Senate OKs Bill to Urge Celibacy in Sex Education

Legislation requiring sex education teachers to stress sexual abstinence to their students as the only way to avoid unwanted teen pregnancy, venereal diseases and sexually transmitted AIDS was passed by the Senate on Thursday.

The bill by Sen. Newton R. Russell (R-Glendale), supported by anti-abortion and religious organizations, went to the Assembly on a 27-4 vote over the protests of one Democrat who argued it constituted “Democrat bashing” in an election year.

Among other things, the bill would require sex education teachers to cite the “failure rate” of condoms in preventing AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and emphasize that, except for abstinence, other methods of contraception may not prevent pregnancy.

One major provision would require teachers to emphasize that students should not have sexual intercourse until they are prepared to “establish a mutually monogamous heterosexual relationship within the context of marriage.”

Interjection of Religion Opposed

Sen. Ralph C. Dills (D-Gardena), who voted no, charged that this provision had the effect of injecting into the public school classroom a specific moral or religious belief.

“We should not ask our schools to undertake what the churches have failed to do and what Mom and Pop have failed to do,” Dills said, denouncing the proposal as a “Democrat-bashing bill.”

Ordinarily, such a proposal likely would have touched off heavy opposition from Democrats, particularly liberals. Apparently because this is an election year and AIDS is a sensitive political issue, most Democrats went along with Republicans and voted yes or did not vote.

Russell denied that the measure was aimed at bashing Democrats and insisted that because acquired immune deficiency syndrome is so rampant, “I think we should teach them something other than to use condoms.”

The bill would also require teachers to instruct their students in how to reject sexual advances, encourage them to “resist negative peer pressure” and discuss with pupils the possible emotional consequences of sexual intercourse outside marriage.

However, Sen. Leroy Greene (D-Carmichael) suggested that directives from the Legislature “may or may not” filter down through the educational bureaucracy to teachers. “They will pay as little attention to this (bill) as they do to anything else,” he said.