Utah moves to toss school ban on 'advocacy of homosexuality'
Source: Associated Press
TUESDAY, FEB 21, 2017 03:30 PM EST
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah lawmakers took the first step Tuesday to get rid of a state law that bans the “advocacy of homosexuality” in schools, a move driven by a court challenge from gay rights groups.
The Senate Education Committee voted unanimously in favor of a Republican bill cutting the phrase from sex education law. The National Center for Lesbian Rights and Equality Utah sued last fall, saying the law creates a “chilling culture of silence that stigmatizes LGBTQ students” and exists only to express disapproval of being gay.
A number of states have similar laws but few others are moving to overturn them, Equality Utah said. However, the group said it is not ready to drop the lawsuit. The bill replaces the law’s ban on the “advocacy of homosexuality” with a ban on the “advocacy of premarital or extramarital sexual activity,” which already is generally outlawed in Utah schools.
Republican state Sen. Stuart Adams, who is sponsoring the proposal, said the replacement makes it clear that the state does not want teachers to promote sex outside marriage when they present opt-in, abstinence-based sex education.
Read more: http://www.salon.com/2017/02/21/utah-moves-to-toss-school-ban-on-advocacy-of-homosexuality/
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