Wednesday, February 09, 2005
More Risky Business
The below is a letter to the Editor, as published, in the Washington Times, February 8, 2005.
Risky business
With reference to the article "Sex-ed courses called flawed" (Metropolitan, Jan. 26), we agree with Warren Throckmorton's criticism of the Montgomery County Public Schools' new sex-education curriculum. One only has to look at the curriculum and the resources used to support it to come to that view.
David Fishback, who heads the citizens advisory committee that reviewed the curriculum changes, says Mr. Throckmorton's view "that people can change their sexual orientation and sexual desires if they really, really want to and really, really try is risky, risky, business" and he "rejects the claim by Michelle Turner and other committee members who say their evidence on homosexuality was ignored." .
Well, what is more risky: Telling young people that there is a possibility of changing their sexual orientation or playing Russian roulette with sexual practices that dramatically increase the likelihood of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases?
Further, the advisory committee and the Board of Education rejected all the proposed, relevant information from federal government agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Education and National Institute of Mental Health, and peer-reviewed published scientific information that was contrary to the advisory committee's biased message. Instead, much of the approved material comes from non-mainstream, nonmedical, nonprofessional sources with factually incorrect information — advocacy resources such as the Triangle Foundation — and from a teen mom's Web site.
With this new curriculum, the children will never be taught that, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Among young men aged 13-24 years, 49 percent of all AIDS cases reported in 2000 were among men who have sex with men" and "9 percent were among young men infected heterosexually." They will never be taught tolerance for the thousands of heterosexuals who previously lived as homosexuals for five to more than 40 years. They will never be taught that transgenderism is a treatable gender identity disorder. Our children deserve to know the whole truth.
RETTA BROWN
Rockville
JERLEAN EADER
Poolesville
JACKIE RICE
Rockville
ROSA URQUHART
Silver Spring
Members and former members of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Family Life and Human Development, Montgomery County