In Colorado there is a new sex ed curriculum bill for public schools currently working its way through the legislature and likely to be signed into law in the near future.  The bill is controversial with claims from some Republicans that it is too progressive for various reasons, including how LGBT issues will be taught as part of the new curriculum standards.  Join us as we discuss the bill with our first ever guest:  Alison Macklin, fellow mom and a Vice President at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.  We discuss the specifics of the bill - including LGBT issues, consent, parental rights and more - and what is the context behind some of the controversial language.  We also discuss how to talk about sex with your kids without making it awkward and embarrassing for everyone involved - Alison wrote a book about it in 2018 called "Making Sense of 'It':  A Guide to Sex for Teens (and Their Parents Too!)".

Reference hyperlinks (links may only be accessible on www.redmombluemom.com):

• Buy Alison's book here!

The Jussie Smollett story has captured the nation...and not in a good way.  What a schmuck.  Join us as we talk about hate crimes and FBI hate crime data, hoaxes, media bias and the only silver lining in the Smollett story as defined by Trevor Noah from The Daily Show.

References:

• This is why Jussie did it: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/were-told-to-expect-hate-crimes-by-trump-supporters-thats-why-jussie-smollett-would-fake-one

AOC and her Green New Deal have been all over the news lately and have been applauded by some on the left while being mocked by many on the right.  Join us as we talk about AOC and her impact on politics, climate change and if it's in fact an emergency as Blue Mom Shelley believes (spoiler alert:  Red Mom Caitlin is not so sure), and some of the specific ideas presented in the Green New Deal.

References:

Immigration has been a hot issue in recent months, including debate between Congress and President Trump about border security that ultimately led to a government shutdown.  Is a wall immoral as some of the left have claimed?  How do people even immigrate legally to the U.S.?  Do Republicans/conservatives have a racist undertone when talking about immigration? 

References:

• Is the wall immoral? http://thefederalist.com/2019/01/08/why-is-a-border-wall-immoral/; https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/10/get-rid-borders-completely/409501/

The recent success of the 2019 Reproductive Health Act in NY and the proposed (although failed) late term abortion legislation in VA have caused celebration on the left and outrage on the right.  We discuss the specifics of the law and our perspectives on abortion, including is abortion ultimately a religious issue?

Episode references:

• Diana Foster study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1363/4521013

Toxic masculinity is all over the news lately, including the Gillette razors ad and the new guidelines from the American Psychological Association on how therapists can help men/boys.  Is toxic masculinity really a thing?  And if so, how is it impacting how we parent our kids, especially boys?

Episode references:

• Gillette ad:  https://youtu.be/xsYKb3T13Wk