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November 28, 2007

 

To: Beverley Wheeler

DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education

 

Dear Ms. Wheeler:

 

The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, the largest LGBT political organization in the District, strongly supports the proposed Health Standards that the DC State Board of Education is seeking to implement.  We believe that the process for developing the recommendations has been an open one and that a broad spectrum of the community has been engaged and their input has been sought and included in the final report.  Specifically, we appreciate the LGBT community being included in the development process. 

 

A recent report released by the District of Columbia HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Annual Report 2007 finds that the HIV rate in the District is 128.4 cases per 100,000 as compared to only 14 cases per 100,000 nationwide.  According to the Report, 27% of new HIV-positive cases in the District were within the LGBT community, which is unacceptable.  We believe that these health standards are a positive step in ensuring that all students regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity will have a clearer understanding with regard to sex education and all the information they need to stay safe and healthy.  Since one in 20 people are infected with HIV or AIDS in the District, the District is facing a health crisis; therefore, providing comprehensive sex education in schools will go a long way toward stemming that crisis. 

 

Specific sections of the report that we would like to highlight are:

 

We agree with the grade 6 section that states: “Explain that people, regardless of biological sex, gender, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and culture, have sexual feelings and the need for love, affection and physical intimacy.”

 

We also agree with the grade 6 recommendation that states: “Explain the benefits of abstinence, postponing sexual behavior, and setting limits on sexual behavior.”

We agree that the curriculum for Grade 7 should “discuss the importance of consistent and effective contraceptive use.”

We agree with the inclusion of this for Grade 8: “Define sexual orientation, using correct terminology; and explain that as people grow and develop they may begin to feel romantically and/or sexually attracted to people of a different gender and/or to people of the same gender.”

 We agree with the inclusion of this for Grade 8: “Compare and contrast the theories about what determines sexual orientation, including genetics; prenatal, social, and cultural influences; psychological factors; and a combination of all of these.”  We believe that this is based in sound science and that discussing the determinants of sexual orientation openly and honestly will better enable students of all sexual orientations to better understand and respect each other. 

 

We do propose one addition.  Under the Glossary section where it states discrimination as “Unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, and/or sex,” we propose the inclusion of the words “sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.”  This would be consistent with what is currently in place under the DC Human Rights Act.   

 

For the above reasons described, the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club strongly supports the proposed Health Standards that the DC State Board of Education seeks to implement and if we can be of assistance in any way, do not hesitate to contact us.

 

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 The Stein Club, founded in 1976, is a membership organization dedicated to growing the political participation, representation, and visibility of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community in the District of Columbia's political process. It is also the local organization of National Stonewall Democrats, a grassroots network connecting LGBT Democratic activists from all across the United States. ###