Councilmember Tammy J. Morales (District 2) issued the following statement regarding Referendum 90:
“The subject matter may be sensitive to some, but voters still clearly recognize that a comprehensive sex-education bill should be the law of the land.
“Thanks to an informed electorate, voters approved Referendum 90 and sent a clear message: sex ed in schools is both medically necessary and socially appropriate if we are to protect both the health and safety of Washington’s public schoolchildren.
“Our public schools will continue the tradition of providing age-appropriate, accurate and comprehensive sexual-health education for kids like yours and mine. Surprisingly, this approach isn’t a significant change for most school districts. The very fact that we had to vote on this at all means that some adults still don’t recognize the value of every child having the tools they’ll need to ward off unwanted contact, unintended pregnancy or STDs. We should not shield our children from information that could help them make healthy choices about THEIR bodies. Sex education must include information about safety, but also teaching young people the importance of CONSENT and setting healthy boundaries, which are life lessons they will carry with them throughout adulthood. If we need another reminder for why this education is important, think about how much the #METOO movement has exposed in the past couple of years.
“Our kids — yours and mine — deserve to understand their body, and engage in healthy, consensual relationships.”