Sex

Advocacy Groups Sound Warning on Efforts to Renew Funding for Discredited Abstinence Only Programs

A 911 came out today from SIECUS to call and demand ab-only funding be removed from the 2012 Appropriations Bill. I have cut and pasted the call to action at the end of this email. Meanwhile, read up on why ab-only is so bad; I do the research so you don't have to!

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A 911 came out today from SIECUS to call and demand ab-only funding be removed from the 2012 Appropriations Bill. I have cut and pasted the call to action at the end of this email. Meanwhile, read up on why ab-only is so bad; I do the research so you don’t have to!

Here are a few links to my work on federal funding of ab-only and anti-gay “family” organizations that form a base for much of the anti-woman, anti-choice, anti-gay legislation out there. Let alone enforcing heteronormative and gender stereotypes on our society through our kids, especially our young girls.

This is a cover story I wrote for Westword on a Colorado based ab-only organization called WAIT (Why Am I Tempted?) Training – now called Center for Relationship Education.

This covers a lot of ground and in my research serves as a pretty accurate model of ab-only programs, how they work, how they are funded and their deception on a national scale. It would be helpful for you to watch the video of the in-school program embedded in the story. It speaks volumes about the reality of ab-only in practice.

Here is the result of that story – Colorado Ethics Watch calling for an investigation into WAIT’s funding.

Here is an additional story – the initial one that got me investigating WAIT further – from the American Independent on the program’s ties to anti-gay Ugandan Pastor Martin Ssempa.

Another story about ab-only program Project SOS in Florida. Again with ties to Pastor Martin Ssempa.

And some of my work on Iowa Family Policy Center, now The Family Leader, in Iowa. Anti-gay Christian organization that has gotten millions in federal funding.

Here is one about a similar group in Indiana.

Consider listening to the podcast I did with Below the Waist on ab-only. We covered a lot of ground and I put a fine point on the negative impact on young women by ab-only programming.

From SIECUS: Action Needed: NOW

In these economic times when all we hear from Congress is budget woes, we have received word that Congress is trying to bring back dedicated funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that Congress’ own studies show just don’t work. We need to take action NOW to ensure that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs do not receive dedicated federal funding in the Fiscal Year 2012 budget.

Please take a couple of minutes to CALL the White House and the House and Senate Leadership in this order:

President Obama- 202-456-1414

Senate Majority Leader Reid – 202-224-3542

House Minority Leader Pelosi – 202-225-0100

Script you can use for calls:

“My name is _______ and I’m from ______, __ (city, state). I’m calling to make sure there is no dedicated funding for abstinence-only programs in the final Labor-HHS bill. These ineffective programs have no place in a bill that should focus our limited dollars on evidence-based and cost-effective programs. Please do not provide any dedicated funding to abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in the Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations negotiations. Thank you.”

We don’t have a lot of time on this, so please call now!

We have worked hard to eliminate two-thirds of federal abstinence-only-until-marriage funding. We have to fight hard to keep from backsliding. Over $1.5 billion dollars have already been wasted on these ineffective programs. Young people deserve better.

In solidarity,

Jen Heitel Yakush
Director of Public Policy
SIECUS

PS. Please call now – Share with your friends. We absolutely need President Obama and the Senate and House Leadership to hear from you that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are a waste of taxpayer dollars and have no place in the appropriations bill.