Petting Zoo

Most people might not be aware, however, that abstinence until marriage is pretty much official federal policy. When welfare reform came about in the Clinton years, the feds started making millions of dollars available to states and community groups for abstinence-only education. The government defined eligible programs as ones that teach a variety of precepts including that abstinence outside marriage is "the expected standard" and that "sexual activity outside of the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects."

Washington's state Legislature requires the state Department of Health to apply for such funding. Up until now, the feds have insisted not that grant recipients teach every precept but that they not conflict with any of them. This year, however, the administration has started requiring recipients to "meaningfully represent" that message and all the others it outlines. Meaning that, in at least some respects, the state may soon be broadcasting a message not all that different from SHARE's.

Mark Dancey

In Cally Leighton's realm of instruction, French kissing—code name: "alfalfa"—can lead down a slippery slope.

Mark Dancey

In Cally Leighton's realm of instruction, French kissing—code name: "alfalfa"—can lead down a slippery slope.

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