The District of Columbia mayor’s office announced Monday it would be applying for a grant teaching “sexual risk avoidance education” before rescinding the announcement in order to align with the district’s values.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office sent a Monday email indicating the district would apply for a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) $14 million grant aimed at teaching about the benefits of abstinence until marriage, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
The purpose of the grant “is to fund projects to implement sexual risk avoidance education that teaches youth participants how to voluntarily refrain from non-marital sexual activity,” according to Grants.gov. The grant also aims to “empower participants to make healthy decisions, and provide tools and resources to prevent pregnancy, STIs, and engagement in other risky behaviors.” (RELATED: San Diego Parents Pulling Their Kids From School Over Inappropriate Sex-Ed Curriculum)
Applicants must submit plans showing how they will implement abstinence education that “normalizes the optimal health behavior of avoiding non-marital sexual activity.” The plans should also address the psychological, social and health gains realized by refraining from pre-marital sex, according to the grant’s description.
Special district governments along with county governments, independent school districts, public and state controlled higher education institutions, nonprofits and other groups are eligible for the grant.
Grant applications are due by Aug. 26.
Monday’s announcement came only a month after D.C.’s Department of Health Senior Deputy Director Michael Kharfen stated that “people should have the kind of sex they want, and it should be emotionally and physically safe,” WaPo reported.
“It was an important correction to align with D.C. values and policy,” Bowser office deputy director Pat Henry wrote in email announcing that the district would no longer be applying for the grant.
Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office did not respond to the The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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