Week 1
What is sexuality?
If I was asked this question before class this week I probably would have just answered that sexuality is a persons sexual orientation and decisions. I would have agreed that several components make up sexuality, but I would not have been able to clearly break down the concept.
I think a big reason why sexuality is difficult to define is because there is a difference in the attitidues during formal and informal education on the topic. My formal education on sexuality was kept on the down low. Boys and girls were seperated from each other, the lessons were stiff and we were told not to discuss anything outside of class. The teachers awkwardly covered the information the school deemed acceptable to share with us and young, immature students had to be uncomfortably serious during the class. I am an awkward human being already so for all of our comforts sake my parents and I never sat down and talked either. Even if they would have tried, I am sure I would have shut it down quickly. In stark contrast, informally people LOVE to talk about sexuality and its many topics. Many of us learned more from our friends or the internet and I am glad that class revealed I was not the only one with this type of experience. I am perfectly comfortable talking informally with others on a variety of things.
The discrepancy makes it hard to talk in a formal setting, even now as an adult. I have learned things informally that I am not sure if they are true or normal so out of embarrassment formally I would not want to share. I think we all would have better benefitted from a talk with the clearness of a formal education and the openness of an informal one.
Human Sexuality Blog 
Hi Alex!
I cannot tell you what a relief it is that I finally found someone else’s blog. I don’t know if I was missing something obvious about how to find others from our class to reply to, but thank goodness this one eventually appeared, because I was getting stressed.
Anyway, pretty much up until this class, I thought I was basically the only one that never had “The Talk” with their parents! I live with two brothers and a single dad, so I guess you can see why that particular topic never really came up. I would have shut that talk down as well. But even if parent(s) aren’t willing to discuss sexuality with their children, it should absolutely be something that is taught at school. With that said, I agree with you when you stated that formal conversations regarding sex breeds tension and awkwardness, especially in a classroom setting.
I suppose I can (sort of) understand why there is such a sigma around discussing sexuality, but I feel that it should absolutely be a topic that is more open and accessible to students in school when they are at an appropriate age to learn! It shouldn’t be weird–it’s natural–but for some reason, it truly does make everyone uncomfortable, which is likely why so many individuals (like myself) go through much of their adolescence completely ignorant. School administrators should definitely work on improving their technique when opening up conversations regarding this topic with children or young adults, so kids can hopefully avoid the discomfort that this subject often brings in the future.
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My mom had “the talk” with me except I already knew because she told me when I was like 15. Very awkward. I love your blog.
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