An Exploration of Heternormativity in Sex Education Curricula

Katherine Seiger

Paper Title: An Exploration of Heternormativity in Sex Education Curricula

Abstract: Between 2000 and 2009, conservative US government control over sex education dramatically increased. This control can be categorized into three areas: control over dissemination of sex and sexuality information; control of federal funding for sexuality education and research (Irvine, 2004) and control over what “counts” as legitimate sexual expression: heterosexual intercourse. From 1988 to 2003 the percentage of public school teachers utilizing abstinence only curriculum with no information on condoms or contraception escalated 28% (Irvine, 2004), and in 2003 the National Institutes of Health increased scrutiny of federally funded research around same-sex sexual behaviors and HIV prevention in response to conservative claims that these were a “waste” of public funding. This cultural re-entrenchment in heteronormative sexuality further distanced LGBTQ youth from the possibility of comprehensive, accurate, non-stigmatizing sexual education. Continuing to the present, the United States has seen a consistent rise in the number of HIV and STI cases in youth—the largest concentration in young men who have sex with men. In an effort to better understand the heteronorms that inform sex education, four popular curricula were explored using textual analysis. The review suggests that heteronormative messages and assumptions underlying sexuality education impede efforts to empower youth sexual health in general, and LGBTQ identifying youth sexual health specifically. Furthermore, both gendered messages and fear tactics serve to marginalize and disengage LGBTQ youth. Implications for development of an LGBTQ youth affirming curricula are discussed.