The It Gets Better Project Debuts New Digital Content Series Making Sex Education Inclusive and Accessible for LGBTQ+ Youth

"Queer Sex Ed" pairs noted sex educators with LGBTQ+ young people for frank, honest discussions on critical sexual health topics missing from most school curriculums.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the It Gets Better Project is announcing the release of the new digital content series Queer Sex Ed, a five-part, longform video series highlighting important conversations about sexual health that are not taking place in schools due to restrictive sex education policies, and are frequently suppressed by social media platforms and search engines. With medically-accurate, age appropriate sex education only mandatory in 17 states across the U.S., Queer Sex Ed provides sex education to queer youth throughout the country who lack access to this necessary and potentially life-saving information.

Queer Sex Ed features real people having candid conversations about the often embarrassing and misleading sex-ed misconceptions they had as kids, their real life experiences and learnings as sexually-active adults, and discussions with professional sex educators who provide context to the topics being discussed. The sex educators featured within the series are Dr. Lexx Brown-James, a PhD level sexologist and licensed marriage and family therapist who operates The Institute for Sexuality and Intimacy, LLC., and Melina Gaze, a sexuality educator, performer, and Co-Founder and Director of Vulgar.mx, a Spanish language sexuality education group focused on pleasure and social justice.

"This new series is a bold and intimate look into how folks within our community first learned about sex and dives into conversations that we normally have amongst our friend groups in private," said Eboni Munn, It Gets Better Project's Director, Brand Marketing, Content & Creative. "What makes Queer Sex Ed so special is that it provides an in-depth look into the conversations happening in our living rooms or at our kitchen tables with close friends and it leaves takeways for our viewers to ask questions and/or reignite conversations within their own circles."

"Queerness is painstakingly missing from curricula in schools. Projects like It Gets Better Queer Sex Ed look to stand in the gap," said Dr. Lexx. "Queer Sex Ed brings together friends of various social groups, body sizes, identities and relationship statuses to have conversations about navigating life. I worked alongside another sexuality professional, Melina Gaze, to help frame the conversation by adding facts, discerning when something is fiction and supporting the queer narrative from mental health and global perspectives."

To further amplify the series, the It Gets Better Project has partnered with Gen-Z focused LGBTQ media outlet INTO (Q Digital) and queer social network Hornet. The series will be published on itgetsbetter.org and the It Gets Better Project's YouTube channel with additional content promoting the series available on the It Gets Better Project's TikTok and Instagram. As with all of the It Gets Better Project's original series, Queer Sex Ed will be accompanied by a free for download EDUGuide companion to better allow educators to present the series wherever learning takes place.

"In today's political climate, it's hard enough for queer and trans teens and young adults to find the education they need," said INTO Editor Henry Giardina. "The It Gets Better Project is helping the next generation of activists become and stay informed about their own health, needs, and histories."

Further information about Queer Sex Ed and the It Gets Better Project's work is available at www.itgetsbetter.org.

Launched in 2010 as the result of one of the most successful viral video campaigns in YouTube's history, the It Gets Better Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that strives to uplift, empower, and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe. The It Gets Better Project provides critical support and hope to LGBTQ+ youth around the world by leveraging the power of media to reach millions of people each year. Its origins in storytelling and media have expanded to include It Gets Better EDU, which exists to ensure educators and student leaders have access to It Gets Better series plus easy-to-use resources, information, and more wherever learning takes place, and It Gets Better Global, our Global Affiliate Network which can be found in 19 countries and in eight different languages.

The It Gets Better Project received the 2012 Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and has been highlighted in a wide range of films and television programs, including a Saturday Night Live sketch in February, 2021. The project has garnered support from President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, along with numerous celebrities, including Kelly Clarkson, Gabrielle Union, Zachary Quinto, Mj Rodriguez, Josie Totah, and Gigi Gorgeous. More than 760,000 people have taken the It Gets Better pledge to share messages of hope and to speak up against intolerance.

Connect with the It Gets Better Project at www.itgetsbetter.org and join the conversation on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter at @ItGetsBetter; Facebook.com/ItGetsBetterProject; and YouTube.com/ItGetsBetterProject.

INTO is a space for the queer community to talk openly about our lives, passions, struggles, and ideas celebrating thinkers, fighters, new voices, and the unapologetic authenticity of Gen Z. More info at INTO.com.

Hornet is where queer life happens — anytime, anywhere. For over 35 million users, Hornet is the community home base for enjoying the entire spectrum of queer life and friendships: casual meetups and lifelong relationships, political advocacy and personal expression, mental support and intellectual chat. Hornet's wide range of features from video to chat make it easy — and safe — for LGBTQ+ people to share our experiences with a community that understands and validates our lives. More info at hornet.com

Media Contacts
It Gets Better Project
Lisa Miceli, Metro Public Relations
[email protected]

SOURCE It Gets Better Project