As a budding sex educator, I was thrilled to discover AASECT (the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists). Better yet, they were having a Winter Institute on sexual trauma in a town near me in early 2015! I know, I know. It sounds weird to get excited about trauma. But recently, trauma has […]
narrative
A Body-Literate Society (The Case for Sex Ed Part 2)
In continuing my series making a case for sex education (see part 1 here), I’d like to make the point that we need sex ed in order to ensure that we live in a society where everyone knows how their bodies work. This includes anatomical functions like puberty and pregnancy, STI transmission, orgasm, and much […]
Of Witches, Butter, Breasts, & Sex
Okay, folks, let’s talk about witch butter. Which witch butter? I’m so glad you asked! (sorry, couldn’t resist) As a folklorist, I encounter a lot of intersections between folklore and sex. One of these intersections occurs in folk narratives, or stories, that circulate within a tradition but also display variation (unlike other types of media, […]
Shame-Free Sex Ed
One of my goals as a sex educator is to provide information, resources, and discussion that remove shame from people’s experience of sexuality. Here are some ways that shame can negatively impact our sexual experiences, knowledges, and identities: We’re made to feel lacking or broken for what we desire It’s implied that we’re sick or […]