Sexual Education Programs and LGBTQ+ Intimacy
The term "sexual education" refers to the teaching of sexuality, human anatomy, reproduction, birth control methods, healthy relationships, and more. In many countries, it is taught at schools to teenagers, but also adults in colleges, universities, and workplaces. It can be a single class or multiple classes, online or face-to-face, or part of another subject such as biology or psychology. The goal of sexual education programs is to provide accurate information about the human body and sexual practices so that individuals can make informed decisions regarding their sexual lives.
Some people wonder how these programs include or exclude discussions of LGBTQ+ intimacy.
In many countries around the world, there are no explicit laws or regulations requiring sexual education programs to cover LGBTQ+ topics. This means that teachers may choose whether or not they want to address them during their courses. Some educators decide to focus exclusively on heterosexual practices and leave out non-heteronormative ones, while others believe that all types of sex should be explained regardless of orientation. There are several reasons why this could happen. First, some teachers might have limited knowledge about LGBTQ+ issues due to lack of training or personal prejudice. Second, certain religious beliefs encourage abstinence until marriage for everyone, which makes it difficult to teach non-hetero romantic behaviors without contradicting the values taught. Third, parents or administrations might demand that only heterosexual content is shared with students because they think it's "normal" or "appropriate."
Some instructors simply don't see the need to bring up other forms of sexuality since they assume everybody is straight.
There are also institutions where teachers feel comfortable talking about LGBTQ+ intimacy in depth. In those cases, they describe what happens between same-sex couples in terms of kissing, hugging, cuddling, caressing, masturbation, fellatio, anal penetration, and more. They may even show videos or pictures as examples of how things work when two people of the same gender interact physically.
A teacher might explain that lesbian women can engage in vaginal penetration using dildos or fingers and discuss how men who have sex with other men use different condoms from those used by heterosexuals. The goal is to help students understand sexual diversity so they can respect it and make informed decisions later on.
Sexual education programs vary significantly in their approach to LGBTQ+ topics. Some focus exclusively on heteronormative practices while others include all kinds of behaviors. Still, most educators agree that knowing about all types of sex is essential for teenagers and adults to become responsible citizens and healthy individuals.
How do sexual education programs include or exclude discussions of LGBTQ+ intimacy?
Sexual education programs have been found to be lacking in their coverage of nonheterosexual sexuality, with some studies finding that up to 80% of them fail to address lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) issues at all.