Sex Ed Debate Grows in OC

OCEAN CITY — Ocean City Council unanimously passed a resolution, Sept. 8, to create a “Parents Bill of Rights,” which would give parents more control of what their children are being taught, The Press of Atlantic City reported.
The resolution comes after parental tumult over new state standards that include teaching about sexuality and gender.
The Ocean City Sentinel reported that the “Bill of Rights” itself gives parents far-reaching access to curriculum of all types, from textbooks to media services. The bill allows parents to opt their child out of any sexual health curriculum that goes against their religious or moral beliefs.
According to The Press, more than 100 members of the public gathered on the street across from city hall prior to the Ocean City meeting in order to voice opposition to the new standards.  
In August, the Board of Education voted 6-5 to accept the state standards. Newly hired Superintendent Matthew Friedman said that Ocean City Schools would consider local sensibilities in enacting the state standards, The Press reported.
The Ocean City Sentinel reported that the school will implement the state’s sexual health standards “in the most minimal way possible,” according to Dr. Matthew Friedman.
On a similar note, The Press reported that Lauren Gunther, the district’s director of student services, said that classes at all grade levels will not delve into matters of sexual orientation or gender identity. Those topics will only be discussed in a classroom setting if the subjects are first broached by a student.
Not every question asked by students will receive an answer, Gunther said. And some topics will be handled one-on-one between students and the district health counselor.
The Press reported that in other cases, a “district professional” can step in to help answer parents’ questions about more complicated topics.  
OCNJ Daily reported that abstinence from all sexual activity will be the main message taught in the school district’s sexual health classes. Gunther said that “abstaining from all types of sexual activity has always been taught,” and that “there is no change” in that regard.
Meanwhile, as of Sept. 16, an online petition in response to the rally had garnered over 4,000 signatures. The petition called for an end to hatred targeting LGBT+ students, and gave the message, “Queer kids belong here,” The Press reported.
A new group has formed in response to allegations of LGBTQ+ indoctrination. In a press release, the group, We Belong Cape May County, characterized parental backlash to state curriculum standards as inflammatory.
The group opposes what it sees as mounting local aggression toward Cape May County’s LGBTQ+ community; the group hopes to give queer locals, families and allies a voice.
“Parents, teachers, professionals, students, alumni, neighbors, and business people” from across Ocean City and Cape May County came together to form the pro-LGBTQ+ group, the release said.
The release also said that Pastor Gregory Quinlan’s remarks, given at a Sept. 8 “Parental Rights Rally,” were hateful and corrosive to public perception of the LGBTQ+ community.
The group said that “civic discourse cannot happen when one speaker is alienating and harming an entire community with hate speech.”
We Belong Cape May County also called out board candidate Robin Shaffer for allegedly mischaracterizing the online petition. The group says that Shaffer dismissed the petition as out-of-state astroturfing. The practice is used by some PR firms and refers to the deceptive orchestration of grassroots efforts.
The petition was started by a 2022 Ocean City High School graduate who has just begun college.
Shaffer’s attacks went so far as to call his opponents “militant LGBTQIA activists,” and referred to one of the speakers at the Parental Rights Rally as “formerly gay,” The Press reported.
The recently implemented state standards were approved in 2020. The standards cover multiple topics, including nutrition, exercise and mental health, as well as the risks of tobacco, alcohol and drugs. But it is the language on sexuality that has drawn the most criticism.