sex ed 101

It's always been a big mystery to me and others how I developed into such a progressive, outspoken person. Sure, there are clues here and there that string together a theory or two, but I can't point to a definitive list of events or structures that shaped me in such a way. But naturally place is central to my theory of who I am. And this article from today's Washington Post about how the overhaul of Montgomery County (Md.)'s school heath and sexuality curriculum is perhaps the leading edge in the nation (e.g. not only teaching about sexual orientation but also transgenderism) supports that claim. In other words, obviously I'm not going to benefit from this new, progressive program, but I was schooled in this kind of liberal environment that focused on providing information and stressed diversity (not just in this area, of course). I'm a huge proponent of thorough sexual education, because only moralist morons think that giving people information is akin to encouraging them to pursue only the "detestable" things they learn rather than arming them with tools to survive in and contribute to society.

It's also interesting to see how Montgomery County compares to the other suburban D.C. school districts. Some places do not address non-heteronormative activity, while one county in Virginia only brings it up in reference to STDs. What the hell is that about? No disease is dependent on sexual orientation. Of course there are certain correlations to disease and populations, but that is based on people's individual acts and risk taking, which isn't inherent to sexual orientation.