Queer sex ed:
A
s someone whose journey with their sexuality took years to complete, it wasn’t until recently when I realized I was completely clueless when it comes to queer sex ed and that what I was taught before high school was essentially useless. In fifth grade, I remember being sent to a room with just girls where we learned about what happens if you get pregnant; it’s all your fault and your life is ruined. Yes you can get pregnant, but that pretty much sums up the accurate information I was taught by my school. While I don’t remember much of what I was taught in middle school, I do remember that we were once again taught about bad things that happen when you have sex, and why to not do it. I was never taught anything 18
COOGLIFE // February 2022
Discovering LGBTQ+ love, intimacy and relationships for yourself
about Figuring out who you are is hard, and if you queer sex realize that you may be queer that leads to in school, a whole new world of things to learn about. not even the One of those things is queer focused sex ed. most basic How does queer sex work? What about STD aspects of prevention? School sure didn’t teach it. it. An article By Logan Linder from US News shows that only identity sooner. For LGBTQ+ seven states and the District identifying students who of Columbia require LGBTQhad had to sit through being inclusive sex education, and taught hetero sex education, only 30 states mandate any the information they type of sex education. learned didn’t benefit them whatsoever. “This type of education is important to provide because I didn’t have my first official LGBTQ+ youth are at a higher date with someone who risk of contracting STIs than wasn’t a guy until May of last their cis-het counterparts year. While my emotions due to the lack of discussion finally fit into place and made surrounding sex with diverse sense, it didn’t take long for bodies,” Youth Services me to realize I had absolutely Specialist at the Montrose no knowledge of how to Center, Kyra Hill, said. initiate something or what relationships were supposed If LGBTQ+ sex education had to look like. been taught, or even just briefly mentioned, it would Once I got to college, I started have opened my eyes earlier venturing out more and and allowed me to become became more open to dating, more comfortable in my yet still cautious about who
