South Central Reporter

State Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) is opposing House Majority Leader Greg Harris’ (D-Chicago) criticism of a Florida bill disallowing public schools from discussing sexual orientation with young children. 

While lambasting Harris, Wilhour applauds state lawmakers for taking a stand and upholding the "responsibility to protect kids and preserve the rights of parents" through the Florida legislation. 

“I can’t think of a greater responsibility we have as leaders than the responsibility we have to our kids," Wilhour told South Central Reporter. "Sexualizing young kids is perverted and wrong. The far left does not seem to understand boundaries and laws like the one in Florida are necessary because there is zero effort to self-police when it comes to what is being taught in schools. If someone on the street were to come up to 5-year-olds and started using the kind of sexually charged language being used in our schools, that person would go to jail. Just because this kind of language is being used in a school setting does not excuse it.” 

Wilhour warned that 'the sexualization of the children is intentional and it must be met with resolve.'

“Kids are not little adults," he stressed. "They are kids. They eat gummy bears, watch cartoons and ride bicycles in the driveway. Adults – especially adults who are not their parents or legal guardians – have no business stealing the innocence of our children. Instead of questioning why people would be against adults using explicit language around kids – a better question is why would anyone support this? What are their motivations? What do they perceive the expected outcome to be? Why do they think it is OK for adults to talk to five-year-old kids about masturbation and other topics? The onus is not on decent people defending basic standards of conduct. The onus is on those who are trying to sexualize our kids.”

Harris has met criticism since last week for posting his statement on Twitter after Florida lawmakers passed the Parental Rights in Education bill with a House vote of 69-47 and Senate vote of 22-17.

"I am proud that in Illinois we protect our LGBTQ families, teach our history and stand with our LGBTQ youth," Harris said. "I'm proud to be the LGBTQ House Majority Leader, from a district with an LGBTQ Senator, a city with a LGBTQ mayor and a ward with an LGBTQ Alderman.

The bill's text says "classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”

Adults engaging with young children about sex is a "grooming behavior... parents should recognize," according to Kristin Jenson of Defend Young Minds, an anti-child-sex-abuse organization.

Last year, the inclusion of graphic arts in a book entitled Gender Queer written by Maia Kobabe in libraries across the state caused an uproar at the local school board level. The book, which includes illustrated scenes of graphic gay sex, has been the source of national controversy. Parents have called Kobabe’s work gratuitously sexual and unnecessary for schoolchildren. Many communities in Illinois, such as parents in Downers Grove 99, are questioning its place and the place for other such books in public education.