Queer Ecology Session 1 by Veronica Cassone McGowan

tzouct — 2025-06-23 17:08:30 UTC

As a former middle school science teacher, I know I taught sex ed (in my health courses) as framed in reproduction only, and I know that I taught that using heavily binary language. I wish I could go back and do it again with what I know now!

2025-06-23 17:08:57 UTC

My most expansive education about sex was at my Unitarian church growing up which was very liberal and run by an amazing queer human that talked openly about sex. In school and as a teacher, sex was about not reproducing or reproducing

No queer representation...!

2025-06-23 17:09:43 UTC

My health/sex education in school never included any queer information, it all assumed heterosexuality and focused on reproduction. In undergrad, I took a sexuality course that was more nuanced and expansive, however queerness was treated as its own lesson, still very much "separate" or "abnormal" from the "typical" sex. It also wasn't until undergrad where sex was described as pleasurable or social.

2025-06-23 17:12:23 UTC

I am old. Learned from life. Have degrees in animal sciences, so I knew things were not binary. Nothing formal was ever offered "back in my day". Just finished teaching in a very conservative high school, so any formal discussion of the science was met with "lynch mob" mentality. I sstuck to reproduction context only.

2025-06-23 17:12:38 UTC

Teaching about sex and sexuality to middle and high school students using District-mandate Family Life and Sexual Health curriculum - very clinical; but it's changing to be relevant to our current student population; students have questions and are less embarassed to talk about sex.

Kyle D

2025-06-23 17:13:00 UTC

For me, it was through Hollywood (movies/media) that shaped how I understood sex, gender, and sexuality. Often, I would question my own experiences if they did not align with what I saw. My biology courses only covered these topics through a reproductive lens.

With the curriculum I have taught, I have never discussed these topics, so I would say I am somewhat uncomfortable because I haven't developed the skills to do so. Reflecting upon this, there was truly never the 'space' to do it (systematically speaking)

My learning

2025-06-23 17:13:26 UTC

I had a pretty typical learning sequence family, school, media, exploration.

Very comfortable with these topics. I Teach Health class using FLASH curriculum from King County Public Health. Very liberal materials that give substantial non-biased space to queer identities.

Every year about 10% of my students identify as trans, and about 10% of my students self-identify as religiously very conservative and dont "believe in" trans identities. I also have these same kids in science, they all love science, so science is their common ground.