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Manitoba Health Attempts to Block Parents Access to Controversial Sex Ed Book

Parents say manual contains dangerously inaccurate “safe sex” information

By Gudrun Schultz

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, September 27, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Manitoba Ministry of Health attempted to block parental access to a “teen health” guide slated to be released for use by Manitoba Schools in early November. The Manitoba manual, which an Ontario-based pro-family organization recently confused with another “Little Black Book” from Toronto that explicitly advocated teen lesbian sex, nevertheless also has parents up in arms over its content.

Concerned Manitoba parents interviewed by LifeSiteNews.com say the “teen health guide” contains dangerously inaccurate and misleading information and promotes sexual activity in young teenagers.

It took 8 months and three attempts under the Federal Access to Information Act before parents were able to obtain a copy of the material known as the ‘Little Black Book.’

Terry Swidinsky, a parent and healthcare professional who works in microbiology, told LifeSiteNews the parents’ original request to preview the material was denied.

“We were not considered to be ‘identified stakeholder groups‘,” said Swidinsky. “I vote, I’m a parent, I pay taxes--what disqualifies me?”

In February 2006 a coalition of parents’ groups attempted to access the material under the Access to Information Act. After 30 days they were told they could not have a copy, but would be allowed to view the material in the presence of a Manitoba Health employee.

Disturbed by the content, the parents decided to file a second AIA, finally obtaining a copy of the material in July 2006. Another parent who simultaneously filed under the Act has yet to receive a copy, said Swidinsky, despite two attempts and the expiry of the 30-day waiting period permitted under the Act. 

“The government has actively put walls up for us to have access to a document that our children are going to have access to--what is so harmful that we can’t see this, but our children can?” Swidinsky said.
 
“There was a lot of barriers put in our way for a document that’s supposed to be good to our kids.”
 
Parents say claims about safe sex made by the manual are false, the most alarming being a statement that condom use prevents HIV/STI infection.

“That’s wrong,“ said Swidinsky, who works with infectious diseases. “The word “prevent” denotes zero infection. There is no literature that actually supports the claim that condoms will have zero infection if you use them.”

In fact, UNAIDs admitted in a study released 2003 that condoms fail to protect against the transmission of HIV/AIDS 10 percent of the time, a failure rate called “unacceptable” for a lethal disease.
 
As well as misleading teenagers about the dangers inherent in condom use, Swidinsky said parents take “great exception” to advice they say promotes sexual activity among young teenagers, such as encouraging them to include condoms in their preparations for a date.

“This is targeting grade nine to grade twelve students,” Swidinsky said. “Our executive council for the Manitoba Association of School Trustees has indicated that they would like to target grade six with this material.”

A spokesperson for Manitoba Health told LifeSiteNews the manual was not specifically directed towards sexual health, but contained information on multiple areas of teen health including tobacco use, drinking and driving, and medical checkups. However, Swidinsky said the information on sexuality outnumbers the rest of the content “by at least five to one.” 

“We were told the manual would be distributed to grade nine students ‘because that is when they start having sex.” 

The material, which originated in Alberta, is being promoted by the Manitoba branch of Planned Parenthood, the Sexuality Research Council, according to Swidinsky, which approached the province to fund the distribution to the schools. Planned Parenthood is the world’s foremost promoter of abortion and explicit sex-ed programs advocating sexual experimentation among youth.

The manual also contains links to pornographic homosexual sites in the resources listed at the back of the book. Parents objected to the inclusion of the links after first viewing the material in March 2006. The only concession to their objection, said Swidinsky, was the inclusion of a disclaimer by Manitoba Health.

“The whole underlying message that I as a parent have got from this experience is that parental input and parental opinion is not that important to them.”

With the manual due to be released next month, the parents’ coalition is notifying Manitoba school divisions about the problems contained in the material, asking them to avoid distributing it to children. The decision to use the manual is up to the individual school boards.

Of note, yet another “Little Black Book”, described as a "hard-core pornographic homosexual 'how-to' booklet", caused a furor in Massachusetts in 2005 when it was given to hundreds of school teens. The publication, containing explicit photos and detailed directions for engaging in “safe” male homosexual sex, was given out to hundreds of high school students before being exposed by the Article 8 Alliance and Parents Rights Coalition.

Complaints about the Manitoba manual may be sent to:

Hon. Gary Doer
Premier
204 Legislative Building
450 Broadway,
Winnipeg, Manitoba.
R3C 0V8
Phone 204-945-3714 or 204-945-3715
Fax 204-949-1484
email:

Hon Peter Bjornson
Minister of Education
168 Legislative Building
450 Broadway,
Winnipeg, Manitoba.
R3C 0V8
Phone 204-945-3720 or 204-945-0418
Fax 204-945-1291
email:

See related LifeSiteNews coverage:

Graphic Girls’ Sex Ed Book Urging Lesbianism Published by Government Funded Toronto Agency
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/sep/06091901.html

'Little Black Book' teaches kids 'gay' sex
Massachusetts group decries aggressive pro-homosexual advocacy
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44306

See LifeSiteNews.com Extra Special Report that exposes the sordid history and real objectives of Planned Parenthood
The Inherent Racism of Population Control
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/may/040518a.html

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