California state's sex education curriculum might soon include information about same-sex relationships, provided California Assembly Bill 329, a bill that would expand the school program, is approved by the Senate.
The bill was approved 47-24 by the state assembly on Tuesday, sending it to the Senate.
Democratic assemblywoman Shirley Weber wrote the bill to combine voluntary sex education courses with mandatory HIV prevention education for grades 7 through 12. Weber wants to expand the curriculum so not to exclude LGBT students, describing the current courses as outdated.
Republican assemblyman Devon Mathis argued that lawmakers should not be allowed to decide what other people's kids learn about sex. Although the bill would give parents the option to excuse their children from class, it would block districts from having opt-in policies requiring their explicit approval.
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