Unitarian Universalist Teens and Young Adults Advocate for Comprehensive Sex Education
March 21, 2007
On March 24, thirty-five Unitarian Universalists and members of the United Church of Christ (UCC), ranging in ages from 14 to 58, will start a three-day training to become effective advocates for comprehensive sexuality education programs in their home communities and at the federal level.Despite broad public support for teaching comprehensive sexuality education in public schools, and broad opposition to ideology-driven abstinence-only curricula that has proven ineffective, Congress continues to exclusively fund abstinence-only programs. During the advocacy conference, young people and adults from the Unitarian Universalist and UCC traditions will discuss sexuality education as a religious issue, reflect on their own experiences, and examine the disproportionately negative impact of abstinence-only curricula on people who identify as bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender, and people of color.
On Monday, March 26, conference participants will visit their Congressional representatives to advocate for funding comprehensive sexuality education programs, including passage of the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act.
On Thursday, March 22, Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ and Rep. Barbara Lee, D-CA, are slated to introduce the REAL Act in Congress, a bill that would provide a dedicated federal funding stream for comprehensive sexuality education.
The president of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), the Rev. William Sinkford, will deliver a sermon as part of the conference on March 25 during the 11 a.m. service at All Souls Church in Washington, DC. About the failures of abstinence-only programs, Rev. Sinkford said, “Our educational policies must reflect the realities of people’s lives. ‘Just say No’ didn’t work in the Garden of Eden, and it isn’t stopping unintended pregnancies or slowing the spread of sexual transmitted infections today. By telling our young people half-truths we put them at increased risk of both, and we deny them the right to make informed, moral decisions.”
Rev. Sinkford will also participate in the lobby day. In addition to the worship service, the media is invited to attend lobby day events on Monday from 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Rev. Sinkford and conference participants will be available for interviews during that time.
Participants come from 13 states, including Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, California, Virginia, Georgia, Ohio and Vermont. The event is organized in collaboration with the United Church of Christ and Advocates for Youth, a nonprofit organization that helps young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. For more than 10 years, UU and UCC churches have used a jointly developed a unique religious education curriculum for teaching comprehensive sexuality education, called Our Whole Lives (see www.uua.org/owl).
Contacts:
Rob Keithan, Director, UUA Washington Office of Advocacy, 202-494-6969 (cell) or rkeithan@uua.org (for DC advocacy training events, March 25-26)
Janet Hayes, UUA Information Officer, 617-948-4386 (for background information on the UUA or to schedule a pre-event interview with William Sinkford)
Media Opportunities:
- March 25, 10:50 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at All Souls’ Church, 16th and Harvard Street NW. UUA President, Rev. William Sinkford, leads service and delivers sermon on need for comprehensive sexuality education. See http://www.all-souls.org/
- March 26, 9 – 10 a.m. Preparation for Lobby Day at the conference site, Washington Seminar Center, 201 4th St. SE). See http://www.washingtonseminarcenter.org/
- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rev. Sinkford and participants conduct lobby visits.
####
The Unitarian Universalist Association is a faith community of more than 1000 self-governing congregations that bring to the world a vision of religious freedom, tolerance and social justice. For more information on the UUA, including recent press releases and news articles, please visit our online pressroom at www.uua.org/pressroom.
This work is made possible by the generosity of individual donors. Please consider making a donation today.
Last updated on Tuesday, May 24, 2011.
Updated and Popular
Popular New Searches
For Newcomers
Learn more about the Beliefs & Principles of Unitarian Universalism, or read our online magazine, UU World, for features on today's Unitarian Universalists. Visit an online UU church, or find a congregation near you.
