ag5@Pucc-I.UUCP (10/22/84)
..> JMattson@bbncca.ARPA says . . .
..>
..>What's really needed is education, not only about AIDS, but also about
..>different ways of having sex. Teach people about types of sex that don't
..>involve exchanging bodily fluids. Teach them that sex isn't a disrespectful
..>act that will debase you and your friends if you do it with them. No, I don't
..>know how to go about educating every gay person out there, and I don't
..>believe that's even possible. But this sort of education will actually
..>change people's actions, instead of just changing where they do what they do.
This is all very well and good, but this has to start young...
As one often hears, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks!" Although
this would be desirable here, it's tougher than it sounds. <That was
dumb; I would expect that you probably realize this anyway!>
Even when lives are at stake, it is difficult to teach better
health habits. The most obvious example of this is tobacco smoking.
Only recently has tobacco smoking been on the decline; the medical
profession has been screaming against it for years, and parents have
warned their children against the "evils" of smoking. The first warning
by the Surgeon General was posted on cigarette packs in the 1950's (I
believe); only now are we beginning to see any effect of the various
types of education, advertising and the like on the population...
Anyway, if this is to begin young, perhaps a better curriculum
for sex education in our nation's grammar schools is necessary (Oh, no!
Gays in the schools again! ;-}) Just *how* do we teach about homo-
sexuality to grade-school children? (P. S. -- This is our opportunity
to teach that gays aren't so icky after all; we're just real people!)
Of course, suggestions for items to read, curricula and the like
are welcome...
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