In January 1993, Joycelyn Elders was appointed the first Black surgeon general of the United States. A mere 15 months after her confirmation, she was forced to resign. While Elders was known for being outspoken about topics like sex education, the breaking point came when she spoke at a United Nations conference on AIDS. When asked about promoting masturbation as an … [Read more...] about How to Normalize Talking to Your Kids About Pleasure
Blog
Disabled Youth Aren’t Receiving the Sex Ed They Deserve
As I write this, I’m more than halfway through our latest Feminist Book Club book — Alice Wong’s Disability Visibility — and deep into the heart of Sex Ed for All Month. Previously known as Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, the month of May has since been earmarked as a time to raise awareness around how we provide (or don’t provide) young people with adequate sexuality … [Read more...] about Disabled Youth Aren’t Receiving the Sex Ed They Deserve
Sex Educator Spotlight: Melissa Pintor Carnagey
When I first started surfing the web for resources to include on Guerrilla Sex Ed, Sex Positive Families was one of the most visible ones out there. And several months later, when I became a founding member of the Sex Education Alliance (SEA), I had the opportunity to meet the brilliant educator behind it. Since then, Melissa (she/they) has helped me out as an expert source on … [Read more...] about Sex Educator Spotlight: Melissa Pintor Carnagey
Full Disclosure: Sex Ed in the News | April 2021
I feel like such a bummer whenever I write in this space. Last month, it was the news around the abduction and killing of Sarah Everard, and the mass shooting in Atlanta, Georgia, that had me enraged. This month, I watched with jaw dropped as the number of anti-trans bills built from a trickle to an overwhelming cascade. And then, last week, Derek Chauvin was found guilty of … [Read more...] about Full Disclosure: Sex Ed in the News | April 2021
Sex Educator Spotlight: Kara Haug
For so long, I've been firmly in The Publishing World but, this year, I became more intentional about expanding my network in the world of sex ed. To that end, I joined the Sex Education Alliance (SEA) and also began attending online networking events and webinars offered by the Sex Ed Lecture Series, SIECUS, Everyone Deserves Sex Ed (EDSE), and other groups. I met Kara Haug, … [Read more...] about Sex Educator Spotlight: Kara Haug
Full Disclosure: Sex Ed in the News | March 2021
I don't know what to write in this space right now. On March 3, Sarah Everard was kidnapped and murdered in South London, an act that was eventually attributed to a police officer. On March 16, eight people were killed in Atlanta, Georgia, in what was a clearly a racially- and sexually-motivated mass shooting. I could expand on the stories here, but you already know them. … [Read more...] about Full Disclosure: Sex Ed in the News | March 2021
Sex Educator Spotlight: Al Vernacchio
I mentioned in last month's spotlight that, several years ago, I volunteered for the Center for Sex Education and got myself a free pass to the National Sex Ed Conference, which was amazing. Well, in addition to crossing paths with Tanya M. Bass, I also attended a session with sexuality educator Al Vernacchio. Vernacchio was speaking about a framework he uses in which he … [Read more...] about Sex Educator Spotlight: Al Vernacchio
Full Disclosure: Sex Ed in the News | Feb. 2021
It's been such a weird (infuriating?) month for sex-related news. Gwyneth Paltrow deciding to sell vibrators, claiming that hers is one you won't have to be ashamed of (because apparently sex toys are embarrassing?). Georgia considering a bill that would mandate that doctors examine students' "reproductive organs" in an effort to exclude trans girls from participating in school … [Read more...] about Full Disclosure: Sex Ed in the News | Feb. 2021
Sex Educator Spotlight: Tanya M. Bass
It feels like forever ago (though it can't have been that long) but, once upon a time, I volunteer blogged for the Center for Sex Education and, as thanks, they allowed me to come to the National Sex Ed Conference in Atlantic City. This conference was a revelation for me. While there, I crossed paths with Tanya M. Bass, but I was so new to that space that I think I spent … [Read more...] about Sex Educator Spotlight: Tanya M. Bass
Full Disclosure: Sex Ed in the News | Jan. 2021
Welp. We survived the first month of 2021. Hooray? Unfortunately, it didn't go as smoothly as many of us had hoped, as our outgoing president encouraged white supremacists to attempt an overthrow of the government. To be quite honest, I was nervous as hell on Inauguration Day, holding my breath in the expectation of further outbreaks of violence and hate. Still, some things … [Read more...] about Full Disclosure: Sex Ed in the News | Jan. 2021