As part of the Gender on Film Series, the Women’s Center hosted a showing of “The Education of Shelby Knox,” a documentary about a high school student who led a revolution advocating improved sex education programs and gay rights. The documentary chronicles Knox’s experience raising awareness about comprehensive sex education programs in the city with the highest teen sexually transmitted disease and pregnancy rates in the nation – Lubbock, Texas. In a radio interview with Knox, a caller to the station said teaching the use of contraception is “an avenue to allow immorality.” “I think that’s a very common myth, unfortunately,” said Jennifer Fleming, general studies senior, after watching the documentary. In the documentary Knox also advocated gay rights when administrators opposed the formation of a gay organization at her high school. “I thought it was really interesting and eye-opening to hear the views of conservative Americans and just how fearful they are of change,” said Greg Zilis, psychology sophomore. After the students watched the documentary, Julie Mickelberry, director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood, led a discussion about the importance of comprehensive sex education programs in high schools. She said abstinence-only sex education programs do not cover alternatives or teach students about contraceptives except for their failure rates. Rachael Hebert, sociology and women’s and gender studies senior, said sex education programs that teach alternatives to abstinence such as contraception are important. “Like Julie kept saying, it prepares people to make healthy choices,” she said. Mickelberry also gave blank cards to students to write down what their sex education program was like in high school.
—–Contact Angelle Barbazon at [email protected]