Should sexual orientation be taught in sex-ed classes?

You've seen a wide array of sexual orientations explained and portrayed on TV and in movies. In your sex-ed class? Not so much. Most U.S. sex-ed classes stress abstinence and avoid discussing homosexuality (aside from emphasizing that gay sex is a health risk), even though many teens question their own sexuality. But earlier this month, six Montgomery County, Maryland schools introduced a pilot program for eighth-and-10th grade health classes that teaches about sexual orientation, safe sex, homophobia, and transsexuality.

While parents have the option of opting their children out of the program, people are at odds over this hot topic issue. Some find that 12 and 13 year-olds are too young to fully understand and grasp the issues, while others oppose any curriculum that endorses alternative lifestyles. "The school is presenting only one side of a controversial issue,"Peter Sprigg, a member of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays, told the Baltimore Sun. "We feel there is still viewpoint discrimination." But parents who support the pilot program are happy with the finished product: "This curriculum is very thoughtful, medically accurate and age-appropriate," Montgomery County mother, Patricia O'Neill told the Sun. "It's about respecting differences."