April 6, 2001
We are writing to your organization to inform you about federal legislation that impacts people you care about, the children of our nation. Our goal in doing this is to increase awareness and to enlist help for working to change the criteria of this legislation.
Section 912 of the Personal Responsibility and Welfare Reform legislation (Public Law 104-93) provides for a distribution of funds to states that implement abstinence education programs whose curriculums strictly adhere to the criteria outlined. This legislation can be viewed at http://www.projectreality.org/law.html
What is most troubling to us is that the legislation's emphasis on marriage and abstinence-only education. This is hetero-sexist legislation and leaves children who are sexually active (whether hetero or homosexual) without important information which puts them at risk because contraception including the use of condoms cannot be discussed.
School can influence both students behavior and how they see themselves. On the surface it seems good that the government is appropriating federal dollars to our schools to help increase abstinence education, but it is coming with its own price. This new legislation prevents programs that receive federal funding from discussing any form of prevention besides abstinence. The money is strictly for abstinence-only education, which means no discussion of contraception of any kind including condoms, which help reduce the risk of contracting STDs and HIV.
Speaking in realistic terms, students need this information, no matter how good the program, some students will simply choose to engage in sexual activity. These children will be increasingly at risk for teenage pregnancy and STD or HIV contraction because of the lack of information these programs provide. It also means that programs receiving federal funding are supposed to teach that, "a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in context of marriage is the expected standard of human sexual activity". It is not everyone's ultimate goal to be part of a heterosexual marriage. By teaching this, homosexual students or students still forming their sexual identities are not validated. Programs that follow the criteria not only forget about the homosexual students, they imply that their sexual preference is unacceptable. Its heavy emphasis on marriage leads to confusion and alienation.

We ask you to consider the impact of this legislation most carefully. If you agree that action should be taken to change this legislation please do what is in your power to do. We are currently attempting to meet with our state senator or one of her legal aides to express our concerns. We will also be writing our representatives.

If you disagree with our views on this issue we thank you anyway for taking the time to consider it most carefully.

Either way we look forward to hearing what your organization has decided to do or any advice you might give regarding this issue. Please send responses to:
159 Orchard St., East Lansing, MI 48823
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,

Rebecca Kronberger & Michelle Miller-Hogan

Return to P.E.R.S.O.N. Project Home Page