Why Pride Matters for Sexual Health
When I tell my friends and family members that I am a sexual health educator, people don’t always understand what I do. Some people confuse my role with a sex worker, a sex surrogate partner, or a sex therapist. While some people understand a large part of my role is education, often my role gets reduced to prevention.
As I have mentioned in previous articles, sexual health is more than just prevention of sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies. Sexual health is about having the safety and freedom to understand who we are as sexual human beings without shame in the context of healthy consensual relationships. When we create a culture of inclusivity and consent, where everyone feels safe to be who they are, everyone gets the best possible outcomes for their sexual health.
Pride matters because pride counters the stigma and shame that impacts our sexual health. When we make sex education inclusive, fact based and focused on consent and healthy relationships, we improve everyone’s sexual health!
Here are some articles that describe why LGBTQAI+ Pride relates to sexual health:
In the USA:
Locally: Sex Trivia at Dryden Community Center — A Moment of Pride
Recently Dryden converted a church into a community center. Protagonist Books paid the community center to hold a Sex Trivia night there for people 18+. A small number of community members had concerns and were trying to prevent the event being held there. The Monday before the event, there was a meeting held to discuss people’s viewpoints (We were there, as well as Ithaca Cortland PFLAG). Here is an article that describes what happened in detail: https://www.cortlandstandard.com/news/if-you-dont-like-it-dont-come-dryden-residents-defend-sex-trivia-event-at-community/article_7861426b-9e53-48df-b44a-9542138b4752.html
In short, the support was overwhelmingly positive! Sex Trivia night was held, our team won second place (which is a little embarrassing that we didn’t get first having a sexual health educator on the team), and a good time was had by all. There was a very large turnout on a very hot and humid Friday (I would estimate maybe 130+ people were there).
We look forward to collaborating more with Protagonist Books and Planned Parenthood who tabled next to us!
Happy Pride Month!
See you at Cortland Pride, July 11th from 10am to 3pm at Court House Park. Let’s show the world that we are Stronger Together!
We hope you feel the safety and love we all deserve yearlong!