"Queer and trans youth are at a particular disadvantage when it comes to accessing sexual education and sexual health services. The traditional services are just not geared towards them, and as a result they are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviour," says Anna Penner, a program coordinator with Planned Parenthood Toronto (PPT).
Penner is explaining the impetus behind PPT's concentrated effort to build their capacity for providing sex education for Toronto's queer and trans youth.
Last week, PPT wrapped up their
Queering Sex Ed Initiative, a six-month youth-led program aimed at creating and disseminating sexual health information for LGTBQ (Lesbian, Gay, Trans, Bisexual and Queer) youth. Funded by the
Community One Foundation, the initiative brought together a group of youth between the ages of 18 and 28 to receive training on a variety of topics related to healthy sexuality and healthy relationships.
The training culminated last week with the release of a series of queer- and trans-focused resources on sex and sexual health. The resources, produced by the youth advisory committee, are available free to download in both PDF and video formats. The resources cover a variety of topics including body positivity, identity, language, sex acts, and consent.
"The project, I think, really did two things," says Penner, who oversaw the initiative. "It helped build skills and capacity among that youth advisory committee and Planned Parenthood Toronto, and these resources the group is now able to share with others."
And, while the Queering Sex Ed project has officially wrapped up, Penner emphasizes that it's just the beginning in terms of making PPT more receptive to the needs of LGBTQ youth.
"Not only do we have access to these resources now which is great. We have also been named as one of the recipients of this year's
Pride and Remembrance Run, and that money is going into a new project expanding on the work of Queering Sex Ed to include workshops for LGBTQ youth."
The Queering Sex Ed project and the upcoming workshops supplements existing PPT programming which includes Teens Educating and Confronting Homophobia (T.E.A.C.H.), which is directed by Penner, programming for women who have sex with women, and LGBTQ-positive health services and community programming.
All Queering Sex Ed resources are available at the initaitve's website
queeringsexed.com.
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Anna Penner, T.E.A.C.H. Program Coordinator, Planned Parenthood