Radicals Lobby U.N. for ‘Sexual Freedom,’ Even for Youth     7/1/2005
By Lindsey Douthit

They are willing to sacrifice any youthful innocence.

Adolescent girls walking into clinics and getting contraception. Little boys encouraged to “explore their sexuality.” Abortions on demand for those barely old enough to conceive. Sound crazy? Not to certain radical groups, as was made clear at the United Nations recently.

The June 24-25 “informal interactive hearings” between the U.N. General Assembly and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), civil society and the private sector, held in New York City, became a forum for various issues relevant to the liberal agenda. Radical groups such as Women’s Environment and Development Organization, International Planned Parenthood and MADRE (an “international women’s human rights organization”) used their statuses as active speakers to lobby for universal "reproductive freedom" and homosexual rights. One aspect of their demands was the right of young people to enjoy unlimited sexual freedom.

In a disturbing twist, radical groups often shifted the focus of reproductive freedom to youth. “We recommend all aspects of reproductive rights for adolescents,” declared Djeneba Diallo, representing Family Care International of Burkina Faso. Her sentiments were echoed by representatives from other groups such as Action Health Incorporated and National Youth Network for Reproductive Rights in Ecuador. They all stated the same thing: The concept of universal "reproductive rights" has no age limit.

According to speakers such as Diallo, the U.N. should not only adopt language to extend "sexual and reproductive rights" to young people, it should also raise awareness and funding for such “rights.” Youth should be included in all development goals, they argued, including those advocating “sexual freedom.” In the minds of radical activists, adolescents should have the right to decide when to begin having sex, obtain contraception at any time, and decide if and when to have abortions. Their sexuality should be gratified whenever they choose.

What radical groups do not include in their outlandish demands are the horrifying consequences of unlimited sexual freedom. The United States witnessed the ugliness of “sexual liberation” during the 1960s, when the ideology of “free love” permeated American culture. Since then, the number of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has more than tripled. In terms of impact on youth, studies show that sexually active adolescents have increasing rates of STD contraction and are more prone to depression, suicidal tendencies, alcoholism, and drug abuse. The idea of “sexual freedom,” so enthusiastically touted by radical groups, actually shadows a dark reality of lifelong disease, emotional bondage and even death.

Also beyond the surface notion of allowing children access to contraception and abortion is the issue of suppressed parental rights. Parents would not have the right to know about their children’s sexual activity, as there would be no requirement of parental notification regarding contraception usage or abortion. According to groups like Family Care International, adolescents have as much right to sexual liberation as adults do, and parents should not have jurisdiction in the matter.

The promotion of "sexual and reproductive rights" for adolescents reflects the strategy of radical organizations to continue pushing the envelope toward uninhibited “sexual freedom” for all. In order to achieve this “liberation,” any standards regulating sexual behavior must be eradicated, including those for young people. Thus, through the United Nations, radical groups would further their efforts to open the door for sexual anarchy. Sadly, they are willing to sacrifice any remnants of youthful innocence in the process.

Lindsey Douthit is a recent graduate of Baylor University and a Ronald Reagan Memorial Intern with CWA. Thanks to the generosity of CWA donors, she was able to attend the hearings and allow CWA to monitor and communicate the reality of bias at the United Nations.

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