Is This a New Version of the Oregon “Adolescent Sexuality Conference”?

(Same People, Same Organizations, Same State Agencies…Just a
New Nom de Guerre)

We always knew the cancellation of the Adolescent Sexuality Conference was a temporary stay on the march to sexualize our children in the public schools. So we weren’t surprised when Oregon’s Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force (OSATF) held the first 2016 Statewide Summit on Sexual Health and Promotion and Violence Prevention: Connecting the Dots in Oregon, in October 2016.

In 2015 the legislature passed Oregon K-12 Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program, Senate Bill 856, a laudable bill, as an attempt to train teachers to identify signs of child abuse and abusive behavior. It should be noted that all Oregon teachers are already required mandatory reporters for child sex abuse and anti-bullying. Each year they undergo required training updates. Concerns arise when the prevention program falls under the umbrella of K-12 Human Sexuality Education (which should be called by its real name “Sexuality Grooming Education”). It is now possible to combine K-12 Comprehensive Sexuality Education(CSE) and Child Sexual Abuse Prevention into one entity and possibly return to a new version of the Adolescent Sexuality Conference. A place where sex ed and child sexual abuse prevention are given carte blanche to teach our children a panoply of sexual diversities and to promote sexual identity exploration.

The state wide summit held a panel discussion between Sexual Health Promotion and Sexual Violence Prevention and was facilitated by Joann Schladale from Resources for Resolving Violence. Those on the panel were Mariotta Gary-Smith, Women of Color Sexual Health Network, Jen Grove, National Sexual Violence Resource Center, Mo Lewis, National Sexual Violence Resource Center and co-author of the high school FLASH sex ed curricula, and Annika Shore of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and Hawaiian Island.

The panel members were asked several question, the first being: If you had all the money in the world what would you do? Mariotta Gary-Smith stated she would “…use the money to put Donald Trump in hole” (to hoots, hollers and cheers)… and break down white privilege and the culture of whiteness, what white privilege looks like and how that impacts the ability to have full and realized lives that are honored and recognized…and that this is connected to sexual health and wellbeing.” Don’t you find it ironic that Ms. Gary-Smith shares the panel with Annika Shore of Planned Parenthood? I wonder, does Ms. Gary-Smith know that Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, located her abortion clinics in black neighborhoods? Does she know that Reverend Clenard H. Childress stated that “the most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb.” Why would Gary-Smith be sharing a panel with Planned Parenthood whose organization targets black babies in the womb? Gary-Smith was also a keynote speaker at the 2014 Adolescent Sexuality Conference in Seaside and is a self proclaimed social justice activist/agitator.

When asked what success looks like to Annika Shore of Planned Parenthood, she responded: “…equity of access, equal choice for all people to have sex or not have sex, to have an abortion or not have an abortion, to give birth, to not give birth…a shifting focus on eradicating toxic masculinity and white supremacy in the United States. They (men) impact gender-based and race-based violence and sexual behavior and inequities.” It is ironic that Ms. Shore is employed by a company that promotes a variety of sexual behavior and sexual exploration to minors as their right, who also taught a session at the 2012 ASC titled “Stand Up! Teen2Teen Presents on How to Be Sexual Health Advocates” in their schools. While at the same time, attacking the most vulnerable and helpless in our society and eliminating their life while blaming men for race based violence and sexual behavior. Perhaps Ms. Shore is confused, is it also true that toxic femininity could be blamed for the ending of a life? Look for “toxic masculinity” in the new lexicon of K-12 sexuality grooming education.

Nicoleen Peck, representing the Worldwide Organization for Women, has a warning regarding K-12 Child Abuse Prevention Programs and presented those warnings to the United Nations in 2016. The Worldwide Organization for Women has worked tirelessly since 1977 to stop the abuse of women and children around the world. Part of stopping this abuse is stopping the sexualization of the planet through theory based educational programs such as K-12 Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). We, at PRIE, are now referring to CSE as K-12 Sexuality Grooming Education.

Yet another topic discussed during the conference was language. How can schools modify or change the language to deceive parents. For example, “…not to say, I am going to teach kindergarteners about sex, but say, I will teach kids safe boundaries”. So you see, parents may not be able to trust the information they received from the public schools.

Teaching children how to be safe from sexual abuse and violence is important, but it appears some people and organizations refuse to recognize that K-12 CSE (aka Sexuality Grooming Education) could be encouraging the sexual abuse upon children (ie: See FLASH recommended external links for students). The agenda to sexualize our children through K-12 Comprehensive Sexuality Education is real and pervasive not only in Oregon but across the country and around the world.

(Unless otherwise noted, the opinions expressed are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Northwest Connection.)