Author: Amane Hall
Introduction
This syllabus will cover the topics on comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) and the oppositional responses of CSE being taught to youths in Western societies. The topic of sexuality and gender is often invisibilized, indoctrinated, and inescapable. Procreation is the most prioritized goal on a species level, and as of now, penis to vagina sexual intercouse is the most common way for human species to procreate. Hence, certain kinds of sex and sexuality are ingrained and centred in any existing human culture and society and are utilized to promote and circulate the dominant ideology. In a Western society like Canada, the “correct way” to have sex and perform ascribed gender is ingrained to individuals since birth through socialization. While gender and sexuality is strictly policed to follow closely to the hegemonic ideology, these topics are cloaked and the invisibility is normalized through purity culture (Sethna, 2010). The topic of gender and sexuality is inescapable since every social institution will continue to normalize the hegemonic way of having sex and performing gender, and police the human bodies within the society to follow and circulate the hegemony. I believe trans studies will greatly benefit from analyzing CSE and the oppositional responses of CSE being taught to youths for trans studies to understand the dynamics of gender and sexuality through the perspective of sex education and for CSE to be improved to be even more comprehensive.
Stryker (2006) says that trans studies are interested in anything that strips the veil of invisibility that is cloaked over the indoctrination of the human body concerning sex and gender. Pointing out systems and power dynamics that are circulated in any social institutions, understanding the linkages between biology and culture, analyzing gender that is experienced on an individual level and expected on a social level, asking the ethical and moral significance of experiencing gender in different ways should matter, and how to stop violence and injustice based on gender variance are the goals of trans studies (Stryker, 2006). As a person who does not feel the desire or inherent feeling of wanting to associate with any gender, I still find more common experiences like trans joy, injustice, and trying to navigate hostile social institutions and society with people who are gender variant than people who never questioned their gender and sexuality. Hence why I also agree with Adair et al agreeing with Namaste and others “fram[ing] the transsexual as a situated group of people, a heterogenous group of racialized, class-oppressed, disabled, and otherwise marginal figures who should be thought of as a group, not by the face of their genders but by their shared need to surmount serious deficits of institutional access” (Adair et al., 2020, p. 311; Namaste, 2000).
Until recently, the widely accepted dominant ideology in Canada was to uphold white supremacy, patriarchy, and the hierarchy of class and citizenship. To indoctrinate sexuality and gender to the dominant ideology, purity education was utilized during the 1900s and mothers were expected to be the teachers of purity education for their children (Sethna, 2010). Purity education promoted the abstinence agenda, which held heterosexuality, gender-binary, chastity before marriage and procreation as the only goal for sexual intercouse, race, class, and ability purity as the morally correct sexuality and gender (Sethna, 2010). The abstinence model of sexual health education which not just centers the dominant ideologies but also uses fear mongering language to promote chastity before marriage is still used in Canadian schools that do not adopt comprehensive sexuality education curricula, since “there is a complete absence of a common curriculum within Canada” (Robinson et al., 2019, p. 243).
Although abstinence model of sexual health education was popularized for some time, the World Health Organization [WHO] saw the negative impact and limitation of the abstinence model of sexual health education, and published the first edition of International technical guidance on sexuality education in 2009 (Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research [SRHR], 2018). The guide promotes Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), which provides on-going learning opportunities to people about “the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social aspects of sexuality” (SRHR, p. 16). International technical guidance on sexuality education was revised in 2018, which included information about gender perspectives, gender violence, and influence of social media (SRHR, 2018). CSE centres two important concepts, bodily autonomy and affirmative consent. In a nutshell, bodily autonomy means an individual being in control of their own body, and affirmative consent focuses on communication and healthy relationship building, not just saying yes or no to sex. I believe this shift of sexuality education from purity education, abstinence model education, to now CSE is important for trans scholars to note since the general public’s understanding on bodily autonomy and consent through public school education will heavily affect the material life of transsexuals. The more people understand about bodily autonomy and that gender is a social construct that can be experienced in infinite ways through CSE, the stigma towards trans people and other marginalized groups of people trying to assert their bodily autonomy may decrease. Within Canada, trans perspective analysis of which provinces and territories not adopting the CSE curriculum, who lobbied and the reasons for that decision making, and comparing the effects of the population not having access to CSE versus the population having access to CSE would be important in understanding how CSE curriculum may be disrupting the norm and simultaneously circulating the existing power structure. Since the revision of CSE by WHO includes topics about gender-based violence as well as diversity of gender and sexuality, trans scholars will have opportunity to evaluate how much education is effective in combating injustice and violence towards transsexuals and other marginalized groups by sex and gender, which Skyler notes it being one of the goals of trans studies (2006).
Recommended Readings
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research. (2018). International technical guidance on sexuality education: an evidence-informed approach. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/9789231002595
The International technical guidance on sexuality education offers evidence based comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) that is age appropriate, culturally informed, based on gender equality, and human rights approach. CSE offers topics ranging from how to have safe sex, how to respect diversity and be informed of social norms like gender and how those norms can perpetuate harms like gender based violence, and how to build healthy relationships. The guide offers evidence to assist policy-makers, curriculum developers, and teachers, clearly states the needs for the CSE by raising awareness of the issues youths and adolescents face from inadequate sex ed and the harmful practices done around the world such as forced marriage and genital mutilation due to the lack of knowledge and education based on CSE framework. This guide was commissioned by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and created by the World Health Organization (WHO), partnered with many scientists and advocates for human rights. This curriculum would be the basis of sexuality education for this syllabus. I hope students can articulate which aspects of CSE they wish they personally had in their childhood, and the potential of CSE in combatting injustice for marginalized people.
Gebhardt, M., Gegenfurtner, A. (2017). Sexuality education including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues in schools. Educational Research Review, 22, 215-222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2017.10.002.
This literature review article aims to debunk the common arguments that the opposition of CSE implementation to public school curriculum often proposes by using “evidence-based synthesis of research from biology, sociology, psychology, and education” (Gebhardt & Gegenfurtner, 2017, p. 216). Debunking myths are important to inform the public about the effect and the goal for CSE, however, this article raised questions about why are the oppositions scared of their children receiving CSE, and if these debunks even matter to the oppositions. If these debunks reach the oppositions, especially the parents who oppose CSE implementation, what are the effects? This article also highlights the authority the Western science has on legitimizing the existence of marginalized communities and identities. This is one way of legitimizing a community, but should we rely on this authority and narrative to convince the oppositions of implementation of CSE since it’s scientifically proven that that CSE won’t turn your son gay since “sexual orientation and gender identity have deep biological roots” (Gebhardt & Gegenfurtner, 2017, p. 217) ? Will the opposition embrace diversity with acceptance or would they only grow tolerance to diversity with this narrative and scientific evidence? Gebhardt & Gegenfurtner also believes that the origin of heteronormative culture that pushes parents to go against CSE implementation is connected to strong religious belief and low intelligence (2017). I hope that by presenting this finding to trans studies students, we can draw a deeper and wider connection of heteronormative culture beyond religious beliefs and levels of intelligence. What are the theories for the purposes and effect of a religion in a society, and what does it mean for religion to spread heteronormativity and homo/transphobia? Why are religions across many countries pushing for heteronormativity? What does the history of those religions tell us about ideal sexual orientations and gender identity? Who benefits from religious organizations circulating and operating heteronormativity and homo/transphobia? Who is pushing these ideologies to the “low intelligence” people and why? How can we combat that indoctrination? (I hope the answer to this question is already apparent to you).
Sutton, J., Youdell, D., & Kitching, K. (2025). School spaces of dissensus: Protecting sexualities education in anti-gender, anti-Muslim, and de-democratising times. Curriculum Journal (London, England), https://doi.org/10.1002/curj.334
CSE has to be taught in a way that will not encourage circulating the oppressive power dynamic and further marginalize and isolate the Othered. Anti-racist approach is a crucial factor for educators to incorporate when teaching CSE. Sutton et al interviewed conservative Muslim parents about their opinion on Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) taught in the UK public schools in Beringham, and observed that the parents are against RSE because they are taking in the effect of the conservative UK government’s scapegoating of gender as the source of existential threats, and being bombarded with anti-transgender rhetoric from popular media, not because of their religious or cultural difference (2025). The parents are not seeking to invalidate or deny the existence of queer identities, but rather asking for respect for their religion to be accurately represented in Western education and institutions (Sutton et al., 2025). However, Sutton et al also observed the school staffs assuming religious and cultural differences as the root cause of the Muslim parents pushing back against RSE, not considering the ideologies being pushed by the government and the media to the parents, and schools assuming that the Western values and knowledge should be the dominant ideologies educated to children (2025). In conclusion, Sutton et al suggests “sexualities education informed by an appreciation and enactment of agonistic pluralism which lets the Other live, including the right to remain outside the sexualities education classroom” (2025, p. 3). Through this reading, I hope students can discuss the ways sexuality education can be “culturally appropriate” in a culturally diverse society, and in what ways youths in schools coexist with each other despite their cultural/religious beliefs, and how can we incorporate youth-led agonistic pluralism to sexuality education?
Ly, D. (2024). GSC fosters education, community, and advocacy at bodily autonomy fair. University Wire (Carlsbad, Calif.), https://www.proquest.com/docview/3003352895?OpenUrlRefId=info:xri/sid:summon&accountid=14656&sourcetype=Wire%20Feeds.
Bodily autonomy is the most important topic for CSE and trans studies, since transitioning requires autonomy of an individual’s body and mind to make that decision. This reading is a short summary of an interview of people that attended the Bodily Autonomy Fair event, hosted by the Gender and Sexuality Centre (GSC) in Swarthmore College, PA, USA in 2024 on Swarthmore College campus. The attendees got to learn about sexual health wellness products, skills to have safer sex, and most importantly engage in conversations and ask questions about anti-trans legislations and body regulations among themselves and with the event host who has transgender experience. The Bodily Autonomy Fair event also had voting boxes to symbolize how our bodily autonomy is controlled by politics. Most attendees expressed positive experiences at the fair, but the hosts also saw some bystanders expressing discomfort about the displayed sex toys and menstrual products. This fair was hosted with the goal of “express[ing] resistance to recent policy attacks on our bodies through education, joy, and camaraderie addressing our basic needs” (Ly, 2024). I hope these events will spark interest and inspire UBC students in trans studies and Gender, Race, and Social Justice majors to look into hosting similar events or talk about the effects of these events to student bodies outside of the humanities. I also hope that shedding light on campus organization that advocates for student’s sexual health wellness like the GSC in Swarthmore College will give opportunities for UBC students to learn more about the organization for UBC students like the Wellness centre and AMS Sexual Assault Support Centre, and think about how these resources can reach to UBC students who might be unaware of these support existing within the institutions.
Palmer, J. E. (2025). How Do We Get There From Here? Toward an Anti-Carceral Future in the Movement to End Gender-Based Violence. Violence Against Women, 31(12-13), 3114-3136. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012251352858 (Original work published 2025)
Gender-based violence and how to respond to the aftermath is an unavoidable topic when talking about CSE. Palmer calls for anti-carceral responses to gender-based violence that puts the wishes of the victims of the gender-based violence first, does not isolate the perpetrator, and involves the community to “focus on safety and healing outside of [carceral] systems” (2025, p. 3125), since Palmer noticed through her professional, academic, and personal experiences that “carceral responses were not helping victims nor stopping those who harmed others” (2025, p. 3124). Trans people are subjected to gender-based violence through many institutions and encounters with transphobia circulating among online and in-person communities. Anti-carceral movements center the voices of the victims, hence I believe trans knowledge can provide so much to anti-carceral and abolitionist movements that puts transformative justice. However, from personal experience and hearing many other victim’s stories, the reality we’re working with is rape culture within the Western patriarchy socializing victims to silence themselves and perpetrators to avoid accountability. How can we as a community to combat rape culture and foster culture of intimacy that is rooted in empathy, understanding, and care? The article also breaks down the definition of abolition and what the collective goals of abolition as “philosophy that rejects surveillance, policing, and incarceration of all kinds… building the skills, relationships, and institutions we need to meet our individual and collective needs” (2025, p. 3126). I believe the Abolitionist movement can also guide trans studies to a more accessible field that pushes towards material change for trans lives. Comprehensive sexuality education is one way of anti-carceral responses as well as prevention for gender-based violence. With this reading, I hope that the students will be inspired to think of ways to respond against gender-based violence in anti-carceral ways and how to combat carceral logics that we individually hold in our minds.
Desai, N (Director). (2022, March 22) Our bodies (Season 1, Episode 1) [TV Episode]. In T. Marvos (Executive Producer), M. Panchal (Executive Producer), The principles of pleasure. The Front; Netflix Worldwide Entertainment.
Our bodies by Desai et al is a documentary focusing on debunking the current misogynistic narrative and myths about women’s pleasure and anatomy through interviewing sexologists, sex educators, and scientists studying about female anatomy and how the Western social institutions like the popular media pushes narratives that only white, heteronormative men can express sexuality without shame (2022). Women, trans, and non-binary people who have no ties to the sexology world were also interviewed during the documentary, revealing that the sex education that they received from schools (if at all) during their youth was inadequate to them understanding and loving their body, existence of LGBTQ+ experiences, and how to build healthy relationships with yourself and others. The overall message is that knowing one’s body and how to pleasure oneself is politically powerful since most people are ashamed to explore their own body because of the purity culture dominant in the Western society. The sexologists and sex educators that were interviewed are Emily Nagoski, Ericka Hart, Nicole Prause, Lori Brotto, and Dirty Lola. Within the episode, all of the researchers and educators highlight the power masturbation has to strengthen a healthy relationship with yourself and empowerment of knowing how to pleasure your own body yourself (Desai, 2022). The sexologists in the documentary also talk about the possibility masturbation holds with sleeping problems, stating that “some conditions we can treat as well or better with masturbation than we currently are with some pharmaceutical drugs” (Desai, 2022, 00:48:46). I hope students can discuss why masturbation is stigmatized in the dominant society by many social institutions even though masturbation can cultivate empowerment and independence.
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