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In New York, churches ban the
teaching of any course on sex education or HIV/AIDS prevention in any
church-owned building. However, New York state law mandates the teaching of sex
education classes and, since 1987, the state decided that every student has to
have classes on HIV/AIDS at least once a year. Also, in 2011, the state passed
a law requiring students to have sex education classes in sixth or seventh
grade and again in ninth or tenth grade.
To circumvent this conflict between
church and state, many schools that rent space from a church-owned building
make alternative arrangements for teaching the required courses. El Puente
Academy in Brooklyn, which rents church facilities, has its students walk 15
minutes to the school’s offices for their sex education class. Many students
and parents have complained, but nothing has changed. The churches argue that
it is in their rights to control what is taught under their roof. However, the
church rule has not stopped schools from teaching students these required
lessons; it simply adds a layer of inconvenience for the schools and students.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
