The story of Magnus Hirschfeld, the ‘Einstein of sex’

Decades before Alfred Kinsey developed his scale for human sexuality, there was Magnus Hirschfeld — a doctor who dedicated his career to proving that homosexuality was natural. By Julia Franz [H]irschfeld’s reasoning was simple: In turn of the 20th century Germany, where he lived, a law called Paragraph 175 made so-called “unnatural fornication” between men punishable …

This sex ed series tackles LGBTQ issues in an honest, groundbreaking way

By Ana Valens [W]hile the fight for LGBTQ rights might make headline news, that doesn’t mean queer education is making it into schools. For most Americans, sex ed courses barely talk about the ins and outs of being gay, bisexual, queer, or transgender, making it hard for many students to learn about themselves, their bodies, and …

Pride 2017

Happy Gay Pride Month! It’s time, once again, to post my annual pride posting. In my lifetime I’ve witnessed a most remarkable change in societal attitudes toward those of us on the sexual fringe. One only needs to go back 50 years in time. I was 17 years old then and I knew I was …

Trans Writer E. Parker Phillips Finds Poetry in He/r Fluid Identity

By Liz Tracy [A]t a Yale writing workshop in 2003, one of E. Parker Phillips’ college classmates said Phillips’ erotic poem reminded them of a Calvin Klein ad. Phillips, who identifies as genderqueer and uses “s/he” and “he/r” pronouns, doesn’t remember the poem itself, only one line from the work about a lesbian sexual awakening: …

LGBTQ kids are missing out on sex education—and it’s up to schools to change that

by Ana Valens [L]ast year, California officially mandated LGBTQ history lessons in public schools, vowing to teach “the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans” and their impact on both the state’s and the country’s history. This was a victory for LGBTQ rights, because it’s a rarity; in most states—in all but nine to …

Sexuality education for parents of young people with Down Syndrome

By Kim Cavill When I first started teaching sexuality education, I focused on people with disabilities, the parents and carers of people with disabilities, and professionals who worked with people with disabilities. I truly loved my work. When I moved back to the United States, I attempted to bring that work with me, pitching various …