Rally for Youth and Reproductive Rights

Students Meet with Legislators to Discuss Dating Violence, Sex education and LGBT Rights

March 12, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org

FRANKFORT, KY – Dozens of Kentucky college and high school students converged on the State Capitol today to meet with legislators on issues they identified as top priorities: teen dating violence, comprehensive sexual education and LGBT rights.

“The Youth Rally Day is critical to the overall education of Kentucky teens because it not only allows us to observe the political process that makes decisions concerning our everyday, but it also gives students the opportunity to be face-to-face with politicians, lawyers, and activists–exposure that is in many ways missing from the educational process,” said Muhammad Ali Center Council of Students member and participant Anthony Perry.

The Rally for Youth and Reproductive Rights serves as a way for young people to learn how to advocate about things that are important to them. The students received support from The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, Planned Parenthood of Kentucky and the Muhammad Ali Center Council of Students in planning the advocacy day. “The Rally for Youth is a day for advocacy and not lobbying,” said ACLU of Kentucky Reproductive Freedom Project Director Derek Selznick. “These young people are not lobbying on specific bills, but on larger concepts such as preventing teen pregnancy, education on sexuality, reproduction, boundary setting, healthy relationships and gender identity,” added Selznick.

In meetings with legislators, the youth participants advocated for stronger protections against domestic violence for young dating couples, statewide Fairness and bullying protections for LGBT youth. “We are putting a face behind the statistics, giving these politicians a reason to care, while also demanding that they grant us the sincere attention that we deserve because in the next few years we will be deciding whether or not they continue to hold their seat,” said Perry.

The day was capped with a Rally for Youth and Reproductive Rights in the Capitol Rotunda.