Michigan approves new sex education standards despite parent pushback

the Michigan State Board of Education New state standards for sex education were approved, which include recommendations for teaching students about gender identity and sexual orientation.

The Michigan Health Education Standards Guidelines were adopted Thursday after a 6-2 vote, despite opposition from some parents and pastors, who say they undermine parental rights and religious freedoms.

However, supporters of the standards assert that they are age-appropriate and will help LGBTQ+ students understand themselves.

State education officials say parents still have the option to choose their children without any penalty. Language was also added to the new standards addressing what state law says about health and sex education, local control of schools and parental choice.

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The Michigan State Board of Education has approved new state sex education standards, which include recommendations for teaching students about gender identity and sexual orientation. (Mike Kemp/Photos via Getty Images)

More than 100 people spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting, either in person or online. Some people waved small pride flags during public comment.

“What’s the urgency? Why now? Why today? Why this? If you really want to address health and sex education, let’s take some time,” Elaine McNeil, president of Citizens for Traditional Values, said during public comment.

John Grossenbacher, a Clinton County parent and House candidate, said the parent’s position should be the only one that matters. He organized a petition in which 1,600 people called on the board to withdraw or reject the proposal.

“We need to keep gender ideology at home and let parents teach it,” Macomb County resident Sheila Cahoon said.

Other speakers felt that it was time for the country to embrace and welcome change New standards for sex education. Many of them, including parents of transgender students, called on the board to adopt the standards, saying they provide information students may need to understand their identities.

“Young people, Generation Z, and the community they serve are demanding comprehensive, inclusive sexuality education and standards,” said Brianna Bryant of Detroit.

Another speaker, Stella Chananakit, linked the issue of sex education in schools to other culture war issues related to LGBTQ+ students.

“The deniers lost the bathroom wars, and we’re wearing a different dress again,” she said. “Nobody teaches your kids gender identity. They already know it. They’re too afraid to tell you about it. The bottom line is you don’t have to believe in it. You don’t have to accept it, but it’s there.”

Speakers also touched on issues such as student mental health, religious values, and how to discuss LGBTQ+ topics.

The revised standards detail what students should know by the time they complete a particular degree.

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State education officials say parents still have the option to opt their children out of sex education without any penalty. (Mike Kemp/Photos via Getty Images)

By the end of eighth grade, for example, students should be able to “define gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, and explain that they are distinct components of each individual’s identity.”

The state Department of Education stressed that the standards are merely guidelines and not mandates, adding that schools are still required to comply with all relevant state laws.

“The standards provide guidance for local school districts, and as in previous versions, local control remains and parents retain the right to decide whether their children should participate in sex education instruction,” the state Department of Education said in a news release after the vote.

“Local education boards determine health curricula for their districts which may include sex education curricula – if the district decides to offer sex education – which are reviewed by local sex education advisory boards and which must include 50% parent representation,” she added.

The state Department of Education also says the update is consistent with Michigan’s revised civil rights law, the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which lawmakers amended in 2023 to protect people from discrimination based on gender identity.

Last month, Republicans in the state House of Representatives questioned Interim State Supervisor Sue Carnell at an Oversight Committee meeting about how many races there are and the reasoning behind the proposal.

The commission issued a subpoena to force the state Department of Education to produce documents related to the standards.

State Board of Education member Nikki Snyder, a Republican, questioned whether the department has the authority to set those standards.

Board member Tom McMillen, also a Republican, said there are no penalties under state law for schools that don’t distribute opt-out forms. He said he’s concerned the state will pass standards that conflict with the law, be legally challenged and cost taxpayers money.

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Some parents and pastors argue that the standards undermine parental rights and religious freedoms. (Istock)

Board member Tiffany Tilley, a Democrat, said the standards are “long overdue for an update.” This is the first update to the state’s health education standards since 2007.

Under current state law, parents in Michigan are allowed to opt out of their children receiving sex education without any penalty. Students must take health to He graduated from high school But she cannot be punished for choosing not to have sex education.

Schools are required to provide education about HIV/AIDS, but have wide flexibility regarding the amount of teaching about sex.

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If a school district offers sex education, it should have a sex education advisory board made up of community members, including students and parents.

Teachers are not allowed to talk to students about abortion as a method of family planning, and condoms cannot be distributed on campus.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.