Understand and Utilize Parental Rights

WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT PARENTAL RIGHTS LAWS

UN agencies, SIECUS, IPPF and Planned Parenthood, including their youth arm “Advocates for Youth”, are pushing hard to eliminate parental consent laws for contraceptives, abortions, sexuality education and more so they can push their agenda with children freely. 

Therefore, any legislative language regarding sex education, especially language mandating confidentiality and/or privacy in data collection, or that mandates information or education on sexual or reproductive health issues for minors, should always also explicitly recognize the rights of parents in this regard 

Consider these harmful examples:

• UNFPA’s 2014 report, “ICPD and Human Rights: 20 years of advancing reproductive rights” reveals their plans to:
  • Remove “barriers to sexuality education such as parental consent.” [This is an actual quote from their report.]
  • Abolish “laws denying adolescents decision making capacity or requiring that they obtain parental consent.”

• SIECUS, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and Advocates for Youth, revealed their plan for Model Legislation for the Healthy Youth Act in 2017 stating “proposed [legislative] language relating to”:
  • “Parental requests” (seen as “barriers” and want to mandate opt out only)
  • “Enforcement” (infringing on parental rights and beliefs)
  • “Sex Education requirements” (see overarching goals)
    • SIECUS Overarching goals
      • “advance sex education policies”
      • “mandate comprehensive sexuality education in schools”
      • “advancement of sex education policy”
      • “action to further sexual health rights”

This assault on parental rights and on the health and innocence of children is unacceptable and a violation of state and international law. Multiple state statutes, UN treaties and consensus documents call for respect for the rights, responsibilities and duties of parents. Therefore, any provisions that promote sexual and reproductive health or services or sex or sexuality education for children without their parents’ knowledge or consent are in violation of international, national and universal rights of parents to direct the education of their children.

What parental rights laws are in my state?

Parental rights come with having a child, and are not granted by any governing body.  It is your responsibility to raise your children, and everyone else’s opportunity to help you.  Do not assume away OR allow others to steal this most basic parental truth.

Suggestions to protect your parental authority

• Ensure that the “rights of parents” always modifies any language providing youth with, or granting youth “access” to, sex/sexual/sexuality services, education or information of any kind. A pattern we see again and again is that CSE proponents will fight aggressively to keep out any mention of the “rights of parents” or will try to insert language relegating parents to only having a “role” along with other stakeholders.

• Any time there is a provision regarding sex or sexual education, it should always recognize the right of parents to direct that education.

• Never allow any sex education policy to be adopted in the context of a “right,” or part of another right like the “right to health” or the “right to education,” especially when there is no mention of parental “rights” to guide that sex education.

• Never allow a provision to relegate parents to only having a “role” in their children’s sex education.

• Never allow parents to be relegated to the status of just one of many stakeholders in their child’s education.

• Never allow parental rights to be restricted by the “evolving capacities of the child.” 

See “Model Legislation for Parental Rights” below