#Inclusive Sex Ed

[feralkwe]

do you have sexuality or relationship questions? are you looking for really, really good sex ed that is actually comprehensive, inclusive, and judgment-free? you're looking for scarleteen.

scarleteen has been providing safe, fact-based sex ed and relationship info for over twenty years. their founder, heather corinna, is a champion for inclusivity and getting information into the hands of those who need it, and has written several books on topics like gender inclusive menopause and sex ed.

if you're in the sort of place where you can donate money to a great organization that does incredible work, consider making them your choice.

[dress-a-difference]

Youth Empowerment: Key Components of Sex Education

Sex education is a vital aspect of our overall well-being, providing individuals with knowledge and understanding to make informed decisions about their sexual health and relationships. As you have already read in my previous article (https://dressadifference.wordpress.com/2023/11/05/empowering-tomorrow-importance-of-sex-education-its-global-landscape/) why Sex Education is so important, here are…

[aceinthefreakinspace]

*hands you some aspec nygmobs memes because I haven't been able to get this out of my head all week*

Part Two | Three | Four

[everybodysinvited]

Disability Pride Month!

It's July so that means it's Disability Pride Month! So hears a little explanation into the disability pride flag and the green sunflower lanyards - you may have seen them around these past few years!

As a relationships and sexual health education blog, I believe the world of sex education should be accessible, inclusive and accommodating to everyone, but often, disabled people are left out of educational experiences due to misinformation and ableist beliefs.

I try my best to be inclusive in both my information and illustrations but if there is something I've missed or another way you think I could improve my resources please let me know as I'm always open to constructive criticism!

Image & text description in ALT

[loveadviceforanxiousbeings]

Things to bring when sleeping overnight at someone else's place

Obviously not all of these will apply to everyone, but here are some suggestions for those who may worry about not taking the right stuff/forgetting something. Some of these items are included specifically to accommodate disabled people and the neurodivergent. If you have any others feel free to reblog or reply with your suggestions!

Any medication you may need, and an extra day's dose if possible

Any mobility aids if needed

Hairbrush

Deodorant

Toothpaste and toothbrush

Wet wipes/intimate wipes

Makeup remover/wipes, any skincare you like to do everyday

Contraception (could include birth control, male and/or female condoms)

Sanitary towels/tampons if you use

Hair ties/bonnet

Shower gel and shampoo

Clothes for the next day (or more depending how long you're staying) and an extra pair of underwear

Phone charger

Headphones/earphones

Fidget/stim toy(s)

Fluffy socks/slippers if you wear them

Something warm to wear (coat/sweater)

Snacks, especially if you have food issues and would prefer eating a safe food

Wallet with some money (cash and/or card)

Any comfort items that might help you feel safer in a new environment (stuffed animal, blanket, etc)

Feel free to reblog/reply with any other suggestions!

[entropy-sea-system]

Reminder that friendship is not inherently a necessary part of life. Not everyone requires friendships to be emotionally fulfilled. Nonfriending and plato averse and/or repulsed people exist and we are very cool!

(Exclus dni, don't derail to talk about how important friendship is, "concern" over our mental health for being nonfriending is NOT welcome here)

[golden--doodler]

This is such a random post but I had to share this idea that got into my head and won't get out. I highkey wanted to draw it into an entire comic, but I don't have the energy for that at the moment.

I have a Gravity Falls OC named Maggie (she's Dipper and Mabel's triplet sister and a Cis Lesbian) and in the episode Carpet Diem where they switch bodies, I was planning on having Maggie go into Mabel's body and Dipper go into Maggie's. And I rewrote the entire scene in my head where Grunkle Stan tells Mabel about the birds and the bees without knowing it's really Mabel, instead having Dipper hear about it instead. Here's how it would play out in my canon:

Grunkle Stan: Hey, how's it--oh. Maggie? What're you doing?

Dipper: Uh, nothing. I wasn't... oh, I just realized I had somewhere to be--

Grunkle Stan: But why are you spying on these girls? I thought this would be something your brother would do... Oh. Oh. <Pauses for a moment> Huh.

Dipper: <Starts sweating nervously> You're kind of making me uncomfortable.

Grunkle Stan: I had no idea. Really not equipped for this sort of talk. Well, it's not a big deal. I guess I can't blame you, ladies are pretty great. And if you like 'em, I guess you are at that creepy age where you would spy on 'em.

Dipper: What? No, I'm not being creepy. It's not what it looked like, I promise.

Grunkle Stan: It's okay. I won't judge. Guess it's time we had a talk, you and me. About the birds and the bees. But, uh... more fitting for you.

Dipper: <Concerned as the reality of the situation finally dawns on him> Oh God. Oh no. Grunkle Stan, please.

Grunkle Stan: <Sighs> I'm really not equipped for this like I said, but someone needs to help you out. Tell you about this stuff. Your school's not going to tell you what it'll be like being with a girl.

Dipper: Come on, I really don't--Wait, it won't? Wow, that's kind of messed up. Wait, nooooooooooooo!

And Grunkle Stan proceeds to tell Dipper about the birds and the bees. Lesbian edition. He wishes he could forget everything he saw. But, he decides it'll be useful information to tell Maggie when they're older, so he just buries it in the back of his mind for now.

[tuxedokit]

Hey. Hey. Did you know that period cramps are hormone based instead of organ based? Not all transfems on HRT get them, but it's entirely possible.

Anyway. Dion gets her first period and the cramps take her out. She is dying, the world will no longer be graced with her presence, truly, a tragedy for the ages—

And then the ibuprofen finally kicks in and she can. actually function again.

GOD,,,, i had cramps so bad once i had to hold my breath and could only breathe (atill in immense pain) while lying down. so i was stuck lying on the floor panting in the kitchen, and i'd gasp and hold my breath to get up and run like 3 steps only to lie down and die again.

i think, bc projecting go brr, shes like that if she does go on hrt. or at least. a lot of discomfort, if its a good month

[silveryoasis]

Lmao! That last line! 😂

[hellyeahscarleteen]

We could use your help!

If you support the groundbreaking, inclusive, affirming, feminist, comprehensive, young-people-centered, queer sex ed for all we've provided for 25+ years to over 90 million people, please help us raise the $15K we need to pay our bills in 2024, or become one of 250 new donors we need for 2025! You can do that at Scarleteen.com/contribute or by heading to our site and clicking ‘Pitch-In ’. 🎉 If you’re already donating (thank you!) please consider increasing your monthly amount, if you can, even a little bit. We’ll count any increases we get towards our two goals! You can do that by clicking 'Manage Your Donation' in your latest donation receipt. If you can’t donate yourself, can you tell your friends, family and followers who we are, why you value our work and ask them if they’d be willing to donate? You can share this post and the link above, but using your own words is the most effective! Despite leading the way in SRE online from the 1990s on, and always making sure young people have access to good information even when it is suppressed elsewhere in their lives, we remain underfunded, including funding to pay our staff a fair, living wage. We need to meet this $15K goal to fund our most basic needs and our tightest budget. If you can help us do that, we can focus on providing awesome SRE, growing, improving and kicking-ass, and finding more funding for 2025. Thank you! ❤️

- The Scarleteam

[liberaljane]

Increased accessibility benefits EVERYONE!

Here are some ways YOU can advocate for increased accessibility:

Online:

Use alt-text to describe any images

Record events

Have closed captioning

Share content warnings

Avoid flashing lights or imagery

At Work:

Invest in meaningful Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiatives

Provide more PAID time off

Avoid ableist language (like 'lame' or 'crazy')

Provide remote working options

UNIONIZE!

For In-Person Events:

Communicate ANY walking distance (in distance, not minutes!)

Include information about public transit

Provide gender neutral bathrooms

Avoid heavy perfumes or scents

Hire sign language interpreters

Created by Liberal Jane and Sex Ed with DB

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Hi bisexual sex ed person batman

Do you think teenagers masturbating to porn is bad or neutral

And also i have another question. We know young kids and sex is not a good match. Not questioning that. But do you know why, exactly? Like why is it traumatizing for a small kid to watch porn but not for a teenager. Like how does that work

Thank you in advance. And uh. Happy saturday

hi anon,

okay, so. I need you to understand that you're first question is basically this.

like, you want me to classify EVERY teenager who's ever jacked it to ANY kind of porn as either bad or neutral? good's not even an option? jesus christ.

let's say that I think any body jacking off to anything is for the most part a pretty morally neutral act so long as they're not cranking it on public transit or while spying on someone who is unaware of their presence and therefore unable to consent.

as for your second question, this is going to be unpopular but it's actually not inherently traumatizing for a prepubescent child to see porn. don't get me wrong, I'm in no way advocating for showing your baby porn instead of cocomelon or whatever, but there's no trauma button that automatically gets switched if it happens.

which I can say with a decent amount of firsthand experience because, you know, I work with kids, and I also work with their parents to talk about the experiences that they had as children. every time I teach my class I get parents telling me about how they found porn mags for the first time when they were young, in their parents' bedroom or in a gutter or, once, hidden in some farm equipment. and a lot of their kids have seen porn online by the time they're in the age range I teach (about 11 years old), whether accidentally or shown it a a crude prank by another child.

and for the most part they're like... completely fine. the adults who saw porn as kids grew up to be the kind of thoughtful, conscientious parents who want their kids to receive quality, inclusive sex education. most of their kids find it silly, because they can't imagine why adults might want to do something that looks so weird and awkward, or they get a little kick out of seeing something adult that they know is supposed to be off limits, or they don't get it and don't think much about it at all. hell, some of those kids will experience one of their first encounters with sexual arousal; that's a thing that's perfectly healthy for kids to experience and some are early bloomers!

some kids might find it confusing or upsetting, sure, but those kids also tend to put the magazine away or close the video very quickly. kids are, you know, people, and they're pretty good at just moving away from things that bother them. and discomfort is, ultimately, not the same thing as trauma.

to be sure, some kids have a long-term bad reaction, but there are often extenuating circumstances in that case. there are obvious cases in which porn is shown to a child specifically by an abuser, but I've also found that for a lot of people what causes their long-term psychological distress wasn't them seeing porn but the way their caregivers reacted to it, making the child feel ashamed and dirty without ever giving them an explanation for why the adults in their life reacted so negatively. that can create a huge burden that leaves people feeling shaky and insecure in their sexuality for decades after the fact.

once again, I just want to be super clear on this before anyone starts trying to make it seem like I think Coolsville sucks: I don't think little kids should be seeing a lot of porn! if a kid in your life is doing that, they should be directed gently away with a thoughtful explanation of what they've been looking at and why it's not a good fit for them at their age nor a good model of what real sexuality is like. it can be difficult to suppress the urge to panic and react harshly, even if you feel it's in the kid's best interest, but they deserve an explanation that will make clear that they're not the one in the wrong.

but, again, there's not a switch in a child's brain that automatically traumatizes them if they see a titty.

[itgetsbetterproject]

🏳️‍⚧️ We're trying to raise $200,000 for LGBTQ+ youth programs before the end of the year! 🏳️‍🌈 Wanna help?

As they grow up in a world that wants to keep them down, LGBTQ+ youth are fighting to be themselves. But we believe young, queer people shouldn’t have to be "brave" just to exist.

By making a donation to support our programs, you're showing that you believe in the better world that we can create together.

Over the past couple years, the support we've gotten from some amazing donors has enabled us to support queer youth in SO many ways, like:

Granting LGBTQ+ students more than $1.2 million to imagine and create their own safe spaces and resources in schools across the US and Canada through 50 States, 50 Grants.

Creating award-winning content series educating LGBTQ+ youth on safe sex ed, inclusive terminology, careers in STEM, as well as tons more educational and mental health resources.

Handing LGBTQ+ youth the mic to advocate for themselves — at national conferences, on our award-winning Twitch vodcast Perfectly Queer, on social media, and in interviews with major news outlets...

...and so much more that you can see on itgetsbetter.org!

🟣 If you believe in "better" the way we do and want to help us keep doing this work to uplift, empower, and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the world, you can make a donation here!

[eff-plays]

Long Taash storyline rant, by an enby

Listen. At first I was honestly not that offended/upset with the Taash enby stuff. And having an enby Rook who was able to help them out was honestly pretty fun. It was definitely the first time any video game engaged directly with nonbinary identity like this, and while it's not really 1-1 with my own experiences, I thought that it was. Fine? Ya know? I thought it was a very novel experience to finally have a fellow enby NPC that you could talk to about being nonbinary. It's never happened in any other game I've played.

But then it just ... kept going. And on one hand I get it, because you don't just decide your nonbinary and that's it -- it's a process. But the way it's handled is absolutely insane to me. First of all, how old is Taash supposed to be? They give off whiny teen vibes, and it's very off-putting. This is the character that's meant to represent me? Why are they written like a child?

Second, why are we using modern terms? The word "nonbinary" IRL exists because it is a rejection of the Western gender binary. It's a specific term that isn't universal, and since no previous game bothers to engage with the gender roles of Thedas to begin with, it's absolutely insane to hear these hyperspecific terms used in this made-up fantasy world. Especially since the Qun already has words and concepts for their gender roles -- why didn't BioWare just base this story on those? Why not try to contextualize this in-universe? There are other nonbinary characters in the game, but they just popped up in this previously unequal and often sexist world and are just vibing. With no explanation. Who's out there doing thedosian gender studies? How are they spreading these revolutionary concepts so far and so quickly that the terminology becomes universal?

Side note on that, why does Taash have a little counselling session with the other two trans people that sounds like something they'd do in sex ed class (in Sweden, anyway)? Why is this happening during a magical apocalypse? Hello? Look at this fucking codex entry and try not to cringe

Like. Who is this for? This doesn't make me feel good as a nonbinary person. This makes me feel like a freak, out-of-place, and like I'm a fucking baby that needs my existence validated by some fucking bitchass video game codex entry preaching at me about how totally valid I am. This doesn't feel like respect, or inclusion -- it feels patronizing. It feels corporate, like we're ticking off boxes. "Look everyone, we're using the appropriate terminology! We're so inclusive!" And you know what? The fucking anti-woke chuds are gonna look at this and think THIS is me. That all I care about is having my terminology and identity carelessly stuffed into places just so I can feel good about who I am.

And before tumblrinas get upset, I'm not saying I don't want rep, or that I'm one of the "good ones" who wants video games to be free of "ideology." I am one of the bad ones. Taash should be nonbinary and I should be able to play a nonbinary Rook and I want both of those things to be explicit and accepted in-game! But I want those in a way that respects me and my intelligence, and the world BioWare has created that I've come to love. Who is preventing BioWare from actually, ya know, unwrapping the sexism and misogyny that they started in Origins? Who's stopping them from actually tackling the gender politics of Thedas? Why don't we ACTUALLY sit down and figure out how a society like the Qun might approach somebody not willing or able to conform to their particular rules? Especially the Qun. Like, they had so much potential for something actually interesting here, and instead it's "mom it's not a phase, respect meeeeee!"

Third, and this is my favorite fucking part, they tie Taash's gender to their background, where the Qun represents conformity and Rivain represents freedom. (Which is an entire can of worms in itself that I won't go into here.) I don't actually mind this? I have some extra special boy insight on this part of the quest, because I am also an immigrant who was born in one country and grew up in another. Being nonbinary and being an immigrant, while separate, have both had a similar effect in my life. It's left me feeling like I don't belong anywhere at times, like I'm something different and strange, and at times like I'm a kaleidoscope of expression and freedom, with unique experiences not everyone has. There is an absolutely valid intersection there that could have been explored and would've been very impactful if done right.

But instead we get this

Hello? Oh my god HELLO?

Why is there a BINARY CHOICE in a story where a character embraces being NONBINARY? Why are we now equating Taash's background and cultural belonging to the demands of their mother? You can reject what your parent is forcing you into without completely rejecting your culture! Am I fucking taking crazy pills right now?

The idea that Taash, upon discovering they're nonbinary, has to now say goodbye to being a Qunari? When they weren't even ever shown to care about the Qun in the first place? WHY IS THIS A CHOICE THAT HAS TO BE MADE? WHY ARE THEY ASKING ME WHETHER THEY SHOULD CONTINUE FOLLOWING THIS CREED THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT? (Side note: why did their mother escape from the Qun only to enforce it herself?)

Like? You can't spend a whole fucking subplot deciding you're neither a man nor a woman, but then equate being nonbinary to being Rivaini, and thinking you need to pick that or being Qunari. I'm sorry? I'm sorry? I'm sorry?

Why is there no third choice? Why is there no "Hey you can be both" or "Hey just pick whatever from either culture you want to keep and throw away what you don't?"

I am going insane. The game sits you down and condescends at you for ages about basic contemporary gender theory, but then tries to inexplicably tie that to Taash's cultural background, but then doesn't bother examining how those cultures treat gender at all, and then finally forces us into a binary choice ... for a character whose entire fucking personality is "nonbinary."

The Qun is a misogynistic society. Rivain is a matriarchal society. (This was true for the previous games, at least.) The way these cultures approach gender is vastly different. But instead of examining how such a person would struggle with their background and how that would tie into their gender identity, it's just "Rivain good" and "Qun bad." Pick one or the other. Conform or rebel. Pick one or the other.

And that's the storyline of the nonbinary character.

The reactionary chuds will hate this and blame nonbinary people for how much this fucking sucks. While I can't claim or enjoy it because it's corporate nonsense and fucking sucks. All this does is show people that when games include enby rep, it's hack shit like this, so why include it if it's gonna suck ass, right? This bad writing will just make your game worse, so don't bother!

So yeah. Cool.

Thanks, BioWare. I hope whatever you were trying to prove was worth it.

[intersex-support]

Intersex Support Resources

Intersex 101: 

http://4intersex.org/#yourself

Intersex Organizations 

Intersex Organizations by Country 

Intersex Variations 

Intersex Variations Glossary by InterACT

Intersex History, Art, and Politics 

Compilation Post

Intersex Flag 

Morgan Carpenter on the Intersex Flag

Intersex Surgery 

“I Want to be Like Nature Made Me” Report from Human Rights Watch

Intersex Human Rights by Bauer et al, 2020

Legal Discrimination 

US Anti-trans bills also harm intersex Children by Human Rights Watch 

Intersex Legislative Toolkit by InterACT

Medical Records

InterACT Guide to accessing medical records

Intersex Health

Intersex affirming hospital policies from InterACT

Intersex affirming Primary Care from National LGBTQIA Health Education Center

Intersex and osteoporosis from Intersex Support Australia

Sexual Health 

Intersex Inclusive information for Sex Ed from Puberty Curriculum

Scarleteen Sex Ed

What Intersex People Want you to Know about Sex by Maddie Rose

I’m Intersex. Here’s How That Affects My Sex Life by Mark Hay

Intersex and Disability 

Liberating All Bodies: Intersex Justice and Disability Justice in Conversation

Intersex Mental Health 

Mental Health

Intersex Justice and the Care We Deserve: “I Want People to Feel at Home in Their Bodies Again” by Zena Sharman

A national study on the physical and mental health of intersex adults in the U.S. by Rosenwohl-Mack et al., 2020

Crisis lines that don’t call the cops: 

Trans Lifeline 

Thrive Lifeline

For Parents of Intersex Children 

Supporting your intersex Child by IGLYO