How do sexism and racism impact society, especially as it relates to sexuality and sexual health?
What is masculinity? Femininity? How are these ideas defined in the traditional binary model? Which is more valuable in society?
How do these forces shape who has agency and autonomy? How do they shape our sexual health?
How do these forces shape our beliefs and behaviors? Think about direct costs like access to useful information and health resources as well as less tangible things like stereotype threat.
How does the way society values (or doesn’t, rather) femininity also help us understand anti-gay and anti-trans discrimination?
Androgyny is the expression of both the masculine and feminine by an individual-a rejection of the binary model. Thinking about yourself (either how you are, or how you’d like to be), in what ways are you androgynous? In what ways do you adhere to the binary model?
What is the connection between media (advertising, entertainment…) and sexual health?
How does sexism influence media (and how does media influence society’s attitudes about sex and sexism)?
Why does sex sell? What are we actually buying?
What aspects of sexuality are portrayed in media?
Who benefits from perpetuating these sexuality values? Who is harmed? What are the costs?
Consider discussing things such as body image and eating disorders, suicide rates in adolescence, etc.).
For instance:
What kinds of bodies (thin/fat, dark/light, intersex, old/young, with/without disabilities) are we shown?
What kinds of sexual identities, orientations and behaviors (homo/bi/a/heterosexual, trans/cis gender)?
How does what we see (and what we don’t see) affect what we think of as acceptable or desirable?
How often do you see characters in media talking about contraception? Or getting tested for STls? Or getting clear consent?
How do we end sexual violence?
Does sexual violence have to reach the intensity of physical assault in order to cause harm?
How does acceptance or tolerance of things like catcalling, slut-shaming, locker room talk, etc. create an environment in which sexual violence is more likely to occur?
How does the failure of institutions to investigate and appropriately address instances of sexual violence contribute to its survival? What “benefit” do institutions gain from not addressing this? What long-term consequences does this have?
Does sexual violence only affect women?
What is victim-blaming? Give some examples. How does this impact our ability to address sexual violence?
Around the world and throughout history, one approach to minimizing sexual violence has been to institute policies to “better protect” women, like:
curfews for women (so they aren’t out when it’s dark and unsafe)
dress codes that make a woman’s body less visible and therefore less tempting
discouraging women from drinking alcohol or doing drugs because it lowers inhibition and awareness of danger
targeting women with products (like pepper spray) and self-defense courses to help them defend themselves from a would-be rapist
Think about these approaches. Who is being given the burden to prevent sexual violence? Do you think this is the most effective approach? What other approaches do you think might be effective?
Where do morality, ethics and the sex industry intersect?
Walking back to the office after lunch with several coworkers, you pass several people who appeared to be negotiating an exchange of sexual acts for money.
One coworker comments that prostitution is completely immoral and should be illegal. Another coworker agrees, but says that pornography is ok.
The first responds that pornography objectifies women which leads to coerced prostitution which leads to rape. Though you’re not very familiar with the sex industry as a whole, you’re skeptical of the claim that it’s all bad and leads to rape. You decide to do some research and revisit the conversation together another time.
• Visit the link below from the Equality Institute and read the myths and responses. What is sex work?
Did you learn anything new? Which things stood out most? What do you think of your coworker’s claims?
Does all sex work objectify women? Is all sex work coerced? Does it lead to sexual violence?
You consider the idea of making prostitution or all sex work illegal. Who is this likely to punish most?
It’s not difficult to imagine how “traditional” pornography could lead to viewers having unrealistic expectations about sex, from the appearance of genitals and bodies to the types of sex acts that men and women like. But you come across a news article (second link below) and read about ethical pornography.
What information do you think you’ll share with your coworkers when you discuss it again? What do you think about sex work? What things would have to be in place for you to feel that it’s ethical?
How would you design the ideal sex education program?
Consider the position taken by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (link is below).
Imagine that you have been selected to design a sexuality education curriculum/program for the state of New York with the goals of decreasing the incidence of STIs, unwanted pregnancies and sexual discrimination and violence.
You’ve been given the following guidance:
• The curriculum must be inclusive of biological differences (intersex, people with physical disabilities), gender differences (trans, non-binary), and sexual orientation (homosexual, bisexual, asexual, etc).
• The curriculum can be provided through public schools (starting as early as first grade), community centers, churches, state government agencies, medical establishments…any venue that you think would be effective.
• Your curriculum can cover any age range from 5 years old to 95 and should consider special needs of different groups (children, adolescents, parents, seniors, LGBTQIA+, those with physical or mental disabilities/illness…)
• Money is not an object. The state has committed to pay whatever is needed to support your curriculum. You have the funds to pay teachers, provide contraceptives, hire medical personnel…whatever you need.
• You are to design the curriculum that you believe will best address the goals without considering the wide range of public opinion on various issues. In other words, don’t avoid including something because you think (or know) that some people would oppose it. If you think it is important, put it in.
For guidance and inspiration, you might consider looking at some existing whole-life sexuality curricula. Here’s one produced by a partnership between two progressive Christian churches: https://www.uua.org/re/owl.
Some questions you should be sure to answer:
• What information/ideas are important to share?
• Who should get that information and when?
• How will you measure the success of your curriculum?
