Editorials & Other Articles

riversedge

(70,220 posts) Wed Jun 7, 2017, 06:02 PM Jun 2017

Valerie Huber, an Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Leader, Has Been Appointed to a Key Position in the Depar

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Valerie Huber, an Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Leader, Has Been Appointed to a Key Position in the Department of Health and Human Services

By Sharon McGowan, Director of Strategy

June 6, 2017

Today, Valerie Huber, a leader in the movement against science-based and honest sex education in schools was appointed as Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary for Health for the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Valerie Huber is a dangerous choice for such an important job within the Department of Health and Human Services, a department dedicated to the health and well-being of the public. Her history of pushing anti-LGBTQ propaganda in schools is despicable and disqualifying.

Ascend, the organization of which Huber is at the helm, pushes inaccurate, dangerous and irresponsible information about LGBT students. According to one document produced by Ascend, educators are discouraged from affirming a transgender student’s gender identity. We know for a fact that this leads to isolation, harassment and violence against transgender students, and in many cases to suicide.

As demonstrated by her record, Huber is just the latest addition to Trump administration’s roster of science-denialists. By continuing to promote moralistic abstinence-only approaches to sexual health, Huber cares more about promoting her own religious views rather than advancing public health. Study after study shows us that honest sex education that is rooted in science and free of stigma creates the best outcomes for young people and public health.
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