Dorries Bill on Sex Abstinence Is Dropped

On Friday, a bill to require that schools offer extra abstinence-based sex education to girls ages 13-16 was withdrawn from the House of Commons.

The controversial bill was proposed by Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Nadine Dorries (Mid-Bedfordshire) as a way to counteract a society she said is “saturated in sex.” It was due to receive a second reading but was withdrawn before coming up for debate. The measure had little chance of becoming law without government support, and it is unlikely to be rescheduled.

Outside Parliament Friday, up to 100 feminists, humanists, and pro-choice activists demonstrated against the measure. Andrew Copson, chief executive of the British Humanist Association, said he hoped Dorries had “realized abstinence education is a dangerously unrealistic and irresponsible proposition for our young people.” The decision to withdraw the bill, which requires the permission of the MP who proposed it, was likely “guided by politics rather than a change of heart” on the behalf of Dorries, he suspected. “We will all certainly need to remain on guard against such foolish proposals in the future.”

Niki Molnar, chair of Conservative Women, said boys need to be included in instruction on sex and relationships to ensure they learn respect for women.

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