Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Last ditch efforts to save kids until marriage

Here we again. Just as we are rounding out Bush’s term, we see that his administration is pushing their conservative, heterosexual agenda. This time, on kids.



A new television ad tells young people that they are worth it if they wait to have sex, but like this article points out, it never reminds kids that they are STILL “worth it” if they do engage in sexual activities. In fact, because this type of campaigning against reproductive and sexual health has never been proven to work, it makes it harder to resist rolling one’s eyes at the unrealistic agenda.

What’s more, one will notice that towards the end of this ad, a call for abstinence until marriage is prescribed, which thereby limits “worthiness” to only those who can legally marry, and to those who want to get legally married – which means that a whole slew of LGBT young people, as well as heterosexual adolescents who feel marriage is not for them, are not getting their needs properly addressed.

This is not to say that the ad is not correct in asking parents/guardians to talk about sex with their kids. It’s a good thing to have an open-door policy, to offer guidance. However, telling them only to wait, and not supplying other areas of support in case they do engage and are scared, excited, or find themselves pregnant, with an STD, or otherwise, is not fair to anyone.