The Illinois governor has signed into law a new bill that promotes “gender identity” to kindergartners, as well as “abortion,” “contraception,” “masturbation,” and “sexual orientation” to children in third through twelfth grade.

Governor J.B. Pritzker recently signed S.B. 818 into law which, in a statement, he said will “update the state’s sex education standards in K-12 schools.” The bill “will emphasize health, safety, and inclusivity with age-appropriate resources,” the governor also claimed.

S.B. 818 requires public schools to align its sexual education curriculum with the National Sex Education Standards (NSES).

Parents are likely to find that the content required to be taught by the NSES is age inappropriate and filled with ideas that are contrary to science and orthodox Christian teachings.

For grades K-2, the NSES standards require students to:

  • “Identify different kinds of families (e.g., nuclear, single parent, blended, intergenerational, cohabiting, adoptive, foster, same-gender, interracial).”
  • “Define gender, gender identity, and gender-role stereotypes.”

The NSES standards say that children in grades 3-5 should be able to:

  • “Explain common human sexual development and the role of hormones (e.g., romantic and sexual feelings, masturbation, mood swings, timing of pubertal onset).”
  • “Describe the role hormones play in the physical, social, cognitive, and emotional changes during adolescence and the potential role of hormone blockers on young people who identify as transgender.”
  • “Distinguish between sex assigned at birth and gender identity and explain how they may or may not differ.”
  • “Identify trusted adults, including parents and caregivers, whom students can ask questions about gender, gender-role stereotypes, gender identity, and gender expression.”
  • “Demonstrate ways to promote dignity and respect for people of all genders, gender expressions, and gender identities, including other students, their family members, and members of the school community.”
  • “Define and explain differences between cisgender, transgender, gender nonbinary, gender expansive, and gender identity.”
  • “Explain that gender expression and gender identity exist along a spectrum.”
  • “Define sexual orientation.”
  • “Differentiate between sexual orientation and gender identity.”
  • “Explain the range of ways pregnancy can occur (e.g., IVF, surrogacy)”

Adolescents in grades 6-8 are to be taught how to:

  • “Access medically accurate sources of information about gender, gender identity, and gender expression.”
  • “Define sexual identity and explain a range of identities related to sexual orientation (e.g., heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer, two-spirit, asexual, pansexual).”
  • “Define vaginal, oral, and anal sex.”
  • “Explain there are many methods of short- and long-term contraception that are safe and effective and describe how to access them.”
  • “List at least four methods of contraception that are available without a prescription (e.g., abstinence, condoms, emergency contraception, withdrawal).”
  • “Describe pregnancy testing, the signs of pregnancy, and pregnancy options, including parenting, abortion, and adoption.”
  • “Define racism and intersectionality and describe their impacts on sexual health.”

Students in grades 9-10 should be able to:

  • “Describe effective ways to communicate consent, personal boundaries, and desires as they relate to intimacy, pleasure and sexual behavior.”
  • “Differentiate between sex assigned at birth, gender identity, and gender expression.”
  • “Differentiate between sexual orientation, sexual behavior, and sexual identity.”
  • “Describe the impact of racism and inequality on sexual health.”
  • “Analyze state and federal laws and guidelines (e.g., CDC) that address sexual healthcare services for minors (e.g., contraception, emergency contraception, prenatal care, adoption, abortion, STD, including HIV, prevention, testing, and treatment).”
  • “Identify medically accurate sources of information about and local services that provide contraceptive methods (including emergency contraception and condoms) and pregnancy options (including parenting, abortion, adoption, and prenatal care).”
  • “Define reproductive justice and explain its history and how it relates to sexual health.”

And in grades 11-12, students should be able to:

  • “Analyze cultural and social factors (e.g., sexism, homophobia, transphobia, racism, ableism, classism) that can influence decisions regarding sexual behaviors.”
  • “Explain how support from peers, families, schools, and communities can improve a person’s health and wellbeing as it relates to gender identity and gender expression.”
  • “Advocate for school and community policies and programs that promote dignity and respect for people of all genders, gender expressions, and gender identities.”
  • “Analyze ways systemic oppression and intersectionality impact the sexual agency of communities of color and other marginalized communities.”

Parents can opt their children out of the sexual education curriculum.

One organization that spoke out against the bill was the Illinois Family Institute, which said S.B. 818 is “composed entirely of socially constructed beliefs from leftist lawmakers aided and abetted by leftist pro-abortion and ‘LGBTQ’ organizations.”

The enactment of S.B. 818 reinforces the importance of parents paying attention to what their children are being taught in public schools.

If your child has recently gone back to school, and you’re concerned about what they may be learning, check out this great new resource from Focus on the Family: Back To School For Parents: A busy parent’s guide to what’s happening in your children’s classrooms and practical steps you can take to protect them.

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