A bill introduced to the Alabama Senate will make the state's sex education standards more medically accurate and remove what advocates called discriminatory language towards the LGBTQ community if it becomes law.

Sen. Tom Whatley, R-Auburn, introduced SB269, also known as the Alabama Youth Health Protection Act, on Thursday. It asks state legislators to accept two major changes to Alabama Code 16-40-A2, which details the content, course materials and instruction to k-12 students about sex education. The first modification was switching parts of the law mentioning AIDS to HIV, since an infected person gets HIV first. HIV can become AIDS if left untreated.

It also removes language stating homosexuality "is not a lifestyle acceptable to the general public and that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense under the laws of the state." The bill can be read below.

As of Saturday morning, Whatley has not returned phone calls or emails seeking comment about the bill.

The bill has to be approved by the Education and Youth Affairs Committee before the senate can vote on it. If the bill passes through the senate, the Alabama House of Representatives and gets Gov. Kay Ivey's approval, it will become effective the first day of the third month following its passage.

Committee Chairman Sen. Dick Brewbaker said the bill will be considered as soon as Whatley makes a request to put it on the committee's agenda. Brewbaker doesn't suspect the bill will move forward.

"There has been no enforcement of the sodomy laws in 40 years," Brewbaker told AL.com on Friday. "I don't see the committee rejecting the bill, but this is Alabama legislature. So who knows."

The bill is a step in the right direction on important issues, according to LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Alabama. Executive Director Alex Smith said the more than 40-year-old law needs to be revised because it relies on outdated medical information about HIV and AIDS.

"It brings our state's minimum standards for youth health education in line with current science and educational standards," Smith said in a statement to Al.com on Friday. "Much of the language in the current statute was crafted during the HIV crisis of the 1980s and early 1990s, so SB269 cleans up that language and brings it into the 21st century."

LGBTQ advocates throughout the country have pointed out what they called an "anti-gay" law in the statue. Smith said the removal of the language will make sex education, and classrooms, more LGBTQ inclusive.

"The bill removes harmful language that both students and educators have reported is stigmatizing and not conducive to a productive educational environment," Smith said. "Equality Alabama is excited to offer our full support for this bill and are grateful for Senator Whatley's leadership on this important issue."

Smith said they have been talking to Whatley since the beginning of the year. Equality Alabama has been pushing for a bill like this for several years with Democratic support.

"With Republican supermajorities in both chambers of legislature, very little democratic legislation moves without Republican buy-in," Smith said. "So, after several years of talking to Republican legislators and providing supporting evidence of public support for this bill, we were able to move many members to be supportive."

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