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Praxis Project 2: Decolonizing & Queering the Health Curriculum

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In episode #389 of Talking Radical Radio, Scott Neigh interviews Sarah Edo of Nuance and pihêsiw of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network. They talk about the theme of this year's Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Week campaign, "Youth Friendly Care: It's Your Right!", and about what it means to centre Black, Indigenous, racialized, and migrant youth in questions of sexual health and rights.

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Centring BIPOC youth in questions of sexual health and rights

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In episode #389 of Talking Radical Radio, Scott Neigh interviews Sarah Edo of Nuance and pihêsiw of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network. They talk about the theme of this year's Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Week campaign, "Youth Friendly Care: It's Your Right!", and about what it means to centre Black, Indigenous, racialized, and migrant youth in questions of sexual health and rights.

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The Native Youth Sexual Health Network (NYSHN) is an organization by and for Indigenous youth that works across issues of sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice throughout the United States and Canada.

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The Native Youth Sexual Health Network (NYSHN) is an organization by and for Indigenous youth that works across issues of sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice throughout the United States and Canada.

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NYSHN put together the Two Spirit Youth Section of this Two Spirit Resource Directory by the National Confederacy of Two Spirit Organizations and Northeast Two Spirit Society.

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About the organization 2Spirits in 1st Nations

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About the organization 2Spirits in 1st Nations

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This is a written collection of Indigenous men's voices coordinated and edited by NYSHN from "Protecting the Circle: Aboriginal Men Ending Violence Against Women" held in with Ryerson University Aboriginal Student Services in January 2010.

Download here.

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This is a written collection of Indigenous men's voices coordinated and edited by NYSHN from "Protecting the Circle: Aboriginal Men Ending Violence Against Women" held in with Ryerson University Aboriginal Student Services in January 2010. Download here.

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Author's Note: The story is structured after " Happy Endings " by Margaret Atwood, whose aim with the story was to satirize romance tropes. The author of this story chose this format in order to do the same for stereotypes behind gender presentation - for example, the things people assume and the characteristics through which they gender others. In doing so, they hope to explore the different ways of thinking that go into gender expression. While outside appearance does not equate to how someone identifies, it is important to remember that non-gender-conforming folks experience a very specific kind of pressure over how performative (and reliant on cis expectations) gender expression can be.

Y ou go with your friends to look for a prom dress. You dread the process, but your friends are infectious in their enthusiasm. They know what kind of dress they want. They know the colour, the length, the texture. They know what they plan to do with their hair, with their makeup and their jewelry. They just know, and the simplicity of that is what stumps you the most.

You know you don't feel the same, but shopping for clothes didn't always feel like this. Or maybe it had, and you just didn't know what it meant back then. You hadn't known what other option you had, what else you could do about it.

You still don't. You have options; the more likely one is to happen, however, the less ideal it is.

It doesn't stop you from entertaining all the scenarios.

You take a hanger off a rack and hope for A.

It takes multiple outfits to find the right one. You don't mind. None of them make you uneasy, and this is, you think, the most you can ask for.

Sure, it takes a while, but eventually, you try on a jumpsuit the shade of a New York taxicab and it fits. Your body doesn't feel disproportionate. There isn't a knot in your stomach that would usually take hours to uncoil and even longer to give your appetite back. The jumpsuit falls perfectly around your chest and your waist and your hips, and you don't feel like you've stolen your body from someone else. Someone who could use it more, someone who would like it more.

You go to prom with your friends. You are the only one not wearing a dress in your group photo, but it doesn't matter. The photographer catches on and uses they when she tells your friends to tug you to the middle of your formation.

In the final photo, you have one arm thrown around your best friend. Your smiles leave both of you bright-eyed in the flash of the camera. Both of you visibly euphoric, surrounded by friends in blush pink and sleek raven-black, all of you yet to come down from the high of leaving high school.

Much, much later, you will come across a faded version of this picture and be surprised to realize you remember the night fondly.

You go with your friends to look for a prom dress and come out of the seventh store with a jumpsuit the colour of the milk tea your best friend bought for you after she accidentally used she instead of they. The over-apologizing isn't necessary, but you take the free drink with a stiffness you are still learning to shed when navigating pronoun correction.

Before separating for the night, she hugs you. You hug her back. She apologizes one last time. You tell her, it's alright, it's not a big deal.

It isn't a big deal. You don't want it to be a big deal.

At night, you lie awake and wonder what prompted her to use she when she hasn't done so since you came out to her. Did she slip because you are keeping your hair long again? Is it because she saw you try on a dress, even if you returned it before it even touched the hair around your ankles? Is it because you brought up the possibility of going to prom with a guy in your AP Psychology class? Or is it none of this at all?

You know your best friend. You know it is likely a harmless, mindless mistake. But holding onto rationality does not stop questions from swimming around behind your eyes when you close them. It doesn't stop the unease sloshing around in your gut.

You fall asleep with one hand holding your stomach and the other against your chest.

When you wake up, your gut feels empty, but at least the need to vomit is gone and your heart has stopped squeezing itself until breathing becomes more difficult.

You go to school. You eat lunch with your friends. You go to prom with them. Heartache doesn't plague you that night.

Everything goes on as in A.

Your mother brings you to the mall with her and buys a Robin egg blue dress for you even as you try your hardest to refuse. There is a Facebook group, you remember distantly later, where you can upload your dress. You take a shaky photo of yours and wait for confirmation that no one else is wearing the same dress. You hope there is. You pray for an excuse.

But there isn't, so you wear the prom dress and stop thinking altogether when your mother insists to take a photo of you and your AP Psychology classmate.

You itch the entire time. You can't pinpoint the source. You can't stop squirming, desperate to tug your own skin until it feels looser, less suffocating. When the dancing begins, you gesture towards the untouched plate in front of you and tell your date you are too nauseous to stay for the rest of the night. Not with bass pulsing across the ballroom floor, not with strobe lights roaming like it's searching for someone.

You aren't lying about the nausea.

When you reach home, you peel the dress off you on your way to the bedroom and leave it as a puddle on the floor. The itching doesn't go away even as you curl into yourself, the silk somehow rough around your waist and the jewels marking the shoulder straps too sharp. You fall asleep with a hardened lump in your throat, longing for the comfort in A.

You don't feel better the next morning.

You go with your friends to look for a prom dress. At first, you try to convince yourself that the queasiness is excitement manifesting differently than it usually does. It works until you reach the third store; fresh out of trying on three dresses, you feel faint as your best friends pick out three options for you.

You enter a dressing room that smells like your older sister's room the night of her own prom. Artificial and floral, sweet and cloying, the sharp tang of hairspray and the smouldering of a curling iron joining too many spritzes of perfume shared between friends. It makes you dizzy, both the memory and its echoes in the present. You stand still for a moment, stuck on the image of girls older than you dancing around in cheap purples and sequined pinks, stuck on the cold in your gut when you tried to imagine yourself doing the same and found that it didn't feel quite as right as watching your sister.

The salesperson closes the door behind you. You hear them write on it, the scrape of chalk forming the three curves that make up the number 3.

And then it's just you. You and the mirror and the three sets of clothes you have in your arms. You hang them and refuse to look at your reflection.

You thought you were going to be alright. You like dresses. You browse through runway photos from Paolo Sebastian shows and bookmark fashion articles on new Elie Saab collections.

It has been a while since you felt this restless.

It eases, if only a little, when your best friend knocks on your door and wordlessly hands you a navy blue suit set. You fall in love with it in one glance; still, you remain hesitant as you try it on, reluctant to hope, bracing for immediate disappointment.

The jacket doesn't quite fall around your hips the way you would prefer it to and the cuffs feel too masculine even as the tapering feels too feminine - but you try gathering your hair in a ponytail and decide this is the best-case scenario.

The dysphoria stays with you until the end of prom night, but you shove away the need to climb out of your own body and attempt to think yourself into feeling how you would have in A.

It doesn't quite work.

You go with your friends to look for a prom dress and lose your temper after the third store. You don't want to explode on them, so you excuse yourself to go to the washroom. The hand dryers leave your ears ringing and the lights above leave your eyes stinging, but you tell yourself to breathe even as the frustration has your jaw locking while you grit your teeth.

On days like this, it grows all the more difficult not to resent how every facet of your day-to-day appearance is a gendered signal. A checklist of sorts, where, to miss one box is to increase the likelihood of misgendering - of the wrong pronoun - of the but you don't look non-binary. A checklist of sorts, where, to fill all the boxes is to impose dysphoria upon your own self.

It gets exhausting, having to catalogue each movement, each choice in apparel, even each laugh. The timbre of your voice, the way you do your makeup, the shoe size you wear regardless of how long or wide your feet truly are. The way you sit. The way you shake someone's hand. The haircut you ask for. The ratty shirt you wear underneath a fraying cardigan that you also had to second-guess.

It gets exhausting, how most things you display outward have to adhere to a wider expectation of what you are supposed to be because of what you are. It gets exhausting, to be constantly aware of the ways you present yourself, all to have any semblance of control over how others perceive your gender presentation and everything else attached to it.

You keep looking, chasing the possibility of A, but you don't feel any better from the other clothes you try.

You decide $90 is too much to pay to be uncomfortable for five long hours. You don't attend prom.

You decide looking for a prom dress is not worth all the discomfort. You choose not to try looking altogether.

You don't attend prom.

When your friends send you the photos later and name the classmates that had been looking for you, you wish A had been your reality instead.

LGBT YouthLine: Anonymous and confidential texting, chat, and phone support. Call 1-800-268-9688.

Teen Health Source: Talk one-on-one with a trained teen volunteer who can answer questions about LGBTQ identities, sexuality, sex, relationships and more. Call 416-961-3200.

Teen Health Source: Understanding your own sexual orientation and gender identity.

The eXchange: Things to remember about body image and LGBT youth.

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Gender Presentation: A Choose Your Own Adventure Game

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Author's Note: The story is structured after " Happy Endings " by Margaret Atwood, whose aim with the story was to satirize romance tropes. The author of this story chose this format in order to do the same for stereotypes behind gender presentation - for example, the things people assume and the characteristics through which they gender others.

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If we see representations of disability, it is usually in the context of which is when disabled folks are presented as "inspirational" just because of their disability. If there are Black characters in movies, they are often stereotyped or in supporting roles. Queer and trans celebrities are often fetishized and ridiculed. Fat bodies are belittled, the butt of a joke, or the "before picture" in magazines and "health" blogs. Intersex representations are pretty much non-existent, not to mention how rare it is to see positive, fully formed representations of people who hold many identities separate from the mainstream (like someone who is Indigenous and queer for instance).

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If we see representations of disability, it is usually in the context of which is when disabled folks are presented as "inspirational" just because of their disability. If there are Black characters in movies, they are often stereotyped or in supporting roles. Queer and trans celebrities are often fetishized and ridiculed.

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Why Inclusive SexEd is CRUCIAL for all children

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Why Inclusive SexEd is CRUCIAL for all children

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Although most people support the idea of safe schools, addressing bullying, and making sure that sex-ed is relevant for everyone, there has been a small but organized push-back against teaching about gender identity, sexual orientation, and diverse families.

Most people, including politicians, understand that sex-ed is an important part of promoting the health and well-being of young people. But there is still a lot of public misinformation about sex-ed. Across several Canadian provinces, politicians and lobby groups are exploiting homophobic and transphobic fears about sex-ed to win political points.

The political success of those who oppose sex-ed is a symptom of the increasing influence of a kind of social conservatism that used to be considered extreme. This growing influence and the media skills that come with it are used to win significant policy changes-including in sex-ed curriculums. The classroom has become a venue to attack the human rights of women, girls and LGBTQ+ children and youth instead of a place of learning and acceptance.

Anti-LGBTQ+ organizations and politicians have intentionally misrepresented what students are being taught and have used these lies to gain support and power through the media. Attacks against LGBTQ+ content in schools are said to "protect children" but removing this content does the exact opposite.

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Not a Matter of Opinion: Why LGBTQ+ inclusive sex-ed is crucial for all children

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Although most people support the idea of safe schools, addressing bullying, and making sure that sex-ed is relevant for everyone, there has been a small but organized push-back against teaching about gender identity, sexual orientation, and diverse families. Most people, including politicians, understand that sex-ed is an important part of promoting the health and well-being of young people.

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Hear us (and our communities) out on Ontario's sex-ed changes

By Farah Mustafa
Content Note: sexual assault, homophobia, transphobia, death

W hen I say, "Sex Education Saves Lives," I mean it. Good sex education introduces young people to essential knowledge and skills to develop healthy relationships with their own bodies, each other, and respect for diverse sexual experiences and needs. Without good sex-ed, we miss an important opportunity to intervene and educate people on what sexuality and sexual health can look like, which may potentially save lives.

Think of what normalizing different types of sexualities and gender expression could do for queer youth, who face 14 times the risk of depression and suicide from internalizing messages of homophobia, a risk that heterosexual youth do not face. Think of what teaching consent and boundaries might do to help people navigate intimacy and connection in respectful ways and equip them with the vocabulary to talk consent with partners. Think of how sex education could help teach young folk how to recognize emotional, physical and sexual abuse, be it perpetrated by a partner, a stranger or even family. Think of the women who have told you about the times they couldn't speak up when their uncles crossed the lines because it'd destroy the family dynamic, the working class women and the BIPOC who said #MeToo, and those of us who don't see ourselves ever saying #MeToo because we're not ready, we don't identify with those most vocal in the movement, or we just don't want to.

An advanced sex education curriculum may not remedy every issue, but would certainly equip more (young) people with effective tools and knowledge to address homophobia, transphobia, abuse of power, sexual harassment, intimacy, relationships and more. This has been one of the scariest and deadliest years for women and nonbinary people, and the 2SLGBTQ+ community, yet the reformed 2015 sex education curriculum, which included more material that addressed consent and the spectrum of sexualities and genders, has been deemed unworthy of survival.

What stings about the Ford government's decision to repeal the 2015 sex education curriculum is that the brief progress made by the Liberals gave me hope that I'd finally see even a part of myself and my experiences, and those who matter to me and their experiences, represented in the lessons today's kids would absorb in school. It puzzles me why 40% of the province voted against a reformed curriculum by voting for a political candidate who is publicly sexist, and fails to support queer people, amongst other destructive qualities and actions.

The things I learned in school were rarely relevant to my life beyond the playground. My grade school sex education, courtesy of the 1998 curriculum, consisted of basic reproductive biology, basic understanding of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), and long lectures about the perks of abstinence. This was often the shortest unit, and even science classes shied away from the subject. Perhaps fewer teenagers would giggle during discussions of sex if it didn't make us all so uncomfortable at the time. This knowledge was vital, and we didn't take it seriously enough because of how shameful the topic seemed to be throughout our grade school experience.

Learning that our bodies are nothing to be ashamed of, are what we define them to be, and are ours to own - and ours only, are all lessons we should have learned when we were young.

I wish I had understood why a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) at my school was needed as much as a student council. I wish I had not enabled homophobia as a teenager and stood up for the GSA when my friends made fun of how small the club was.

I wish I knew how to get help when my periods didn't seem right, when I felt pain unlike before.

I wish I learnt how to have conversations on consent with a new partner so I could better understand myself and how healthy relationships work.

I wish I knew how to support my friends during their toxic relationships, and known how to guide them better when their boyfriends didn't take 'No' as an answer.

I wish I had known how to say no, how not to be afraid of standing up for myself, and how to have a better understanding of the experiences of those I grew up around.

I also wish I had learned how to say yes with confidence, and how to build self-awareness that would allow me to determine what I was comfortable with.
I wish we had learned those things to protect ourselves and to protect others.
But we didn't, and the deaths we have witnessed this year, and the years past, could have been prevented with better education. Now, the Ford government's decision to perpetuate ignorance, stigma, homophobia, transphobia and misogyny will further cost us our healing, our dignity and our lives.

As former Nuance Writing and Community Fellow Shriya Hari notes,

"Ford's decision to roll back the curriculum will deprive youth of a fuller understanding of their bodies, their sexual selves and what that means for their own sense of agency, empowerment, and support, and their peers' changing bodies. Ford's decision will ensure that women and gender minorities in particular will face challenges in understanding how to stand up for themselves and their needs in negotiating sexual situations, and will leave them more vulnerable to sexual assault, rape, low self esteem, and toxic masculinity."

When kids do not see themselves or the things they are going through represented in school, they think their personal matters are not valid. They internalize these harmful messages, they develop shame, and they hide.

The 2015 sex education curriculum was supposed to be different. It would open doors to new ideas for young impressionable students whose at-home, media or culture-based teachings could finally be challenged. Kids would learn their boundaries, what is inappropriate and what is not, how their minds will change, how their emotions will differ through the years, how to navigate digital spaces, what healthy and unhealthy relationships are, what gender identity is and more. This decision by the Ford government hurts more because we were so close this time. I am exhausted by the ways we are invalidated.

What's funny is how the anti-sex-education community has weaponized pockets of (im)migrant communities who are against the curriculum, without hearing out from the rest of us who also identify as first or second generation. Communities in Toronto like Thorncliffe Park have been labelled as being incredibly anti-sex-education because some parents initially pulled students from classes amid the 2015 curriculum roll out. While we cannot deny the culture of stigma and misunderstanding around sex-ed across various communities, we can say our (im)migrant communities have been thus-far represented through a purely monolithic lens.

School will always have an important role to play in sex education, particularly for first and second generation (im)migrant communities. Even though the sex-ed I received from school was limited, it was more education than what I received at home. For many young (im)migrants, school continues to be one of the best channels to receive sex-ed and may well be one of the only channels where they are receiving science-based information. In our 2016 Needs Assessment, sexual education at school was cited as a primary source of information after "internet searches".

But that doesn't mean we settle for just having the bare minimum. At the end of the day, the sex education I received in class didn't always speak to me. Cold, medical information about STIs and getting pregnant didn't feel like it applied to me, especially when the videos that were shown and the teachers who delivered the information, didn't look like me. Young (im)migrants are curious about sex and desire representation, destigmatized care, and information. Our needs are different due to our diverse lived experiences and complexities of having to navigate multiple contexts and identities. The reality is these needs are unfulfilled due to the lack of resources and conversations in mainstream media and school systems that focus on the intersections of (im)migrant experiences and sex.

The longstanding existence of organizations like the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP) and Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS), for over 29 and 24 years respectively, are proof that (im)migrants have been seeking information and support in independent organizations beyond the school system. This is the very infrastructure that Nuance seeks to build upon - to continue giving people like us voices and examples of other paths we can take when it comes to navigating sex, sexuality, relationships, and gender identity.

In line with creating a platform for our voices when there was none, we did our own due diligence and sought to give our communities the representation they deserve on this issue beyond what's seen in mainstream media. Our communities responded to a survey we conducted in late summer 2018, with various perspectives on the proposed changes to the sex education curriculum. We simply asked how they felt about the revisions to the 2015 sex education curriculum and to share any sex education resources that would help support others seeking information. A total of 60 people responded, the self-reported demographic breakdown can be seen to the left on desktop and above on mobile.

While the sixty answers we received were all unique, it's important to note that from the responses the majority were against the roll back to the 1998 curriculum, but two respondents were in favour. Reasons for this were either not provided or unclear. Through our analysis, we observed three major themes, all of which were either directly or indirectly referenced in every response: Relevance, Safety and Identity.

20% of our respondents found the 1998 curriculum outdated, and believed it would not, in any way, support the needs of youth today with respect to issues of the internet, gender identity, consent and safety.

With the internet's increasing accessibility, digital safety is important for young and old alike. Dating apps and websites make meeting strangers a lot easier, and even if interactions are not in person, dangers and complex situations can still persist online. In 1998, dating apps and websites weren't this prevalent or accessible to youth. Now, they are. It's important for youth to know their boundaries, what's appropriate and not, and how to seek help if they feel they are in danger or being exploited in any way.

Aside from the digital component of the 2015 curriculum, reformed sex-ed would have also brought in discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation. These conversations were heavily stigmatized in 1998, even if discussed in the mainstream.Western society is more inclusive of non-heterosexual and non-cis identities in 2018 than it was in 1998, albeit not perfectly. This curriculum needs to reflect societal progress towards inclusivity for all. Furthermore, knowing what language to use and being comfortable with discussions on gender and sexual orientation can help youth who may be questioning feel validated and allow youth who have already established their identities feel seen.

Former Nuance Writer and Community Fellow, Shriya Hari, shares:

"Ford's decision to roll back the sex ed curriculum to 1998 is a terrible idea. The curriculum did not cover key issues such as:

a) queer/LGBTQ representation as valid sexual orientations
b) consent and clarity on what it means to form romantic relationships in a respectful way
c) sexual assault
d) names of sexual and reproductive organs and body parts at age appropriate levels
e) sexting safety and agency - and the legal consequences for distributing nude photos without consent

The 1998 curriculum was outdated even in 1998 and did not provide enough context for children and teens' changing bodies, and their understandings of themselves as romantic and sexual agents in their own lives. The old curriculum did not provide age-appropriate resources on developing healthy relationships, understanding gender equity in the context of relationships, or center women's empowerment in any meaningful way. [...]

As someone who works in sexual health, it is incredibly disappointing to me to see our government take such a regressive step regarding access to education and information for our youth on their bodies [...]."

25% of our respondents highlighted the need for better understanding of consent - knowing how to respect the boundaries of others, as well as knowing your own boundaries.

This reciprocal understanding applies to digital spaces, physical bodies and emotional relationships.

The #MeToo movement has taken the spotlight when it comes to current conversations on consent. The backlash behind #MeToo, the apologists, and the arguments supporting some of those accused of sexual harassment are all proof that there is confusion on what consent means in different situations. We need conversations on how to establish consent, for example: Consent can be revoked. Consent is needed even in relationships. Consent does not have to be verbal. Consent can not be accepted when under the influence.

These are lessons that need to be taught to everyone, but especially youth who are physically and emotionally vulnerable.

We want to thank the respondents who shared their personal experiences with us and how they feel education on consent and safety could have kept them from harm's way. Of these responses, Jen shared:

"I was groped twice in a weekend at 12 years old by a visiting relative, because nobody told me I could say no to someone groping my thigh and stomach. Luckily I figured out something was wrong about a week later before the perpetrator [sic] had a further opportunity to up the ante, but if I'd had better education surrounding consent and predator "grooming," I'd have put a stop to it at the first touch.

We also learned nothing about diversity of sexual orientation, gender, family composition, or embracing of differences and the damage of bullying, only clinical aspects of heterosexual sex.

I heard through the rumour mill in high school that a girl had sex with her brother and father. All people did was gossip about it. Nobody thought of it as abuse that should be reported to an adult. I still wonder what happened to that girl. I feel lessons of consent and against bullying in the current curriculum would have helped this girl if the rumours were true."

25% of respondents indicated the importance of a 2SLGBTQ+ - inclusive curriculum and how representation could reduce homophobia, transphobia and stigma around gender identity.

I wish I had been a better ally, or had even known what it meant to be an ally at a younger age. By learning about gender identity and sexual orientation, we build the foundations of understanding and acceptance, which can address some of the roots of bullying.

While the province is quick to have one-offs like Pink Shirt Day, these tokenized celebrations mean nothing unless we are doing more in the everyday to support students and build inclusive classrooms. The fact that the Ford government wants to remove the element of learning about gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms shows that they think these topics are not worth learning about or understanding.

The irony of all of this is that Ford's government has built a platform on increased mental health support in the province, yet has made decisions that will severely impede the mental health of 2SLGBTQ+ students across the province. Erasing identity from the curriculum erases the experiences of countless students. An anonymous respondent had this to say:

"Ford is being ridiculous, changing things back to an old outdated curriculum that doesn't touch on any of the topics that are so important to today's youth. My parents never talked to me about LGBTQ topics or sex in general, and left me to figure it out myself, with great shame. If I was taught in school more than just the very very basics, I would have been able to understand myself a lot better, leading to a lot less shame and self hatred. I think it's very important that a new updated curriculum be used to help today's kids learn more about themselves and the world."

Throughout this week, follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as we explore more of what our community had to say about Relevance, Safety and Identity. Each day, we will explore these themes in greater depth and highlight what our community shared. As we share the thoughts of our community, we encourage you to check out our Resources below for a compilation of organizations and projects supporting sexual education for all. As one of our respondents named Joy said, "Supporters of the curriculum should continue to engage politicians and community members to push back."

As Nuance mentioned in a previous statement, our existence as a publication and as part of an organization that supports the well-being of young (im)migrants, means that Ford will never defeat us or the community we represent. We encourage you to support us now more than ever by contributing, sharing our content, or donating. Your support will allow us to continue amplifying the voices in need.

This conversation matters to us and the community we represent because when we say, "Sex Education Saves Lives," we mean ours, too.

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When We Say #SexEdSavesLives, We're Talking About Our Own

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By Farah Mustafa Content Note: sexual assault, homophobia, transphobia, death W hen I say, "Sex Education Saves Lives," I mean it. Good sex education introduces young people to essential knowledge and skills to develop healthy relationships with their own bodies, each other, and respect for diverse sexual experiences and needs.

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Delayed initiation of sexual intercourse

Reduced sexual risk-taking

Increased condom use

Increased contraception use

Increased knowledge about sexuality, safer-sex behaviours, and risks of pregnancy, HIV and other STIs

Improved attitudes related to sexual and reproductive health (e.g. positive attitudes towards things like using condoms, seeking and getting sexual health care, nurturing healthy relationships, seeking consent, etc.)

Increased knowledge of our rights within a sexual relationship

Increased communication with parents about sex and relationships

Greater effectiveness when managing risky situations

Prevent and reduce gender-based and intimate partner violence and discrimination

Increase confidence, gender equality, and our ability to achieve our goals

Build stronger and healthier relationships

While these are referred to as "non-health related outcomes," they actually do impact our health and well-being. For example, the prevention of gender-based violence (including sexual assault, harassment, homophobic, transphobic and sexist bullying) leads to better mental health and prevents suicide. Knowing how to build stronger and healthier relationships prevents social isolation and improves mental health.

https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/08/the-benefits-of-starting-sex-ed-at-age-4/568225/

https://tonic.vice.com/en_us/article/zmm8yx/teachers-have-to-hide-the-truth-about-sex-and-its-screwing-us-over

https://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/06/22/in-the-netherlands-sex-education-starts-in-kindergarten-heres-what-they-tell-them-why/

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Why Does Sex-Ed matter? Because science says so!

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Delayed initiation of sexual intercourse Reduced sexual risk-taking Increased condom use Increased contraception use Increased knowledge about sexuality, safer-sex behaviours, and risks of pregnancy, HIV and other STIs Improved attitudes related to sexual and reproductive health (e.g. positive attitudes towards things like using condoms, seeking and getting sexual health care, nurturing healthy relationships, seeking consent, etc.)

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MyHealth.Alberta.ca Network

We have included a list of common questions from students to help you prepare responses. The questions are categorized by topics, rather than grades, as the responses are just meant as a starting point. Your response to a student question should be adapted to your student's age, maturity, the classroom environment and individual school policies.

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Student FAQs - Teachers | Teaching Sexual Health

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Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display MyHealth.Alberta.ca Network We have included a list of common questions from students to help you prepare responses. The questions are categorized by topics, rather than grades, as the responses are just meant as a starting point.

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Students' family structures vary now perhaps more than ever before. It's therefore important for teachers to be inclusive of all types of families when it comes to communication, assignments and many other aspects of classroom life.

Diverse family structures can include:

Single parent (divorced or never-married)

Foster parent(s) (or state as legal guardian)

Adoptive parent(s)

Blended (biological parent and another parent figure to whom s/he may or may not be married)

Unmarried biological parents

Polyamorous parents (multiple romantic partners in household)

LGBT parent(s)

Non-parent relative(s) as guardian(s) (grandparent, aunt, etc.)

No matter the type of family, students do best when educators remain sensitive to--and welcoming of--these differences. Acceptance by both adults and classmates at school contributes to students' social-emotional well-being, which we know positively impacts their academic achievement.

With that in mind, here are five ways to celebrate family diversity:

1. Offer books that address a range of family experiences.

Maintaining a diverse classroom library and encouraging students to read these books is an excellent way to raise awareness about different types of families. Try to find books that appeal to students' family situations, whether they have two moms, divorced parents or multigenerational guardians. This way, kids will expand their definitions of "family."

Here are a few book suggestions for preschool and the elementary grades:

Families Are Different by Nina Pellegrini
The Family Book by Todd Parr
Sometimes It's Grandmas and Grandpas: Not Mommies and Daddies by Gayle Byrne
Mommy, Mama, and Me by Lesléa Newman
Molly and Her Dad by Jan Ormerod
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson
Abuela (English edition with Spanish phrases) by Arthur Dorros
Black is Brown is Tan by Arnold Adoff
Every Year On Your Birthday by Rose A. Lewis
Fred Stays With Me! by Nancy Coffelt

2. Use inclusive communication and language.

Avoid phrases such as "Give this to Mom and Dad" when handing out notices or other announcements. Remain broad so you do not point out a specific student's situation. Better to say something like "Make sure this goes home to parents, guardians and families." Work family diversity into everyday discussion and activities without belaboring it. For example, if you're writing sentences for grammar exercises, include the phrases "her dads," "his guardian," etc.

3. Keep activities general.

With holidays such as Mother's Day and Father's Day, crafts and lessons may be difficult for students who feel left out on these days. As an alternative, have students do more general activities, such as drawing "who's important in your life" and sharing with the class something that's unique about their home situation. When doing icebreakers or "all about me" activities, avoid asking kids to draw "your house" (as some may be in a shelter or foster situation). Instead, have them draw "where they sleep" or simply "a possession that's important to you."

4. Present visual diversity.

Hang classroom posters or display other materials celebrating differences in family structure. Whether it is a drug-prevention or other health-promotion poster, or a poster of a family reading a book, educators can communicate acceptance without saying a word. In PowerPoint presentations, make sure to include a diverse selection of photos.

5. Set expectations of respect.

Establish a culture of respect in the classroom and let students know that they are not allowed to disrespect another individual's lifestyle, no matter how different it is from theirs. If any situations arise in terms of student behavior, address them immediately, making sure to re-educate rather than simply punishing. Strive to create a classroom environment where every child feels valued and understood.

Article by Kassondra Granata, EducationWorld Contributor
Education World®
Copyright © 2014 Education World

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Welcoming Diverse Family Structures in the Classroom | Education World

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Students' family structures vary now perhaps more than ever before. It's therefore important for teachers to be inclusive of all types of families when it comes to communication, assignments and many other aspects of classroom life.

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TESA engages in advocacy and education in three primary areas: government, outreach, and community development.

Government & Institutions:

policy analysis

letter writing

meetings and presentations

Education & Outreach:

media interviews

invited talks, presentations, and panels

invited consultation

Community Development:

fact sheets

workshops

community consultation

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TESA engages in advocacy and education in three primary areas: government, outreach, and community development. Government & Institutions: policy analysis letter writing meetings and presentations Education & Outreach: media interviews invited talks, presentations, and panels invited consultation Community Development: fact sheets workshops community consultation

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Trans Student Education Resources-
A great starting point for teaching about Sexual & Gender Identities. Other informative resources include: Gender Pronouns, Visibility, Be An Ally & Queer Youth of Color.

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Note: There is an interactive version of the Gender Unicorn that is only visible on desktop. English Coloring Book (English) Español (Spanish) Português (Portuguese) ру́сский язы́к (Russian) 日本語 (Japanese) Deutsch (German) Français (French) italiano (Italian) ภาษาไทย (Thai) Türkçe (Turkish) Nederlands (Dutch) ភាសាខ្មែរ (Khmer) magyar (Hungarian) dansk (Danish) íslenska (Icelandic) English Interactive (English) Coloring Book (English) [...]

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The State of Sex-Ed in Canada- Report on the need for Comprehensive Sex Ed 

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The State of Sex-Ed in Canada- Report on the need for Comprehensive Sex Ed 

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“The right to comprehensive sexuality education is recognized in international human rights treaties like the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. They all recognize comprehensive sexuality education as a human right. Governments are required to uphold all people’s rights to health, wellbeing, and equality. This requires the delivery of unbiased, scientifically accurate sex-ed.”

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Interested in working with the Native Youth Sexual Health Network? Fill out our contact form and let us know what you are interested in doing.

Our key areas of work:
Sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice contain a wide range of issues. Some of our key areas of work include:

Culturally safe sex education

Reclaiming rites of passage, coming of age ceremonies and traditional knowledge

Healthy relationships and violence prevention

Pregnancy options, youth parenting and families

Environmental justice and environmental violence

Harm reduction

Two-Spirited and LGBTTIQQA advocacy and awareness

Sexually Transmitted and Blood Borne Infections (STBBIs) and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention

Youth in custody, jail, prison and the child welfare system

Sex trade, sex industries and street economies

Indigenous feminisms and masculinities

Sexual self-esteem and empowerment

Media literacy

Youth activism and human rights

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Interested in working with the Native Youth Sexual Health Network? Fill out our contact form and let us know what you are interested in doing. Our key areas of work: Sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice contain a wide range of issues.

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As a Native Woman led community-based organization, TWU is directly involved in addressing the challenges of reproductive health and justice for Indigenous women. We believe that every woman has the right to a birthing experience that promotes autonomy, dignity, respect, and empowerment for mother, child, and family.

The Indigenous Women's Health Program at Tewa Women United utilizes an intersectional approach to Reproductive Justice. Blending our organizational program areas we braid together issue areas of gender justice, birth justice, environmental justice, economic justice, healthy sexuality and body sovereignty, advocacy and healing for survivors of sexual violence, to form a comprehensive approach to building beloved communities and ending violence against women, girls, and Mother Earth.
Learn more about the Yiya Vi Kagingdi Story.

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Indigenous Women's Health and Reproductive Justice Program | Tewa Women United

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As a Native Woman led community-based organization, TWU is directly involved in addressing the challenges of reproductive health and justice for Indigenous women. We believe that every woman has the right to a birthing experience that promotes autonomy, dignity, respect, and empowerment for mother, child, and family.

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We are an organization that works in Canada and around the world to promote health, wellbeing, and rights related to sexuality and reproduction.

Building on the 50-year legacy of the organizations that formed Action Canada, we provide direct support, referrals, and information to the people who need it most, partner with groups and organizations on a range of campaigns using a collaborative, movement-building approach, and work with decision-makers to advance progressive policies on access to abortion, stigma-free healthcare, gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and inclusive sex-ed

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Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights is a progressive, human rights based charitable organization committed to advancing and upholding sexual and reproductive health and rights in Canada and globally.

We are an organization that works in Canada and around the world to promote health, wellbeing, and rights related to sexuality and reproduction. Building on the 50-year legacy of the organizations that formed Action Canada, we provide direct support, referrals, and information to the people who need it most, partner with groups and organizations on a range of campaigns using a collaborative, movement-building approach, and work with decision-makers to advance progressive policies on access to abortion, stigma-free healthcare, gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and inclusive sex-ed.

Action Canada is: the Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada, Canadians for Choice, the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health, and Action Canada for Population and Development.

Our Vision

All people everywhere have full control over, and are able to decide freely upon, all matters related to their sexuality, reproduction, and gender, including their reproductive and sexual health.

Our Mission

To advance and uphold reproductive and sexual rights and health, in Canada and globally.

Our Work

To fulfill our mission, Action Canada's work focuses on four key areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights: abortion, contraception, comprehensive sexuality education, and advocacy. These areas are important for fulfilling all persons' human rights, and are guiding principles for what Canada can do to champion sexual and reproductive health and rights at home and globally.

Following decades of activism, three of Canada's leading sexual and reproductive health and rights organizations saw an opportunity for a strengthened voice in policy, health promotion, and access to information and a way to engage others across Canada and around the world in the sexual and reproductive health and rights movement.

The 2014 amalgamation allowed each of the three organizations to build on one another's histories, strengths and shared vision. Canadians for Choice (formerly CARAL) and the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health (formerly Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada) would benefit from the policy expertise of Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD) and the organization's international partnerships, while ACPD would profit from frontline knowledge and experience in Canada. A newly bridged gap between the national and global context was made and our shared history has set the stage for an organization that works in collaboration across all levels.

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Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights is a progressive, human rights based charitable organization committed to advancing and upholding sexual and reproductive health and

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What would Queering Sexual Education look like?

Queering Sex Ed (QSE) is a project from Planned Parenthood Toronto, with the goal of developing a sex ed resource with and for LGBTQ youth. The information and resources below have been created by the Queering Sex Ed Youth Advisory Committee.

Why Queering Sex Ed?

We recognize the need for an alternative sex education resource. It's not okay that gaps are being left and our sexual experiences are being ignored: there's so much opportunity in the queer world and that includes queer sex. Penis and vagina is one kind of sex, but it's not the only kind of sex! This information should not only be available, but celebrated. We want to re-frame the sex that we have and the sex that we want to have as something positive. We want to see the kind of sex we have and want to have reflected in curriculum. It's needed. Statistics and our experience say that it's needed. We want to empower youth. To have better access to information than a standard that was set 20 years ago. To be inclusive of people who are often excluded from the mainstream. To celebrate choice. Youth are being alienated without knowing that they're being alienated. We want to debunk myths, and to provide education and resources that might not otherwise be available, so that youth can make informed decisions around sex. There is so much missing, and we're building capacity ourselves. Our community needs this. We need this.

What does queering sex ed look like?

Inclusive

Accessible

Sex-positive

Includes trans* and cis people

Asexual positive

Doesn't assume identity

Youth positive

Body positive

Empowering, not fear/shame based

Opens rather than closes possibilities

Accounts for pleasure

Awesome

Resources created through Queering Sex Ed include:
If you have questions about this topic, feel free to contact one of our peer educators. [Link] Last Updated: April 2020

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Queering Sex Ed (QSE) is a project from Planned Parenthood Toronto, with the goal of developing a sex ed resource with and for LGBTQ youth. The information and resources here have been created by the Queering Sex Ed Youth Advisory Committee.