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Different Version Of Sex Ed Coming To Loudoun

By Charlie Jackson

(Created: Thursday, March 1, 2007 1:42 PM EST)

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Much was made in some Loudoun communities over the sex education message the Loudoun County Public Schools system pushed when it brought abstinence-only speaker Keith Deltano into a handful of the areas schools.

Not once, but twice, Deltano's visits raised eyebrows from groups like Mainstream Loudoun, who didn't quibble with the effectiveness of abstinence but wondered why the school system wasn't promoting a comprehensive sex education policy.

Now, Mainstream Loudoun, the Unitarian Universalist Church and the St. James United Church of Christ are bringing another version of sex education to the county. Shelby Knox, who is now a senior in college, is a devout Christian and had pledged abstinence until marriage. But while a high school student in Lubbock, TX, Knox became an "unlikely advocate for comprehensive education," a release promoting the event stated.

Her story will be on display in the form of an award-winning documentary, which won an award for Best Cinematography at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005 and which aired in part on PBS' Point of View series. A screening of the film will be shown at 7:15 p.m. on Friday, March 9 at the George Washington University campus in Ashburn. The program is titled "What's So Scary about Information? An Evening with Shelby Knox" Following the screening, a question and answer session will be held with Shelby and other panelists. For more information about the film, go online to www.shelbyknox.org and for more information about the program you can contact mainstreaminfo@mainstreamloudoun.org.

Kathy Hawes, president of Mainstream Loudoun, said the Unitarian church was working to bring Knox here before Deltano's appearance. The church, Hawes said, contacted Mainstream Loudoun after Deltano's most recent LCPS assembly to ask if the group might have interest in assisting in putting on the event.

"We consider it a very timely thing," Hawes said. "It's an award winning movie and it's really her personal story. Often times that's a good way to start a dialogue on how to better serve our students and protect our kids."

Hawes said she hopes the event spurs conversation among administrators, parents, community leaders and school board members, among others, on how best to help students cope with sex education.

"Our children are walking out of these assemblies unprepared and misinformed," Hawes said. "There are better ways to teach the benefits of abstinence and better ways to protect our children. We hope that a conversation with Shelby Knox can help point us in the right direction."

Organizers note that the film contains strong language and mature content.



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Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of Leesburg Today.
Total Comments: 3 comment(s)

AmandainLIGHTS wrote on Mar 6, 2007 8:52 AM:

" I am one of the students who saw the Keith Deltano performance at my high school. I am here to say that I believe we do need to have the right information, about abstinence AND safe sex. I even informed my principal of my thoughts-although he shot them down immediately and didn't listen to a word I said. You can push abstinence on kids, but all it will do is create us to want to do it even more. Breaking the rules has always been something kids do, so why not this as well? In response to what pricest said, "a majority of families don't want government interfering with their roles as parents, promoting ideas and information that is the antithesis of their own faith and values"-the fact of that matter is that parents can opt their children out of the lesson. Parents have the ultimate say on what their children learn, it is not forced on them(as in nobody makes you listen to safe sex lessons if your parents don't want you to). Also as pricest stated about " the antithesis of their own faith and values," and talking bout a pro-gay agenda, what if my values include accepting everyone for who they are. No matter, you can opt out your kids, but we still need the facts. I appreciate everything that Shelby Knox is doing. "

David Weintraub wrote on Mar 2, 2007 7:34 PM:

" Mr. Price is misinformed. The evidence is hardly "anecdotal," and that is why all of the major medical associations (Society for Adolescent Medicine, American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, etc) advocate comprehensive education. Study after study shows that "abstinence only" programs are at best ineffective, and in many cases actually *increase* risky sexual activity among young people. Although there may be a short term behavioral change (which may be what Mr. Price is thinking of), over time the effect of these programs is counter-productive. Measurable outcomes such as the rate of STDs have been shown to increase in communities where there is a high rate of teenagers making "virginity pledges," for example. The findings of a 2005 Texas A&M study are typical: The percentage of students between 13 and 17 who reported engaging in sexual intercourse increased after participating in abstinence-only-until-marriage instruction. What one of the researchers said seems applicable here: "These programs seem to be much more concerned about politics than kids, and we need to get over that." Our kids need need information, not agendas. "

pricest wrote on Mar 1, 2007 11:46 PM:

" So, Mainstream Loudoun (a misnomer if there ever was one) wonders why the school system wasn't promoting a comprehensive sex education policy? The answer is simple - a majority of families don't want government interfering with their roles as parents, promoting ideas and information that is the antithesis of their own faith and values. Not to mention when this event is sponsored by a pro-gay organization. Don't think there's a pro-gay agenda going on here? Think again. The facts are that comprehensive sex education doesn't work, whereas recent studies (10 to be specific) have shown that abstinence-only programs are effective in reducing teen sexual activity and out-of-wedlock births - despite Shelby Knox's anecdotal claims about Lubbock, TX. I'll be one of those in attendance on March 9 to speak out against pseudo-abstinence programs such as Shelby Knox's. "



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