Education for all.

As a self-identified humanist/atheist/ gay man I look forward to every issue of the Humanist, not only for interesting and insightful news and views but for the support given to LGBT issues when they are included. I find nothing to disagree with in Heidi Bruggink's "Miseducation: The Lowdown on Abstinence-Only Sex-Ed Programs" (January/February 2007). However, while Bruggink acknowledges that all age groups are made up of more than just heterosexuals when she states, "The curriculum places heavy emphasis on ... which (heterosexual, virginal) person they would wed," I was disappointed that she didn't further pursue the subject of educating sexual minority and gender-variant kids.

Too many sex-education programs overlook gay reality. LGBT kids need the information as much as, perhaps more than, straight kids. What makes abstinence-only education even more counterproductive for these kids is the hidden but dually intolerant message: "You shouldn't have sex until you get married and, by the way, if you happen to be anything other than heterosexual you can't get married."

Although I don't expect civil marriage for same-sex couples to become legal nationwide in my own lifetime, I do believe it's inevitable. Until then, abstinence-only sex-ed will continue to be useless to minority children already overburdened with societal opprobrium in addition to the usual challenges of maturing. A message of inclusiveness should be required of anyone in the sex-ed field.

Bill Dubay

Seattle, WA