'God forbid that ever come up': Fox News hosts shocked that sex education exists
16 February 2023
Sex education has existed in American schools for over a century and since its inception has been a thorn in the sides of cultural conservatives, who in the ensuing decades have complained that students should not be exposed to such content and that reproductive education is best conducted at home.
On Thursday, two Fox News commentators fell into a pearl-clutching diatribe against teaching kids about sexual health, arguing that it detracts from other more important subjects and sidelines parents.
Former White House Press Secretary and Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany initiated the discussion:
A damning report out of the city of Baltimore finds that in twenty-three of the city's schools, there were zero students who tested proficient at math at grade level. Think about that, twenty-three schools, not a single student, and that is tragic, but basic math isn't what the left is focused on. They're flipping out because of books Governor Ron DeSantis wants to pull from Florida schools like this one titled 'Let's Talk About It: A Teen's Guide to Sex and Relationships.' It includes graphic descriptions and depictions of sexual acts. There's this one called It's Perfectly Normal.' It's about changing bodies, sex gender, and sexual health, and it's for children as young as ten.
Katrina, our students are failing in schools. COVID has put them behind. The school closures that liberals insisted upon did that. But they're focused on Governor DeSantis who if you go look at his press secretary's website – Taryn Fenske, Bryan Griffin – they have these books up. They're inappropriate, so inappropriate we could not put them on the air right now, the pictures in there, but somehow kids can find them in schools in Florida.
READ MORE: Far-right social conservatives are attacking sex education material as 'child pornography': report
Fox Business anchor Katrina Campins vociferously agreed:
This topic makes my blood boil as the mother of a five-year-old because we should be focused on math, science, what about teaching kids about financial literacy, and how to do their taxes?
But sex? I mean, when did sex become part of what we teach these young kids in school? And the fact that they're not allowing parents to determine when these issues are discussed and to teach them what their values should be, it's something that should be discussed at the home. I'm all about the home space, right? The home is where you have your sanctuary, your family values start.
I have to be honest, I toured a lot of schools in Florida for my young son, and when I sat down with the principal, they said to me do you have any questions? And the first question was what's your stance on religion and discussing gender? And they kind of were like a little bit shocked. But they're like, oh we don't go there, like, we don't go there, that's something that's left for the parents. But I think in a lot of states, that probably wouldn't be the answer, right? So I'm really grateful that I'm in Florida and I love Governor DeSantis. I love that he's taking a stance on this. I love his guts for this because I don't want anyone to take responsibility for teaching my son what I should be teaching him at school, and I mean, sex? It was just never a topic in my home. God forbid that ever come up!
The panel on Outnumbered then complained about teachers supposedly being encouraged to "talk about their sexual orientation," which is false. Alluding back to Florida, DeSantis' "Don't Say Gay" law has sparked mass confusion over not only what educators are permitted to teach in their classrooms, but also what they are allowed to say about themselves.
Watch below via Media Matters for America or at this link.