One of the right’s mantras is how everybody on the left has gotten soft and needs “safe spaces,” and is just too sensitive about words and jokes. It’s the mantra that many go to when they don’t want to face up to their outdated and bigoted sensibilities. It’s usually because they’re a little bit too fragile in the ego department. Arizona is known for its conservative politicians and State Senator Sylvia Allen is no exception. According to LGBTG Nation, Allen has put forward new legislation that would remove the word “homosexuality” from all public school teaching materials. Her proposal would also end sex education for students under the age of 12.
The Arizona Capitol Times reports that the move seems to be an attempt to ban any conversation about homosexuality when it comes to sex ed and more importantly, an attempt to end conversations about protecting our children from sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS.
Geoff Esposito, a progressive lobbyist, told the Times that Sen. Allen’s ridiculous bit of legislation is her endeavor to claw back Democratic wins for the LGBTQ community in recent years, saying that conservatives like Allen “are pushing an incredibly unpopular issue among the exact people they need to win over, and threatening vulnerable legislators’ reelection with a bad vote that will get a ton of media attention.”
Democratic officials and school officials see more robust and modernized sex education as an important health issue. Sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis have been on the rise in recent years, especially in states like Arizona. And the conservative policy of doing nothing about it and remaining ignorant seems to have not worked at all! Hopefully, the trend to put our children’s health and well-being above some people’s archaic homophobia will continue.