ABSTRACT
In the United States, the battle for lesbian, gay, and bisexual equality is moving into the K-12 educational system. The news media provide a constant stream of reports focusing on how school districts deal with sexual orientation issues among both students and teachers. One ongoing debate centers on the opt-out vs. opt-in question. Traditionally, schools sent permission slips home to parents alerting them that their child would be exposed to sexuality education. Parents who did not wish their child to participate had to sign and have their child return the slip exempting them from this experience. One classic example of this can be seen in the efforts of conservative Republican senators and members of Congress to impose federal restrictions on the teaching of sexuality education in both public and private schools. Labor unions are also playing an increasingly important role in protecting teachers and staff.
