BY ANDREW DAVIS
When Windy City Times contacted Shelby Knox for an interview, the native Texan was battling fright. 'This is my first time driving outside of Texas,' she said as she tried to navigate the streets of New York City. 'I'm really scared ... I'll call you back in a few minutes. I'm so sorry.'
She exhibits considerably more moxie in The Education of Shelby Knox, a program that kicks off the 18th season of the PBS's P.O.V. series on June 21. ( Check local listings. ) The program, by Rose Rosenblatt and Marion Lipschutz, chronicles Knox's journey as the devout Christian who has pledged abstinence until marriage becomes an unlikely activist for comprehensive sex education in the city of Lubbock, Texas.
In 2001, Knox, who was then a 15-year-old high-school sophomore and a politically conservative Southern Baptist, joined the Lubbock Youth Commission, a group of students empowered by the mayor to give the city's youth a voice in the local government. She attended an assembly led by a pastor; there, she promises to wait until marriage to have sex. However, she is not convinced that the pastor's sermons is the sex ed that is needed—so the commission decided to fight for comprehensive sex ed. However, Knox's hopes of being the group's leader were dashed when another individual, Corey Nichols, won the spot.
After experiencing constant frustration from school officials, Knox decided to ally herself with gay students who had been denied the right to form a gay-straight alliance—a development that rattled the more diplomatic Nichols. Eventually, Nichols decided to drop the sex ed campaign, infuriating Knox. By her senior year, Knox committed to working with the gay students, who sued the Lubbock School Board—and declared herself to be a liberal Democrat, a move that stunned her parents. However, a counter-protest to an anti-gay demonstration brought mother and daughter together. Knox is currently studying political science at the University of Texas.
After settling down and getting over the trauma of driving in the Big Apple, Knox spoke with Windy City Times about the film and the ongoing fight for all-inclusive sex education classes.
Windy City Times: Why did you join the youth commission?
Shelby Knox: I joined because I wanted a place to have a voice and do my activism work. I didn't know what we'd be working on, but I wanted to do something in the community.
WCT: You took a pledge ( along with a couple hundred other people ) to wait until your wedding night to have sex—but you still wanted comprehensive sex ed courses. Why?
SK: In about ninth grade, I started realizing that a lot of my friends were either getting pregnant or getting sexually transmitted diseases—and that was a big problem. When we thought about it, the only conclusion was that there was no sex education. I realized that teens, even if they're not going to have sex, need to know about sexuality and have a good sex education course.
WCT: Initially, you and Corey had the same goal in mind ...
SK: We did. However, it eventually became that I was devoted to the cause and he was devoted to forwarding his political career.
WCT: So you two never got along?
SK: That's correct. We made many attempts but we just couldn't get along.
WCT: Why become allies with the gay students?
SK: I realized that they were having a very public fight about something that was personally important to them. I could see the link between sex education and a gay-straight alliance—and I felt from seeing the discrimination [ they suffered ] that they needed a support group that promoted tolerance between the gay and heterosexual communities.
WCT: So becoming allies with the gay students didn't challenge your Biblical teachings at all?
SK: I didn't really think so because I think that God teaches tolerance. You're not supposed to judge anyone else and [ you are supposed to ] love everyone. I love my gay friends so it was something I wanted to do.
WCT: What was your initial reaction when you found out that Corey wanted to drop the sex ed campaign?
SK: That was a very disappointing blow to me and to students across Lubbock. I felt that there was more to be done and that we had given in to the powers-that-be in Lubbock. I felt it was a big failure.
WCT: The counter-protest against the homophobes seemed to bring you and your mother together. What about your father?
SK: Oh, he just had to go to work that day. Both of my parents really became much more tolerant of gays, equal rights, and things like that. They have definitely made big strides. They're very supportive of me and everything [ I'm involved with ] , including the gay-straight alliance. However, one thing that we have an issue with is gay marriage. They don't support it, and I do. They do support civil unions, though. They think that gays should have the same rights, but they feel that calling them 'marriages' desecrates the word.
WCT: Has your family encountered any resistance from others because of this switch in beliefs?
SK: Not really; overall, they're still pretty conservative. We'll see after the film comes out.
WCT: Did you have any hesitation about being filmed?
SK: No. I was a performer; I was in opera. It takes a while to have a camera and film crew follow you around, but they were there for three years so it's something you get used to. They start to blend in [ after a while ] . I was always concerned if my activism would affect my parents and my father's business. But my parents are so supportive and excited that they don't feel it would have any effect. They [ also ] feel that they don't want to be friends with anyone who'd have a problem with the film, anyway.
WCT: What have you learned about yourself throughout this journey?
SK: First, I learned that I could have different beliefs from my family and still be accepted and loved and we can still have a wonderful relationship. I've also found a love of politics and I want to make it my career. When I run for office, I will always have a platform in sex education and gay rights. Women's rights are also very important to me. And I've realized that I can use my voice—although not the way that I once thought—to change the world.
WCT: If you had never joined the youth commission, where do you think you'd be, politically speaking?
SK: I know I would've been liberal. However, I think that I would still be in Lubbock—which is a frightening prospect.
