5 WAYS TO CELEBRATE EDUCATORS ON SEX EDUCATOR APPRECIATION DAY 6/9

Guest written by Rain Andersen (@wearenotfriends_) a veteran sworker with eight years in adult entertainment and three years working for Lovers.

Lovers is proud to celebrate Sex Educator Appreciation Day, a holiday dedicated to sexual health and wellness professionals.

Lovers is celebrating this holiday by honoring our Sex Educator of the Year: Goody Howard, and the incredible sexual wellness experts at Lovers Stores. Goody is one of the educators that has helped to make Lover’s Online Sex Education Workshops a success. We could not be more grateful for Goody, our workshop guests, and the trained sexual wellness experts who work at Lovers Retail Stores.

QUICK LINKS:

1. What is a Sex Educator?
2. What is Sex Education?
3. Why is Sex Education Valuable?
4. 5 Ways to Celebrate Sex Educators

What is a Sex Educator?

A sex educator is an individual with academic or professional expertise in human sexuality (often accredited through a certificate or degree such as AASECT). They teach and create educational content designed to enhance our sexual literacy and dismantle cultural and social stigmas.

What is Sex Education?

Sex education helps us to manage the impact sex has on our relationships and physical health. It provides us with the skills and information necessary to navigate sexual experiences in adulthood, and the potential outcomes of sexual activity. Basic sex ed curriculum (in the United States) addresses reproductive health, puberty, sexually transmitted diseases, and contraception. Some states in the US have adopted sexual health curriculums that include information regarding consent, gender identity, sexual orientation, gender roles, and sexuality as it is portrayed in the media. These curriculums are developed in partnership with the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) and the Future of Sex Education Initiative (FoSE).

Why is Sex Education Valuable?

Sex education provides us with the resources and motivation to seek out safe and rewarding sexual experiences. It helps to shape our behaviors and feelings around sex, relationships, and personal identity, and to recognize cultural and social stigmas associated with these beliefs. Without comprehensive sex education, we would not be able to make informed decisions about our sexual health.

5 Ways to Celebrate Sex Educators

Contact Your Local School Board: You can celebrate sex educators by supporting policies for sex education in public schools. Stating your support for K-12 sex education and the hiring of qualified sex educators creates conversations around sexual autonomy and provides jobs for working educators.

Contact Local Representatives: The fight for comprehensive sexual education continues with your local representatives. Show your support for sex educators by requesting funding for community and peer-based sexual education programs and increased wages for sex educator salaries. Common Cause is a website that allows you to look at representatives overseeing your district and county.

Connect with Your Favorite Educator: Let sex educators know that you love them! Sign up for a sex educators news letter or workshop to show monetary support, or leave a public five-star review to help bolster their income.

Make a Donation: Many sex educators work alongside non-profits to uplift marginalized communities. Send a donation to a sex education non-profit like Advocates for Youth, Responsible Sex Ed Institute, or Health Teen Network to help further advance the work these non-profits are doing. All three of these non-profits provide national support and resources to our public schools.

Boost Their Content: In an era of digital censorship, you can support your favorite sex educators by boosting and sharing their content. Help influence educator exposure by lending out a book they wrote, sharing a social post, or attending an IG Live. Every viewer counts!

Further Readings

Few States Require LGBTQIA-Inclusive Sex Education: US News
GOP Lawmakers Say National Sex Education Standards Are Too Explicit: Illinois News Room
Sex Education During a Pandemic Makes a Pivot: The Denver Channel

WITH PLEASURE,

LOVERS