There is controversy in at least
one New Jersey school district over a
potential new lesson plan on sexual
education and gender identity.
A
proposed lesson plan distributed to parents in Westfield includes teaching
first graders to define sexual abuse and second graders to identify male and
female genitalia.
The proposed state standards say by the end of second grade, children
should know that "all living things may have the capacity to
reproduce" and by fifth grade that “pregnancy can be achieved through a
variety of methods."
Jim Boyes,
a parent in the district, says he doesn’t believe “this is an issue that
mandates any type of governmental action."
“I think that it's actually damaging to the development of
children and I think that we should just let kids be kids,” says Boyes.
School districts have a September deadline from the Murphy
administration to follow updated health and physical education standards. Gov.
Phil Murphy said on “Ask The Governor” Monday that parents “absolutely” deserve
a say in the curriculum and can opt out.
Rep. Jefferson
Van Drew announced he will be introducing legislation, the "My Child,
My Choice" Act, in response to the state of New Jersey indicating
that beginning in the fall, second graders will be taught about gender
identity.
The proposed
lesson plans in Westfield were devised by Advocates for Youth, a group that
says it "champions programs that recognize young people's rights to honest
sexual health information."