn about ourselves, our bodies and our emotional worlds.
Caitlyn Steiner
Durango
