A local high school is preparing to produce a school musical next year that features a colorful character. Not overtly gay, merely flamboyant in a spoofy-sort of way. The drama teacher has ruminated about down-playing the role, worrying that the student asked to play such a part would be harassed and teased by classmates.

Now imagine the stigma attached to students who opt to be enrolled in Rep. Lynn Hemingway’s proposed comprehensive sex education in lieu of abstinence-only classes. Would these students be labeled promiscuous and “most likely to?” What message does a parent send if they sign their child up for such a course?

After a decade of decreasing teen pregnancy rates, the past couple of years have shown an increase in not only pregnancies, but also STDs. It could be argued that the national emphasis on abstinence-only education may not have provided young people with adequate information. Most parents I know are embarrassed to talk about sex with their children beyond the “just say no” mentality.

Morality is not just sexual. Parents should talk to their children about respect, kindness, and consideration. Perhaps a parent wants to take a strong stand that sex should be saved for marriage, but that should not shut the door on frank talks about human sexuality and a firm open-door policy if a child becomes sexually active and needs some advice.

Teens have always been exposed to hormone-driven temptations, but it seems like many of today’s kids aren’t even embarrassed by things that make their parents cringe. Some 20 percent of teens say they have electronically sent or posted a nude or semi-nude photo of themselves. Somewhere along the line there is a disconnect between what parents and churches are teaching and what kids are doing.

Unless all sex education in school is done openly with facts and clear discussions, sex education is merely an anatomy lesson.

Either turn on the light of knowledge or let parents handle (or ignore) questions and sex education at home. Rep. Hemingway’s attempt to have a two-track system is not the solution.

Children should be armed with facts and if they aren’t getting it at home, it is a shame that certain factions are content to let them learn it “behind a barn” or in half-truths from peers. Bringing a child into the world is perhaps the most important thing many of us will ever do. This major step needs to be thought and talked about carefully, not stumbled into.