My junior high teachers would pass around slips of paper during sex ed classes so we could write down any questions we had.
They’d make us all write — something, anything — at the same time to not single anybody out. Classmates, friends and enemies would scribble on the slip of paper, looking side-to-side to make sure no one could see if they were drawing a picture of a dog or asking questions about wet dreams, hymens or STIs.
What seemed like millions of paper slips would funnel their way into a hat that the teacher would pick and read questions from. Still, in “adulthood,” those questions about sex, relationships and love persist.
What’s a situationship, and am I in one? What will my first time be like? What’s the role of sex in this book I’m reading for English class? Why didn’t they teach me about this in sex-ed? How do long-distance relationships work? Where can I find Queer academic resources at UBC? How much should I talk during sex? Would she still love me if I were a worm?
I can’t say we’ve got the answers to all of these questions — many of them don’t have a straightforward answer. But in this issue, we explore student accounts of their relationships, how TV shapes perceptions of sex and love, 2SLGBTQIA+ media in UBC’s Queer Collections Project and the science behind bioplastic vibrators.
So come in curious. Hopefully, you’ll leave learning something new.