Sexuality Health Education & Queer Joy in Digital Spaces

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 9:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Queerness, Health, and Well-Being Education: Joy, Thriving, and Imagination

Abstract

This study responds to a growing body of research that explores how queer and trans youth turn to digital spaces for sexuality education in the face of school-based sex ed curriculums that are rooted in heteronormativity and fail to meet their needs and desires. Through a literature review, this research seeks to understand how 2SLGBTQIA+ youth engage with social media to find sexuality education that meets their needs. Findings demonstrate that queer and trans youth use social media for identity exploration, to find community and to gain sexuality education, yet there continues to be a dearth of information from the perspective of young people and few studies consider social media engagement in conversation with queer joy.

Author

• Katie Hamill, University of New Brunswick