As the flagship "news" network for those who yearn to go back to the good old days when teens remained clean until marriage, it's not surprising that Fox News would support teens will remain clean if you don't tell them all that dirty stuff about sex. In 2010, Fox did a full court press which included a "chastity expert," in support, of those who opposed a sex-ed "shocking" sex-ed "outrage" in Montana. And now that a California high school is utilizing the services of Planned Parenthood in a sex-ed course, Fox & Friends is exposing this outrage with the help of the homophobic, anti-Muslim, all around right wingnut, and Fox fave Pastor Robert Jeffress who advanced the popular right wing memes on the greatness of abstinence only sex-ed and the depravity of Planned Parenthood
Earlier this week, the Fox News website broke the story about this nasty stuff being taught to virginal high school freshmen at Acalanes High School in Lafayette, CA. So it didn't take long for the issue to pop on Fox & Friends' "Trouble with Schools" series. Steve Doocy began this morning's piece with "bet this wasn't a lesson in your school." The chyron established the requisite Fox controversy: "Classroom Controversy, Planned Parenthood Lesson Raising Eyebrows." He continued: "The organization Planned Parenthood teaching students at a California high school to choose their gender." He showed the graphic, used in the course, which accurately described categories of gender identity and expression next to a "genderbread man." He asked if this "is really Planned Parenthood's business teaching your kids about the birds and the bees." He introduced his guest, Pastor Robert Jeffress who, among other homophobic things, believes that homosexuality and pedophilia are linked.
Doocy noted that while many parents teach their kids about "the birds and the bees," it's included in high school curriculums. He handed Jeffress the propaganda baton: "You say that having kids learn from Planned Parenthood is a very bad idea." Jeffress ranted about "the multitude of parents" who are trying to teach their kid about "the Judeo-Christian principal that sex is a gift from God that is reserved for the marriage relationship." As the agitprop chyron framed the message, "Questionable Content, Planned Parenthood Teaching High School Kids," he ranted about how Planned Parenthood "undermines" those values because it "promotes promiscuity" and performs lots of abortions. (Of course, nobody mentioned the vital gynecological care provided to low income women...)
The rant continued with the comment that Planned Parenthood should be "no more welcomed" at schools than "a pervert wrapped in a raincoat." Doocy cited how, on the Planned Parenthood website for the curriculum, there is the question "why abstinence programs don't work" which "flies in the face" of Jeffress' message. He read more material that included sample questions related to consent for sex which, he felt, were inappropriate for 13year olds. Jeffress ranted about how liberals "want to indoctrinate children in promiscuity." The chyron: "They're Teaching What, High School Kids Asked to Choose Their Gender." (Newflash guys - they already know it) He encouraged conservative parents, who are "in the majority" to "rise up and say no."
While reality tells us that abstinence programs are a failure (aske any Catholic high school grad!), Jeffress urged schools to teach that "the only safe sex is God's principal of sex within marriage." As the chyron read "Protecting Their Kids, Parents Upset with Planned Parenthood Lesson," and "Parental Approval, Petitioning To Stop Planned Parenthood Course," Doocy agreed. There was more ranting about evil, "liberal values" in the schools (includes "water based lubricants") which "give approval for kids to have sex outside marriage." Jeffress concluded that boys with "raging hormones" will listen to Planned Parenthood over their parents. (Not if they're good Christians?)
What you didn't hear on Fox & Friends: Thanks, in part, to good sex ed and the availability of birth control, teen pregnancies are on the decline. But Jeffress' Judeo-Christian Texas, where kids are taught to abstain, has the third highest rate of teen pregnancy. Guess the Holy Spirit is quite busy?
But "birds and the bees?" Seriously, who still talks like that? Hey Doocy, the 50's are calling, they want their stupidity back!
Wonkette has a great take on all "outrage."
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