The Windy City Times covered an October 5th panel discussion on the increasing HIV and STD rates among African-Americans and people of color. The ACLU of Illinois' Legislative Counsel Khadine Bennett joined public health professionals and local advocates to discuss the goals of HB 3027, the sexual health education bill that would modernize sex ed for Illinois schools.

"Sex ed talks about healthy relationships," Bennett said. "How do you create boundaries? How do you learn about your body? How do you love yourself? How do you talk to your parents about sex? How do you identify who in your community you can go to with questions? It's not just about sex … . We're teaching life lesson skills."

Read the whole thing.

Adam Schwartz, senior staff counsel, spoke with the Chicago Tribune about the ACLU of Illinois' stance on a proposal to drug test student athletes in Lake Zurich schools.

"These suspicion-less programs we view as stigmatizing and as an invasion of privacy," said Adam Schwartz, an ACLU of Illinois lawyer. "They give kids the message they have to surrender their rights in order to participate in school activities. That is a very bad message."

The ACLU of Illinois has previously opposed drug testing of Chicago Housing Authority residents and Chicago public employees and elected officials.

Read more on the Chicago Tribune's website.