Put another one in the win column. Michigan’s State Board of Education yesterday approved new state health education standards that include LGBTQ relationships and gender identity in the sex education curriculum. The standards are guidelines, not requirements, but send an important message of inclusion.
New Standards
Michigan had not updated its health curriculum since 2007. The new standards, said State Board of Education President Dr. Pamela Pugh in a statement, “provide comprehensive, age-appropriate instruction across key areas, including mental and emotional health, safety, healthy relationships, nutrition and physical activity, substance use and misuse, sexual health, personal wellness, and community and environmental health.”
Among other things, the new standards (PDF) for grades 6 to 8 will update the sex education portion of the curriculum to say that by the end of grade 8, students should be able to:
- Define gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, and explain that they are distinct components of every individual’s identity.
- Explain how biological sex, gender identity, and gender expression are distinct concepts and how they interact with each other.
- Explain that romantic, emotional, and/or sexual attractions can be toward an individual of the same and/or different gender(s), and that attractions can change over time.
These students should also:
- Demonstrate ways to show courtesy and respect for others when aspects of their sexuality or gender are different from one’s own.
- Practice skills to intervene if teasing or bullying based on sexuality is occurring and how to support those affected.
- Encourage others to refrain from teasing or bullying others based on their sexuality (e.g., sexual activity [including abstinence], sexual orientation) or gender (e.g., gender expression, gender identity).
- Identify behaviors, policies, and practices in the school community that promote or hinder dignity and respect for all individuals.
And students in grades 9 to 12 should be able to, by the end of grade 12:
- Discuss how to foster empathy, inclusivity, and respect around issues related to gender and sexuality.
Guidelines, Not Requirements
The standards (PDF), however, are not requirements, but simply “serve as guidance to local districts.” As the standards themselves state, “Not all topics may be covered; it is a local decision based on local student data which topics will be covered and at what grade span(s).”
As before, each school district can choose whether to include a sex education unit in its health education course and what that unit will cover. Sex ed curricula must be reviewed “by local sex education advisory boards that must include 50% parent representation,” the MDE noted.
Nevertheless, there was pushback by some parents and community members against the new standards, as Chalkbeat Detroit reported. The State Board of Education and Michigan Department of Education (MDE), though, said in a statement that they “considered public comments by making the standards even clearer about the rights of parents to opt their children out of sex education instruction,” and that they “remain consistent with Michigan law by providing for local school districts to notify parents in advance of any sex ed instruction.”
Creating Safe and Inclusive Schools
If a district does include sex ed in its health curriculum, however, the new standards remind them:
Teaching students the definitions surrounding gender identity and diversity aligns with the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (Public Act 6 of 2023) which includes provisions that ensure equal opportunities for a quality education and promotes inclusivity, which includes sexual orientation and gender identity or expression as protected categories.
It is important for local districts to remember that if they include lessons that aim to cover the standards guidelines specific to gender diversity, those lessons and materials must be medically accurate and age appropriate. The inclusion of the lessons also must follow all laws outlined here, including parent opt-out provisions.
The standards then cite research showing that “when such topics as gender identity are presented in a way that is medically accurate and developmentally appropriate, children experience lower rates of bullying, harassment, and suicide”; therefore, “If we want children to excel in the basics of reading, writing, and math, we must provide environments where all students feel safe.”
The standards also stress that “gender-diverse students are not inherently prone to mental and physical health risks because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. They are at higher risk due to experiences of discrimination, stigmatization, and victimization in society.”
Support for Progress
The Michigan Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), which has more than 24,000 members, is among the organizations that has supported the revised standards. Tonya Whitehead, president of the Michigan PTA, said in a statement, “These new standards are a long-overdue, evidence-based approach to meeting the real health needs of today’s students. The updated standards will help create healthier, safer, and more supportive schools for every child in Michigan. Health education shouldn’t be an extra—it’s a foundation for learning and thriving.”
PFLAG National Vice President of Advocacy Katie Blair also said in a statement that “PFLAG National and PFLAG Michigan chapters in Detroit, Great Lakes Bay Region, Manistee, Monroe, and Plymouth/Canton applaud the State Board of Education” for the updated curriculum. PFLAG chapter members in Michigan had advocated for the changes, which PFLAG National is celebrating as the “first major win of our Fighting For Our Pride advocacy campaign,” a nationwide effort focused on action at the state and local level.
Would many of us argue that children should learn about LGBTQ-related topics even earlier than sixth grade, and not always in the context of sex ed? Yes. Are some districts going to choose not to implement an LGBTQ-inclusive sex ed curriculum? Undoubtedly. But as Blair noted, “The Board’s decision to strengthen lessons on inclusion, mental health, consent, and decision-making sends a powerful message of respect and support for LGBTQ+ students and their families.” There’s definite value in that.
Last year, Michigan also updated its parentage laws to reflect the many ways families are formed today and equally protect all of the children in them, including those with LGBTQ parents. Today’s updates extend that current- and forward-thinking mentality to what children in all families should be learning to prepare them to live and thrive in today’s world.