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LGBT sex education


LGBT sex education refers to an educational program, most commonly found in schools, that addresses the sex education needs of LGBT individuals and covers topics related to homosexuality. It is usually integrated into the general sex education courses (alongside heterosexual topics). There is disagreement about whether LGBT sex education should be included in sex education curricula. Advocates of LGBT sex education say that the inclusion of LGBT issues into sex education programs would reduce homophobic bullying, improve the health of LGBT people, and decrease instances of problems common in LGBT students such as depression and low self-esteem; opponents argue that LGBT sex education programs would force a political point of view on students, misuse tax money, and disrespect religious values. As of 2014, only 5% of middle and high schoolers in the United States reported receiving "positive discussions of LGBT-related topics" within their health classes.

LGBT sex education is currently not covered in many schools. Research has also posited that students often don’t find existing LGBT sex education programs to be effective. Teachers have differing views on the subject of homosexuality, and these personal opinions can impact LGBT sex education when it is implemented.

Multiple studies have concluded that LGBT sex education is often not encompassed in school sex education courses and that most students do not receive effective instruction in LGBT sex issues. In a study conducted by Ellis and High in the UK (2004), 384 students were surveyed; they found that 24% had not received instruction in LGBT sex issues. The CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health’s study revealed that 48% of schools in the US covered LGBT topics. According to research reported by Burston and Hart in 2001, 45% of surveyed students believed that they did not cover LGBT sex education sufficiently in school. Research has also shown that there can be an implicit assumption that all students are heterosexual in sex education classes. The LGBT students in Eleanor Formby’s 2011 study of sex education said that they do not always feel welcomed by sex education classes or at school. Sex education courses commonly idealize marriage (not acknowledging that many countries outlaw same-sex marriage) thereby presenting a heterosexual view of sex and relationships as normal. Studies have suggested that sex education programs often do not cover safe sex practices for LGBT individuals.

However, there are some sex education curricula that do cover LGBT issues. For example, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations provides a sex education program called Our Whole Lives, which includes discussion of sexual orientation and presents homosexuality and heterosexuality as equally valid. Our Whole Lives offers programs designed for a range of developmental stages, from Kindergarten-level through adulthood, and follows the "Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education" that the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) endorses. The United Church of Christ also supports Our Whole Lives.


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