East Central Reporter

Local criticism is mounting over mandatory sexual education standards being considered in the Illinois General Assembly. 

Randy Harris, an Oblong resident, is drawing attention to the bill via social media. 

“State Sen. Villivalam (D-Chicago) is the chief sponsor of an Amendment to HB 5188, a bill that would mandate a horrific K-12 sexual education law which is heartily endorsed by Planned Parenthood of Illinois, the ACLU and by Illinois' premiere 'LBGT' activist organization, Equality Illinois,” Harris said on Facebook. “Please send a message to your state lawmakers about the immoral and tyrannical nature of this bill. Let them know that you think that this is terrible legislation that ignores the family values of millions of Illinois households. Teaching children about sexual health is the responsibility of PARENTS, when and how they feel it is appropriate and in accordance to their faith. It is NOT the government’s or public school’s responsibility to do this. Many thousands of parents, grandparents, and concerned citizens voiced opposition to this bill and yet Springfield 'Progressives' blatantly disregarded our voices.” 

The Illinois Association of School Boards issued a “call to action” against HB 5188, which has also used bill number SB 2226. The IASB included an appeal to members to contact legislators to express opposition. 

“We need your help to stop the passage of HB 5188, as amended, which will MANDATE Illinois public schools to teach "age appropriate" sex education beginning in kindergarten,” the IASB said in its alert. “PLEASE ACT NOW to contact your State Senator to encourage them to VOTE NO on House Bill 5188, as amended. The full language of the amendment can be found on the General Assembly Website.” 

IASB encourages the community to call their Senators directly.

“Late last evening, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) posted an amendment to HB 5188 that would require sex ed to be taught in kindergarten through grade 12 in Illinois schools," the alert further reads. "IASB has worked in good faith with stakeholders on sex ed standards and curriculum for several years. Previous sex ed bills focused on content of curriculum while still preserving local control around the decision to offer sex ed to all students. HB 5188 removes that local option and MANDATES the national sex ed curriculum standards for all schools.” 

Awake Illinois previously shared a press release describing the bill and its effects. According to the resource "public schools must provide age and developmentally appropriate consent education from kindergarten through 12th grades,” no later than July 1. The courses must incorporate and align with the "National Sex Education Standards" published by the Future of Sex Education. 

The advocacy group also explained that "These standards call for: 2nd graders to be able to define consent, define gender identity and stereotypes, define reproduction, and identify different types of families, including cohabitating and same gender; 5th graders to be able to describe the potential role of hormone blockers on young people who identify as transgender, distinguish between 'sex assigned at birth and gender identity,' define and explain differences between cisgender, transgender, gender nonbinary, gender expansive, and gender identity, explain that gender expression and identity exist along a spectrum; 8th graders to be able to define sexual identity and explain a range of identities related to sexual orientation (e.g., heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer, two-spirit, asexual, pansexual); they should also be able to define vaginal, oral, and anal sex; describe pregnancy options, including abortion; All pregnant young people to have decision-making power in their reproductive health decisions; The use of a student's self-selected pronouns; They also specify that no one, other than the individual, is 'qualified to label or judge another person's sexual identity, including their sexual orientation or gender identity.'" 

The bill is perceived as a segue to mandating the sexual education standards included in SB 818 signed into law last year by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. That law, unlike this one, allowed school districts to opt out. SB 818 law requires children as young as 8 to be taught sex ed.  The law was billed as a form to standardize state and federal sexual education standards. 

State Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) has recommended conservatives run for local school boards in order to take back control of the reigns of education, according to Macon Reporter.