ACOMSDave

Community Journalist

Education – How much do we educate about sex? ?

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This year National Geographic has launched a new TV series on the world “Original Sin: How Sex Changed The World”; I am catching up with this series, but I can tell you it is interesting in how much sex education we still don’t educate our youth about.

How did I pick this up, well of course our local newspapers who used it to republish about Robiinson & McCambley (a story past its sell by date), with a few added twists about the TV series, but also used it to republish photographs of Mrs Robinson and Mr McCambley; but then I put the article down in my tray and left it, because in itself it was the TV series that was of interest not the replay of Robiinson & McCambley, who by now have moved on with their lives.  The reason why I am now writing is the story of Republican Mike Yenn, “the President of Jefferson Parish and happily married with one daughter”.  While Yenni doesn’t appear to have much of a record when it comes to being for or against LGBTQ rights, he is a member of the political party that, in its most recently adopted platform, officially defines marriage as “between one man and one woman,” calls pornography harmful “especially on children,” and wants to police which restrooms trans people use in an effort to protect women and children from sexual predators

Now going back to Robinson & McCambley, the story was news at the time, it is not now, what is news now is the abysmal level of sex education in our schools, and the impact it is having on society. It is not enough, as the USA have since found, to preach abstinence. We need to to be honest with our youth, and education them properly about sex and relationships, in all its forms, we can no longer hide behind various texts in the belief that they will protect them.

But sex education is a hot potato, …sex education is political because it is a good way to get elected… particularly if you take a purely conservative point of view and support the vociferous minority who don’t want it taught in school as it is a parents right to do so – well I would argue that our history indicates that we don’t do it well at home or at school. I am not saying we shouldn’t do it at home, what I am saying is that we need to start teaching about sex and relationships properly in school to augment what is taught at home.

We cannot allow … political agendas to stand in a students right to know…

By all means watch the National Geographic program for its titillation when the various high profile people hit the screen, but don’t forget that statistically most new cases of sexually transmitted infections occur in youth and young adults! Sex education must be considered  is a failure, when it is considered right that drinking bleach is a good birth control.

We owe it to our youth, both the current and those to come, to provide a balanced and well funded and taught sex education system that is without bias – not only will this enable our youth to make considered decisions about their lives, but it will also help us as a country who is trying to reconcile its various budgets, including the NHS. Spending on education is not a hit and miss, if we get it right we save money in other areas, and we have a richer, better educated society.

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'Cucumber' And 'Banana', Queer Dramas, To Air On Logo TV

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‘Cucumber’ and ‘Banana’ – vegetable or fruit hitting your screens soon

Are you ready for your new favorite queer television shows?
From the writer of the iconic “Queer As Folk” and the much beloved “Dr. Who” comes “Cucumber,” “Banana” and “Tofu,” three interlinked gay dramas that are already receiving buzz for their unapologetic portrayals of queer life. “Cucumber,” “Banana” and “Tofu” will premiere across Channel 4, E4 and 4oD in the UK in 2015.
Logo TV will run “Cucumber” and “Banana” on Logo TV in early 2015 in the U.S. The network has not announced plans regarding “Tofu.”
“Whether he’s reinventing Doctor Who for a whole new generation, or creating riveting gay and lesbian characters on the original ‘Queer as Folk,’ Russell T Davies always pushes television forward,” Stephen Friedman, President of MTV and Logo TV, said in a statement sent to The Huffington Post. “’Cucumber’ and ‘Banana’ are groundbreaking for the way they show intertwined narratives from two generations’ different perspectives. Even more importantly, the shows tell hilarious, incisive and very human stories.”
“It’s an honour and delight to team up with Logo for these brand new dramas,” Davies said in a statement. “It’s 16 years since I created ‘Queer As Folk,’ which means I’ve had 16 years to build up new characters, new stories, and new insights into our lives. Across both series, we explore gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender stories, as well as love beyond labels – this is 50 shades of gay, and beyond!”
Check out the trailer above.