Tonight: Let’s talk about sex… education

Earlier this year, when President Obama zeroed out funding for “abstinence-only sex education” in the 2010 federal budget, parents and teachers who don’t want their kids stumbling ignorantly into adolescence celebrated. But that doesn’t mean students in the Kansas City region can count on age-appropriate, medically accurate sex education — unless the community pushes for change.

Jen LaBarbera, an organizer for Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, says her organization, and others, are ramping up their efforts to make sure youngsters understand the birds and the bees. “We sensed a buzz in our community around comprehensive sex education, and the momentum seems to be building to hold our local schools accountable for providing youth with real sex ed,” she says.

Tonight, a panel of students, activists, educators and physicians are turning that buzz into a town hall forum.