Deep in the depths of time, when I was but a lowly intern at Nerve (R.I.P.), I came to know Twanna A. Hines. And by "know," I mean that I read the hell out of her work, as she had just started to write for Nerve's Blog-a-Log column. In the years since, we've circled around each other, both of us writing for now-defunct publications like New York Press and The Frisky, each … [Read more...] about Sex Educator Spotlight: Twanna A. Hines
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How Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Reinforces Rape Culture
The fight for comprehensive and inclusive sexuality education gathered unprecedented momentum in the past decade. As campus sexual assault gained greater visibility, colleges and universities began implementing consent education programs to teach incoming freshmen about the importance of affirmative consent. At the K-12 level, Texas’ board of education agreed to revamp … [Read more...] about How Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Reinforces Rape Culture
Sex-Positive Books for Readers of All Ages
I was 22 when I discovered sex-positive feminism. Nerve.com was getting into its groove. The sex shop Grand Opening! had just opened its doors in Brookline. Writers like Susie Bright and Tristan Taormino were pumping out erotica collections and Crunch Gym was promoting its cardio striptease classes. Meanwhile, I had just fallen into a college internship writing for an adult … [Read more...] about Sex-Positive Books for Readers of All Ages
Full Disclosure: Sex Ed in the News | Nov. 2020
These past few years have seen educators on edge even more so than usual. Despite research showing that abstinence-only until marriage programs do not, in fact, cut down on incidences of STIs and unplanned pregnancies, federal funding had started to flow more readily to those programs during the Trump administration. Meanwhile, organizations offering comprehensive sex education … [Read more...] about Full Disclosure: Sex Ed in the News | Nov. 2020
Sex Educator Spotlight: Kim Cook
Continuing our Sex Educator Spotlight series, I present to you: Kim Cook, RN, CHES. Kim and I connected through my Thunder Thighs email newsletter, of all things. She responded to one of my emails and shared a bit about the work she did with Teen World Confidential, a site she founded that supports parents and other caring adults in communicating with their children about sex … [Read more...] about Sex Educator Spotlight: Kim Cook
Full Disclosure: Sex Ed in the News | Oct. 2020
As I write this, it's just two days after the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court and, I won't lie, it feels like a gut punch. Barrett has such a troubling history. She served for nearly three years on the board of a group of private Christian schools that barred admission to children of same-sex parents and that "made it plain that openly gay and lesbian … [Read more...] about Full Disclosure: Sex Ed in the News | Oct. 2020
Sex Educator Spotlight: Yael R. Rosenstock Gonzalez
Last month, I kicked off my Sex Educator Spotlight series with Nadine Thornhill, Ed.D. This month, I interview Yael R. Rosenstock Gonzalez, a sexologist, identity coach, workshop developer and facilitator, curriculum consultant... I could go on. Full disclosure: Yael is a fellow contributor to Pure Romance's Buzz blog and, as I got to know her work and her areas of interest … [Read more...] about Sex Educator Spotlight: Yael R. Rosenstock Gonzalez
Full Disclosure: Sex Ed in the News | Sept. 2020
Back in the day, when I was doing volunteer work for the Center for Sex Ed, I put together weekly news roundups for their blog. And while there was sometimes good news — a piece of progressive legislation pushed through, at long last — more often, it was rage-inducing. Stories of rights being stripped away. Stories of sex ed curricula being made even more restrictive. Stories … [Read more...] about Full Disclosure: Sex Ed in the News | Sept. 2020
Most Sex Ed Stresses Abstinence. Here’s How Parents Can Fill in the Gaps.
"So what's going on with your vagina?" is a question my 6-year-old daughter casually asked recently as she strolled into my home office. I did a double-take, but it was quick. After all, I write about sex for a living and, well, sometimes, vaginas just … come up. "Oh, nothing. My vagina is fine," I said, just as casually. "OK," she said and wandered off. I am … [Read more...] about Most Sex Ed Stresses Abstinence. Here’s How Parents Can Fill in the Gaps.
Sex Educator Spotlight: Nadine Thornhill
To me, sexuality educators are superheroes. The work they do is so essential. I find it so important, in fact, that I've sometimes thought of becoming a certified sexuality educator myself. I'm better in writing, though, and the thought of getting up in front of a classroom full of students is terrifying. Still, the journalism I do around sex ed advocacy doesn't feel like … [Read more...] about Sex Educator Spotlight: Nadine Thornhill