Sex and Censorship

Sexual images and information are among the most frequent targets of censorship. NCAC's program on Sex and Censorship addresses several topics of special concern to First Amendment advocates: sex education which promotes only abstinence, and in doing so, censors crucial information about safe sex; nudity and "obscenity" in art, literature, and film; and information or artwork on lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender themes, which stir controversy among some groups and often come under attack.

The cornerstone of this program is our effort to combat abstinence-only sex education, a wrong-headed and repressive approach to teaching young people about sex which has been on the rise for several years, and now enjoys substantial support from the federal government. NCAC has long stood at the forefront of opposition to "abstinence-only" sex education programs in schools. It is our belief that these efforts to impose one moral viewpoint on children — and shield them from contradictory information or ideas — constitute a particularly dangerous form of censorship. Trying to "protect" young people from the facts about sex denies them access to potentially life-saving information, and it suppresses meaningful and open discussion about sexual issues and identities.