October 12, 2007
ACTION ALERT!: SUPPORT COMPREHENSIVE
SEX-ED IN NEW YORK
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Montgomery understands importance of comprehensive sex-ed |
In a year of Democratic cowardice on abstinence-until-marriage sex education in the U.S Congress, it's reassuring that State Senators Velmanette Montgomery (D-Brooklyn) and Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) have proposed the Teen Health Agenda, which gets serious about expanding and fully funding comprehensive sex education for New York's young people.
The New York State Health Department took a big step forward when it rejected $3.5 million in federal funds for abstinence-only programs earlier this year. But there is still no designated state funding stream for programs that teach comprehensive sex education in schools.
"We need to replace dialogue about abstinence-only with education that talks about sexuality that will empower our children to make smart choices about their personal health," Montgomery said at a press conference Wednesday to publicize the teen health agenda. Montgomery and Krueger were surrounded by supporters from organizations including Housing Works, Brooklyn Perinatal Network and Sunset Park Family Health Center Network.
The agenda calls for passage of Montgomery's legislation (S.6205), that mandates teaching of comprehensive, medically accurate and age-appropriate sex education in all public and charter schools; enactment of the Healthy Teens Act(A.2856/S.1342) in New York and the federal Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act in U.S. Congress both of which would provide funding for comprehensive sex education programs; and increase funding statewide for school-based health centers.
For more information and to sign a petition calling on state and local officials to support the Teen Health Agenda contact Montgomery at 718-643-6140 or e-mail montgome@senate.state.ny.us.