Sexology, Sensuality and Southern Values
Navigating sex-ed in the South from a Black, millennial perspective
Like many people, when I was growing up sex wasn’t a super open topic in my household. That is to say, my mom and I weren’t having weekly discussions about sex around the dinner table. But as I grew up she taught me about reproductive anatomy and found informational videos to help me to understand menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth and things like that. My natural curiosity and access to the internet did the rest.
The South is near and dear to me, but I know firsthand how inadequate sex education is in schools here.
The South is near and dear to me, but I know firsthand how inadequate sex education is in schools here. I was fortunate to be able to independently access sex-ed resources and build a strong personal network that helped me develop a good, loving relationship with my body along with a deep understanding of the complexities surrounding sex and relationships. I have also received training on comprehensive sex education and advocacy through my work with nonprofit organizations at the local and national level.
My personal website, Sexology Bae, was born out of the need I saw to educate people in my communities — mostly young women of color — about healthy sexuality and self-image. I believe that we live in a world where people are shamed and stigmatized for wanting to explore their sexuality, which often keeps them from seeking knowledge.
Coupled with this lack of understanding is, in my view, a lack of spaces to ask questions and get clear answers without academic jargon or some sort of scare tactics. There are some out there, but additional perspectives never hurt. Even though I’m young and have so much to learn, I feel that I can take what I know now and use it to educate those who might not have access to this information otherwise.
Too many young people I know who are otherwise considered ‘educated,’ barely know how their own bodies operate, let alone how to maintain healthy relationships or make fully informed decisions about their sexual health.
My journey with self-love and body image is long and complex like everyone else’s. As people, we don’t exist in a vacuum, and my goal in writing about sex positivity is to help readers see that sexuality, body image and reproductive health are connected to larger systems and institutions. My hope is, by sharing knowledge and personal experiences as Sexology Bae, I can help build a sex positive world which encourages people to make healthy decisions based in facts, not scare tactics.
I’m excited to begin writing for Mystiq’s The Sex-Positive Blog, and share my perspective with a larger audience. As a Black woman, I exist and experience life at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities and my writing reflects that. I’m interested in the why of the world and don’t make apologies for considering how things impact women of color, especially Black women. Most of my posts are going to center around my perspective on recent events with the occasional research driven piece or product review.
Outside of Medium, you can find me on Twitter @SexologyBae, or on my personal blog Sexology Bae.
