This past summer, as students were released into the heat of summer, into weeks at art and soccer camp, into weekends down the shore, school districts began a mad scramble. You see, back in 2020, my home state of New Jersey had adopted the updated Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. Those new standards are due for implementation this … [Read more...] about We Want Our Kids to be Safe; Comprehensive Sex Ed Is the Answer
sex ed article
Sex Educators Are Not ‘Grooming’ Your Kids—But That’s What Conservatives Would Have You Believe
As a sexual health educator, Kerri Isham is no stranger to pushback from parents and administrators. Sex education had always attracted controversy, and there had always existed a fear of what children might learn in sex ed, and what it might inspire them to do. But when one angry parent shared an out-of-context page from Isham’s Body Smart workbook on … [Read more...] about Sex Educators Are Not ‘Grooming’ Your Kids—But That’s What Conservatives Would Have You Believe
These Frequently Banned Sex Ed Books Are Required Reading in My House
The other month, my local comic shop posted that they’d received copies of the updated, deluxe hardcover edition of Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer. I raced over to the shop to pick up a copy, even though I’d just re-read the book in egalley form the week prior. The new cover was gorgeous, the new intro from Nate Stevenson made me a little … [Read more...] about These Frequently Banned Sex Ed Books Are Required Reading in My House
How the Anti-LGBTQ+ Movement Co-opts the Language of Anti-Violence Advocates
Just last month, I hopped onto a meeting of the Sex Education Alliance (SEA) to talk about the most recent onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation sweeping across the U.S. The Alliance is a membership organization for sex educators who are focused on family and child education and we spend a lot of time supporting each other in various ways. But we also look for ways to push the … [Read more...] about How the Anti-LGBTQ+ Movement Co-opts the Language of Anti-Violence Advocates
Why It’s Never Too Early to Start Sex Ed With Your Kids
You’ve likely seen the headlines: Adolescents Receiving Less Sex Ed Than 25 Years Ago. Teens Not Receiving Enough Sex Education. Adolescents Doomed Because Sex Ed Is So Darn Underwhelming. (That last one is mine. It represents the thoughts screaming through my head.) Just this past November, researchers published a paper in the Journal of Adolescent Health that compared … [Read more...] about Why It’s Never Too Early to Start Sex Ed With Your Kids
How to Normalize Talking to Your Kids About Pleasure
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
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
How to Normalize Talking to Your Kids About Periods
I don’t remember much about my first menstruation, beyond the fact that I wasn’t sure if I was menstruating or dying. I was 13 by that point, so I already knew that periods were a thing. School had prepared us for that much, at least. But I suspected that vaginas could bleed for other reasons, too. Terrifying reasons. How was I to know whether the blood staining my … [Read more...] about How to Normalize Talking to Your Kids About Periods
Kick-Ass Sex Educators Who Are Way More Than Just Their Instagram Feeds
In 2019, a pair of laws were passed: the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) and the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA). They were passed with the intention of making it easier to fight sex trafficking online. Under these laws, websites are responsible if third-party accounts post ads for prostitution on their platforms. Sites have responded to this new … [Read more...] about Kick-Ass Sex Educators Who Are Way More Than Just Their Instagram Feeds
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