Hundreds gathered outside the Orange County Board of Education’s meeting room in two dueling groups Wednesday evening to make their feelings known about the California Healthy Youth Act, the state’s sex education law passed in 2016.

The law requires sex education programs in middle and high schools to include information about HIV prevention and address the needs of LGBTQ students.

In Orange County, this law has touched off a heated debate about whether gender and sexuality should be taught in the classroom, primarily through the sexual education curriculum.

Protests

In the parking lot were two groups.

One, led by the LGBT Center OC, gathered with rainbow flags and posters saying “Support all youth” and “End inequality now.”

The other was a large group singing Christian hymns and holding signs with sayings such as “Stop indoctrinating our children.” Some yelled out: “Stop the perversion.” Read more via the OCR