Past Efforts
Governor Rendell - Title V
In August of 2008 the PARSE coalition, in partnership with the National Coalition to Support Sexuality Education, mobilized its members in unprecedented fashion to urge Governor Rendell to not apply for federal Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding. Although Governor Rendell ultimately chose to apply for Title V funds, PARSE was successful in voicing our opposition. PARSE made its voice heard through a letter writing and telephone campaign to the Governor; editorials, columns, cartoons and stories in major newspapers across Pennsylvania; news reports on television and radio, and organized demonstrations at the Philadelphia office of Governor Rendell. The PARSE coalition continues with oversight efforts to monitor what organizations receive Title V grants and how those funds are spent.
Senator Specter Earmarks
Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) has earmarked over $8 million for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in his home state of Pennsylvania through the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-HHS) appropriations bill. As Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees Labor-HHS funding levels, Sen. Specter has great discretion over funds within the Labor-HHS appropriations bill. In FY 2007 Senator Specter provided earmarks to 29 abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in Pennsylvania to the tune of $2.9 million with over $1 million finalized.
- PARSE members encouraged Sen. Specter to end federal earmarking for abstinence-only-until-marriage programming through letter writing, calls and attendance of town hall meetings and forums the Senator attends. In his appropriations requests for FY2010, Sen. Specter included no requests for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.
- PARSE member organizations work to ensure earmark recipients who received funds are in compliance with Pennsylvania and Federal laws.
- PARSE member organizations urge Sen. Specter to become a co-sponsor of S.611, the REAL (Responsible Education About Life) Act, which would provide students with age-appropriate, medically accurate, and scientifically based information.
Sign-on Letter to School Superintendents
In 2006 PARSE initiated a sign-on letter campaign to the superintendents of all 501 Pennsylvania school districts. The goal of the effort was to raise administrator awareness of sexuality programming curricula in their district, and actively increase the number of programs that provide unbiased, age-appropriate, medically accurate sex education to teens, while also working to eliminate dangerous medically-inaccurate and ineffective abstinence-only programs in the state of Pennsylvania. The letter was supported by a number of state health and advocacy organizations: Pennsylvania Coalition to Prevent Teen Pregnancy; Pennsylvania Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG); Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Adagio Health Inc.; Family Planning Council, Philadelphia, PA; Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania; Maternal and Family Health Services, Inc.; American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania.
Silver Ring Thing
In 2005 the American Civil Liberties Union and Jenner & Block LLP filed and settled a lawsuit against the Department of Heath and Human Services (HHS), accusing the administration of using tax dollars to promote Christianity through federal abstinence-only-until-marriage funding streams. The “Silver Ring Thing” has its headquarters in Moon Township, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was a recipient of abstinence-only grants administered through HHS. The law suit did not name the “Silver Ring Thing” as a defendant; only the federal government was sued for channeling tax dollars to promote religion. In documents presented as evidence to the court, brochures and the web site of the “Silver Ring Thing” were permeated with religion and used taxpayer dollars to promote religious content, instruction and indoctrination. Teenage graduates of the program signed a covenant “before God Almighty” to remain virgins and earn a silver ring inscribed with a Bible passage reminding them to “keep clear of sexual sin.” Many of its events are held at churches. In filings with the Internal Revenue Service, the organization describes its mission as “evangelistic ministry” with an emphasis on “evangelistic crusade planning.”