THIS ENTRY WAS POSTED ON July 31, 2017 BY Team Pleasure Chest.
On July 7th, sex educator and writer Gigi Engle wrote an article for Teen Vogue titled "Anal Sex: What You Need to Know".
Via Teen Vogue
The article went into a brief explanation of the Do's and Dont's of anal sex, including anatomy, communication, and safety. This article is one in a series of groundbreaking Sex Ed articles from Teen Vogue, a magazine that is quickly rising in the ranks as an intelligent "woke" alternative to other teen magazines. Teen Vogue has written extensively about consent, masturbation, sexual orientation, and gender...a far cry from the teen magazines of our youth. Here's an excerpt from the introduction of the article,
The article was not published in the print magazine (it's available online) but that didn't stop media outlets and parents from reacting with anger and disgust. One parent in particular, Elizabeth Johnson, who runs conservative parenting blog The Activist Mommy, filmed an angry reaction video where she burned copies of the magazine in a bonfire (again, despite the article not appearing in print). Johnson also takes a moment to criticize the magazine for its portrayal of queer relationships, gender fluidity, and (inexplicably) Lena and Grace Dunham.
In response to the outrage, Teen Vogue has defended the article, with Gigi Engle telling the Daily Mail,
"I'd only say that as a writer and an educator, I have no intention of ever discontinuing my mission to help young people better understand their bodies and how they work. Sex Ed in America is so backward and lacking that kids are turning to porn as their only form of sex education. Porn, while entertaining, is not a real-life representation of sex. By not providing accurate and informative information to young people about sex, we're doing them a great disservice."
Digital Editorial Director of Teen Vogue, Phillip Picardi, responded to the backlash on Twitter with a thoughtful tweet thread about the importance of inclusive and comprehensive sex education.
We couldn't have said it better ourselves, and we salute Engle, Picardi, and the staff of Teen Vogue for their commitment to intersectional and inclusive sexual education. Knowledge is power, and this #AnalAugust we are proud to help everyone explore their desires, identities, and orientation: no ifs, ands, or butts about it.