Sex education - especially in Ohio - can be lackluster when it comes to representing a wide range of experiences, or even providing accurate information. Most school-based sex education is built around a very narrow idea of what our bodies can look and be like, with an overall sex-negative attitude: the target audience is cisgender, heterosexual, and
monogamous, focused almost entirely on reproduction and risk of consequences.
For many, the goal of these programs is to promote avoiding or abstaining from
sex entirely. This inevitably creates a gap of knowledge for countless people,
especially queer and transgender people, about their own bodies and needs.
When the framework is lacking and resources are limited, it can be difficult for many
queer people to form healthy and well-informed perspectives on sexual pleasure,
identity, and queerness.
Many people, regardless of how they identify, grow up feeling invalidated, ashamed, or even unprepared to understand their own desires. Those feelings can create difficulty in communicating with partners and difficulty feeling confident in exploring sex and intimacy in safe, affirming, and pleasurable ways.
Queer-inclusive sex education is about having the tools to feel more comfortable in and have a greater understanding of your body; it also looks like learning how to set boundaries and navigating intimacy with care. It’s never too late to start learning, either!
The following is a (non-exhaustive!) list of reputable, community-created, and queer-friendly resources about sexuality topics, ranging from sexual health to sexual empowerment.
For All
Scarleteen | https://www.scarleteen.com/read
Scarleteen is a comprehensive, inclusive resource offering accessible information on sex, relationships, identity, and consent. This resource is geared toward teens, young adults, and anyone seeking approachable, affirming sex education.
Planned Parenthood | https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn
PlannedParenthood offers medically accurate, queer-inclusive information on sexual
health, relationships, birth control, and identity, with resources for people
of all ages seeking trustworthy health information.
Youth Oriented
Amaze is a video-based platform designed for preteens and teens, providing age-appropriate, LGBTQ+-inclusive education on puberty, relationships, and sexuality in a fun, accessible format.
Sex Etc. | https://sexetc.org/
Sex Etc. is aresource created by teens for teens. This site offers honest, peer-written
articles on sex, relationships, identity, and consent with a focus on
inclusivity and empowerment.
Adult Oriented
Queer Sex Ed Community Curriculum | https://www.queersexedcc.com/
The Queer Sex Ed Community Curriculum is a free, open-access collection of lessons and guides intended for queer-identifying adults, offering comprehensive sex education materials such as Zines on LGBTQ+ identity, safety, pleasure, and community care.
Queer Sex Ed Podcast | https://www.queersexed.org/
Emphasizing the queer and transexperience, this podcast for adults explores topics like pleasure, consent, relationships, and queerness through a trauma-informed, sex-positive lens.