Under the referendum passed in last week's election, kindergarten students will be taught mandated sexual health education. | Unsplash
Under the referendum passed in last week's election, kindergarten students will be taught mandated sexual health education. | Unsplash
Voters in Washington approved mandated sexual health education for all school districts in last week’s election.
Washington’s Referendum 90 is first time in the country that sex education has made its way onto a statewide ballot, according to the Seattle Times. The mandate requires all school districts to teach sex education using a curriculum of their choice to K-12 students, the Times reported.
The referendum passed with nearly 60% of voters supporting it. Support was highest in Seattle's King County at 75%, with surrounding counties also supporting. Most eastern counties rejected it along with a few western ones including Lewis County.
Referendum opponents, who included the Republican Party and several pro-life organizations, argued the mandate divested power from local school boards, while some objected to particular sexual health education topics, as reported by the Daily Chronicle.
Supporters included Democratic state officials, several prominent labor unions and civil rights groups. They held all students could benefit from lessons on sexual health, as seen in the Daily Chronicle. For younger student groups, social emotional skills will be the focus, while older students will receive instruction on how to navigate relationships and sexually transmitted diseases, as reported by the Daily Chronicle.
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