The assault on Nex Benedict was not unprecedented. It was precedented by the hateful rhetoric and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, pushed through by extremists in Oklahoma, and across the country. By Gina Desiderio Updated March 14, 2024The latest update on the cause of Nex...
Learn more—and get resources—about how to create affirming spaces for your students.By Allison Tomai Felsen June 15, 2023The onslaught of attacks on the basic human right for people to exist just continues to be exhausting. Banning books, censoring curricula, banning...
Young people have a right to quality, affirming sex education...and regardless of political affiliation, parents and young people agreeBy Mariah CowsertMay 1, 2021Aworld where all young people lead healthy and fulfilling lives...that’s the dream, right? And it’s not...
Our freedom, our rights, are being restricted by a radical minority that does not represent the majority of Americans. By Gina Desiderio June 27, 2022Like many of you, here at Healthy Teen Network, we’re feeling the weight of the Supreme Court decision last week to...
“Every time we point out stigma and name it as unfair, it loses its validity, and in turn, its power.” By Yesi Llerenas Daniel (they/elle) By Maria Peñas (she/her) Educators with Responsible Sex Education Institute June 27, 2022Content Warning: This blog mentions...
Abortion is still legal. And we must fight to keep it that way. By Gina Desiderio May 3, 2022Bodily autonomy—the right to make decisions about your own body, including decisions about if, when, and how to parent—is a right. None of us are free to live our authentic...
50 years later, we have much to celebrate with Title IX…but we still have a lot of work to support ongoing efforts for strong Title IX protections and enforcement.April 21, 2022"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation...
This Sexual Assault Awareness Month, let’s emphasize survivors' right to joy and pleasure after sexual trauma.By Mariah CowsertApril 15, 2022I remember learning about it during welcome week at my tiny liberal arts college in the form of cheesy skits about preventing...
If youth don’t have equal access to comprehensive sex ed, then it is not intersectional. And it’s on us to change that. March 10, 2022Intersectional sex ed is possible, but what does that mean? Sex ed should be as robust and diverse as young people are today. And it’s...
Social media can be more than algorithms and explore pages—it can be a spring board into action, a connecting place for activists, and a place for inspiration and growth. By Sam AkersFebruary 3, 2022As a Gen Z’er who has been scrolling Instagram for years, I’ve come...
All students deserve to learn in an inclusive and affirming space.By Allison Tomai Felsen December 9, 2021Did you know that out of the 29 states that require sex ed to be taught in school, only 17 states require the inclusion of LGBTQ+ topics? GLSEN’s National School...
Ever wondered what “nonbinary” and “gender nonconforming” really mean? Or if it's grammatically correct to use “they” as a singular pronoun? You’re far from alone. Words By Ali CottongVisuals By Brooke ThyngAugust 12, 2021 Ever wondered what “nonbinary” and “gender...
With more youth feeling free to live their authentic sexualities and build relationships that reflect that, it’s up to educators and youth-supporting professionals to keep up momentum for supporting LGBTQ+ young people in schoolsBy Mariah CowsertJune 30, 2021Growing...
Together, We Can Ensure Equity and Access for AllMay 3, 2021For Immediate ReleaseB altimore, MD—May is Sex Ed For All Month, a national effort spearheaded by a coalition of sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations committed to ensuring...
Ensuring that youth have access to the services they need is a core principle of reproductive justice—one that we must continue to strive towards and build upon.By Tonyé Fohsta-Lynch, MPH April 15, 2021The COVID-19 pandemic has essentially changed our everyday...
Newly-inaugurated President Joe Biden has reversed several policy decisions of former President Trump that had curtailed the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls.Bob Reeg, MPA, CVA February 2, 2021As the saying goes, "elections have consequences." No...
Repro Blueprint First Priorities lays out more to do to advance access January 28, 2021For Immediate ReleaseHealthy Teen Network applauds President Biden for taking the first steps to undo the harms of the previous administration’s dangerous and restrictive policies...
Strange memories on this nervous night near Scranton, in coal-scarred, Appalachian foothills filled with autumn color and political angstBy Nicholas Sufrinko November 2, 2020Strange memories on this nervous night near Scranton. Five years since Obergefell. Four since...
Ginsburg’s death showcases how so many members of Congress and our government branches are failing us. She was more than enough. They are nowhere near enough. By Gina Desiderio September 22, 2020It feels like too much. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died...
Reproductive justice depends on defending the needs of women of color and other marginalized people, including trans people. Here are some individual actions that we can take to support Black lives and strive for justice in all aspects. By Ella Dorval Hall July 10,...
The Sex Education Collaborative envisions a world in which all young people’s right to comprehensive, high-quality sex education is recognized and fulfilled. June 22, 2020For Immediate ReleaseBaltimore, MD — Today, Healthy Teen Network is proud to join over 50...
Racism is a persistent social toxin in our society. The ongoing and disparate impacts of racism demand our attention, now.June 2, 2020I n recognition of #BlackoutTuesday and in support of #BlackLivesMatter, we are pausing our regular communications. Today, we pause to...
Over 180 groups have signed on to the #SexEdForAll Call to Action to demand funding and legislation to ensure every student receives quality sex ed.May 4, 2020 For Immediate ReleaseB altimore, MD—May is Sex Ed for All Month, an initiative spearheaded by a coalition of...
Introduced during Sex Ed for All Month, education legislation will empower young people with information and accessMay 16, 2019For Immediate ReleaseW ashington, DC — Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced the Real Education for Healthy Youth...
Key education legislation to be introduced during month of May May 1, 2019 For Immediate ReleaseW ashington, DC — Today, reproductive health and rights groups dedicated to improving sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice for all, launched Sex Ed For All...
Healthy Teen Network joined SisterSong and many others on January 1st for a tweetstorm to talk about our reproductive justice resolutions for this coming year.By Allison Tomai Felsen January 2, 2019What are your hopes, goals, and vision for 2019? Healthy Teen Network...
There were some small wins in this midterm election. They might help us get a little bit close to dismantling the patriarchy and adjusting an imbalance of power.By Gina Desiderio September 28, 2018Today, I choose to be hopeful. Maybe it’s naïve. Maybe it’s a...
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