Olympia, Washington—Today, American Atheists, on behalf of its nearly 1,500 constituents in Washington State, submitted testimony supporting SB 5395. This vital measure would require that schools provide comprehensive sexual health education for students in Washington.
Currently, 20% of schools in Washington offer no sexual health education or less than one hour of instruction. Religion is no excuse to deprive children of sex ed or to only provide them with abstinence-only sex ed.
SB 5395 would give all students access to evidence-informed, medically accurate instruction about their sexual health, allowing them to make well-educated decisions about their lives to become thriving adults.
In addition, the bill requires that the curriculum be inclusive for all students covered by Washington’s non-discrimination law, ensuring that vulnerable students who may be less likely to receive sexual health education, such as LGBTQ young people, are proactively included.