Grundy Reporter

Critics opposed to mandatory sexual education in Illinois schools are keeping an eye out for a bill opponents say would circumvent last year’s law that allowed school districts to opt out. 

Jeffrey Wynn, of Morris, is the administrator of Facebook page Standup Opt-Out, a page aimed at getting school districts to opt out of SB 818. 

“The Illinois Senate just adjourned for today," Wynn said on Facebook. They did not get around to the Senate amendment to HB 5188. I understand this is now referred to as SB 2226. They are back in session Sunday Jan 8, 5:00pm.” 

The Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) issued a “call to action” against HB 5188. The IASB included an appeal to members to contact legislators to express opposition. 

“We need your help to stop the passage of HB 5188, as amended, which will MANDATE Illinois public schools to teach 'age appropriate' sex education beginning in kindergarten,” the IASB said in its alert. “PLEASE ACT NOW to contact your State Senator to encourage them to VOTE NO on House Bill 5188, as amended. The full language of the amendment can be found on the General Assembly Website.” 

IASB encourages the community to call their Senators directly.

“Late last evening, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) posted an amendment to HB 5188 that would require sex ed to be taught in kindergarten through grade 12 in Illinois schools," the alert further reads. "IASB has worked in good faith with stakeholders on sex ed standards and curriculum for several years. Previous sex ed bills focused on content of curriculum while still preserving local control around the decision to offer sex ed to all students. HB 5188 removes that local option and MANDATES the national sex ed curriculum standards for all schools.” 

Awake Illinois who also has the same stand as IASB on this matter, previously shared a press release describing the bill and its effects. According to the resource "public schools must provide age and developmentally appropriate consent education from kindergarten through 12th grades,” no later than July 1. The courses must incorporate and align with the "National Sex Education Standards" published by the Future of Sex Education. 

Awake Illinois explained that "These standards call for: 2nd graders to be able to define consent, define gender identity and stereotypes, define reproduction, and identify different types of families, including cohabitating and same gender; 5th graders to be able to describe the potential role of hormone blockers on young people who identify as transgender, distinguish between 'sex assigned at birth and gender identity,' define and explain differences between cisgender, transgender, gender nonbinary, gender expansive, and gender identity, explain that gender expression and identity exist along a spectrum; 8th graders to be able to define sexual identity and explain a range of identities related to sexual orientation (e.g., heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer, two-spirit, asexual, pansexual); they should also be able to define vaginal, oral, and anal sex; describe pregnancy options, including abortion; All pregnant young people to have decision-making power in their reproductive health decisions; The use of a student's self-selected pronouns; They also specify that no one, other than the individual, is 'qualified to label or judge another person's sexual identity, including their sexual orientation or gender identity.'"

The bill is seen as a way of mandating the sexual education standards included in SB 818 signed into law last year by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. That law, unlike this one, allowed school districts to opt out. SB 818 law requires children as young as 8 to be subjected to lessons on sexual education. The law was billed as a way to standardize state and federal sexual education standards. 

State Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) has suggested conservatives run for local school boards in order to take back control of the reigns of education, according to Macon Reporter.