URGE: Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity is a state-driven national Reproductive Justice organization powered by and for young people (18-30 years old) in the South, Midwest, and California. We are deeply invested in Alabama, California, Georgia, Kansas, Ohio, and Texas. We particularly center the voices of those who are BIPoC and LGBTQIA+.
SB 209 is a harmful, anti-sex education bill that seeks to require any sex ed taught in public K-12 schools to exclusively teach Sexual Risk Avoidance, a rebrand of Abstinence-Only Until Marriage “Sex Education” and re-write the Sex Ed Code to exclude conversations about contraception.
How can we take action?
We encourage our AL partners and members to call on our state legislators and ask that they do not pass SB 209 in the 2026 Legislature Session. Below, you will find sample scripts for letter writing and phone calling when reaching out to your legislators, along with sample social media posts you may use to encourage your communities to take action. We’ve also included resources on how to write your own customizable script for legislative outreach and sample messages to incorporate into your efforts. Please feel free to share this toolkit with your networks so we can maximize outreach together!
Email links to take action & share into your networks:
General Script Components for Advocating with Legislators via letter writing/call:
Dear Senator OR Representative X,
I am your constituent OR I am an Alabamian
Writing to talk to you about X
Include any relevant messages
Include any personal story or connection you have to this issue (make it your own!)
Incorporate any data points from factsheets
Underscore your ask
Thank you,
Your Name
Your Voting Address/Role in Community
SAMPLE SCRIPT
“I am your constituent writing to ask that you OPPOSE SB 209 which would require any sex education taught in Alabama K-12 schools be exclusively sexual risk avoidance, also called abstinence-only until marriage.
Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs have failed to protect Alabama’s youth from delaying unplanned pregnancy, as evidenced by Alabama having the fifth highest teen pregnancy rate in the country.
Our young people deserve better. Please vote NO on SB 209 in 2026.”
Additional potential messages:
– As your constituents, we are asking you to oppose SB 209 by voting NO, speaking against it, and organizing your colleagues to do the same.
– In 2019, 40.7% of Alabama highschoolers reported that they are having sex, so keeping critical sexual health information away from young people only exacerbates their risk of experiencing sexual violence, unintended STIs, and pregnancy.
– Alabama has the 5th highest teen birth rate in the US.
– Proponents of the bill say Sexual Risk Avoidance Curriculum includes conversations about condoms and contraception, however line 26 of the bill states: “This bill would prohibit any sex education or human reproductive curriculum or program from: (i) providing a referral to or information about how to acquire an abortion or contraception; (ii) misrepresenting the efficacy of or demonstrating the use of contraceptives;”
– A 2017 study conducted by the University of South Alabama found Alabama parents expect schools to teach about abstinence AND condoms, contraception, how to prevent STIs, HIV, and unplanned pregnancy, healthy relationships, consent, and more.
– SB 209 undermines the progress needed to address critical public health issues and pursue bodily safety for youth in our state. By restricting access to comprehensive, evidence-based, age-appropriate sex education, this legislation compromises the ability of students to make informed, healthy decisions about their futures.
– Alabama’s current sex education law was last updated in 2021 by URGE advocates and partners with bipartisan support that says any sex education taught in public K-12 schools must EMPHASIZE abstinence while also providing medically accurate information about contraception.
– Alabama young people want and deserve sex education that is medically accurate, comprehensive, and LGBTQ+ affirming.
– We urge you to prioritize the health, safety, and future of Alabama’s youth by opposing SB 209. Let’s invest in policies that equip our students with the tools they need to thrive, grounded in evidence-based practices and the values of our communities.
That is why we need your support in voting NO on SB 209
– We need comprehensive, medically accurate, LGTBQIA+ inclusive sex ed programs – including interpersonal skills that help us explore our values, goals, and options.
– Comprehensive sex education equips young people with accurate, age-appropriate information about their bodies, relationships, and health, helping them make informed decisions.
– Comprehensive sex education provides young people with the knowledge and skills they need to understand their bodies and reproductive health, prevent unintended pregnancies, reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and build healthy, consensual relationships.
– Inclusive sex education provides information relevant to all sexual orientations and gender identities, reducing stigma, mental health struggles, and health disparities among LGBTQIA+ young people.
– Young people are often exposed to misinformation about sex, relationships, and reproductive health—whether from social media, peers, or unreliable sources.
– Many of these sources spread harmful myths about contraception, STIs, gender, and consent.
– Comprehensive sex education acts as a crucial counterbalance, providing young people with fact-based, medically accurate information that empowers them to distinguish truth from fiction.
– It creates a safe and open learning environment where they can ask questions, challenge misconceptions, and gain the skills to critically evaluate the information they encounter.
– By equipping students with science-backed knowledge and critical thinking skills, comprehensive sex ed helps prevent the spread of myths and ensures that young people make informed, healthy decisions about their bodies and relationships.
– Understanding one’s body and reproductive health empowers young people to make choices that align with their values and well-being.
– Sexual Risk Avoidance harms young people. Multiple studies have found that SRA does not work and can be harmful to youth; AAP, ACOG, and SAM all speak against SRA.
– Parents don’t want SRA, either. Alabama parents want schools to teach abstinence AND about healthy relationships, condoms, birth control, and how to protect against HIV and STIs.
– SRA doesn’t work for Alabama. Alabama has the 5th highest teen birth rate, and over 40% of Alabama high schoolers have had at least one sexual experience.
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