RECLAIMING SEX ED

How SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change is fighting to reclaim Sex Ed for a more intersectional future.

Did you dread Sex Ed? Really, who didn't? I had to learn about periods during a mass auditorium assembly in elementary school sitting next to my tetherball bud, Jeff. I can't remember most of it, but I do recall it being a highly feminized film that at the time cast a very confusing foreshadowing of my future. As a butchy tomboy I was still bitter about no longer being able to run around shirtless with the boys, and now I had to wrap my head around all of THIS mumbo jumbo??

That's pretty much it.

High school Sex Ed really wasn't any better. Watching your basketball coach nervously glide a condom over a banana only to have it snap off and fly smack into someone's face was pretty much the highlight of the lowlight of my public school Sex Ed. I still don't feel totally right about bananas TO THIS DAY.

TOO SOON.

Nevertheless, as non-informative as the Sex Ed portion of 'Health Class' was, I was still grateful to know LAUSD public schools were actually teaching something other than abstinence, which we all knew was NOT going to keep teenagers from having sex, myself included. I was grateful to learn that condoms, although slippery devils, are indeed a form of birth control and STI prevention, but as a not so binary person, I felt like I needed so much more information. (Like maybe there were other options to just hetero sex to start?!)

TAKING BACK SEX ED

Enter SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change, a non-profit 'advocating for stigma-free sex ed, centering youth across identities and experiences, and championing sexual and reproductive freedom as an essential part of our collective liberation.' We are so excited to support SIECUS in this year's Give & Receive campaign. Read on for more!

THE FUTURE OF SEX ED.

WHAT?! Can I retake Sex Ed now? Early 90's High School me probably wouldn't have understood what this meant at the time, but I'm super excited to hear about it now! Knowing that the future of Sex Ed will be built upon a more intersectional foundation addressing more modern day needs makes me want to build a time machine and bring SIECUS back with me. If only to undo all those years of 'finding out the hard way'. (Puns definitely intended).

We gladly welcome SIECUS and Sex Ed for a new era: taking into account intersecting identities, sexual health, reproductive health / rights / justice / freedom, racial justice, LGBTQ rights, consent, (and yes!) even building lifelong healthy relationships! (WHAT IS THAT?!)

DEEP ROOTS

SIECUS FOUNDER MARY S. CALDERONE

Founded in 1964 by Dr. Mary S. Calderone. A Medical Director at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, SIECUS (originally 'Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States') has been been forging forward with changing the way we approach Sex Education for decades. Starting out with K-12 Sex Ed resource guides, then stepping up to circulate (hard to find) accurate information during the HIV/ AIDS crisis in the late 80's, SIECUS has been taking on the tough issues all while battling misinformation, abstinence advocacy groups, and fear.

SIECUS grew to expand their scope out of the private sector to establish a public policy office in DC in the 90’s, where they currently continue to prioritize advancing progressive sex education policy across the country, via federal, state, and local policy and advocacy activities.

SIECUS PUBLICATIONS CENTERING THE AIDS EPIDEMIC, K-12 SEX ED, AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING STANDARDS.

SEX ED FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change continues to fight for their core foundational features, but have widened their scope and mission to address today’s social and political changes. Recognizing that Sex Ed sits at the nexus of many social justice movements -- from racial justice and LGBTQ rights to the #MeToo movement and urgent conversations around consent and healthy relationships -- they realize that Sex Education has the power to spark large-scale social change.

SIECUS continues to advocate for the rights of all people to access and enjoy accurate and comprehensive sexuality information, education, and related health service, and in doing so is working to advance a vision of Sex Education that meets the needs of the future.

**YES!**

FROM SEX ED TO PLEASURE ED

As a sex-positive small business that also offers an alternative to the limited and binary-based Sex Education many of us received in our high schools (if at all!), this is a message we can definitely get behind. Our weekly Pleasure Ed Workshops are free and open to adults 18+ and have always been welcoming and tailored to include all genders, sexual orientations and relationship statuses.

OUR PLEASURE ED PROGRAM: GENDER-INCLUSIVE, SEX-POSITIVE, FREE WEEKLY WORKSHOPS.

With the more inclusive and intersectional shift SIECUS is advocating for, we can also better expand our curriculum from a pleasure perspective when the roots of Sex Ed are built upon a more gender-inclusive and consent-informed foundation!

SUPPORTING SIECUS

During last year's Give & Receive campaign, we were able to donate over 1400 Fun Factory Fun cups to those with limited access to menstrual products by partnering Period.org, a non-profit pro-menstrual movement. These were then distributed to Planned Parenthood chapters, food pantries, women's jails and sex worker outreach programs across the country.

LAST YEAR'S GIVE & RECEIVE CAMPAIGN DONATED 1400 MENSTRUAL CUPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY!

Aside from the fact that this non-profit checks all of our boxes in taking a more intersectional approach to Sex Ed, our former Head of Business Operations Sarah Tomchesson (pictured above) is now actively involved in SIECUS' advocacy. We are honored and excited to support Sarah's new venture and help funnel some funds to an organization that aligns amorously with our views on Sex Education and social change.

Check out SIECUS on the recent rePROs Fight Back podcast. If you'd like more info or to donate to SIECUS directly, please visit: www.SIECUS.org.