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Athletes as Allies for LGBTQ Peers
January 31, 2011
Athletes tend to be among the most well-known students at high schools and colleges, and they can have a big influence on what’s considered hip, cool, and acceptable. I’m happy to introduce you to a program called Athlete Ally, which encourages student athletes to pledge to respect the rights of all students of all sexual orientations and identities. The pledge was started by Hudson Taylor, a competing athlete and Division I college wrestling coach at Columbia University. He graduated from the University of Maryland as a Division I three-time All-American wrestler in 2010 and currently ranks among the top-five pinners in NCAA history.
Taylor’s commitment to social justice led him to create an online pledge program to encourages athletes to not only avoid harming others based on sexual orientation and identity but also to take action to stop harmful behavior the witness by others. Please visit the site and share the pledge with the student athletes you know!
For tips on how teens can be allies of their LGBT peers, visit this great new site from the fabulous educators at Sex, Etc.
Toilet Squat Could Cause Sexual Problems
January 31, 2011
Stop the squat!
Sounds like an anti-protest slogan, but it’s really an entreaty to stop females from endangering their pelvic floor muscles by squatting over toilet seats. Apparently, in an attempt to avoid sitting down on germy surfaces, women are straining their pelvic floor muscles and setting themselves up for urinary and sexual problems. Read the original post here.
The pubococcygeus (PC) muscle wraps from the pubic bone to the tailbone in males and females. Its function is to support internal organs, to assist in urine flow control, and to aid in childbirth. It also contracts during orgasm, making the experience more physically profound. While the female PC muscle is more often discussed, the male PC muscle should be kept toned because it helps with urinary and ejaculatory control.
When the PC is in tone, all’s well; however, when the PC muscle is either too loose or too tight, problems can range from urinary incontinence to sexual pain and low back pain.
Avoiding toilet squats is a simple tip, and Kegel exercises are another frequently recommended solution. I don’t recommend Kegel exercises universally because someone with high muscle tone needs to learn to relax the muscles, not tighten them. Your health care provider can advise you, after measuring the muscle tone, whether you need to do Kegels. It’s a simple test: during a pelvic exam, your provider can direct you to squeeze your vaginal muscles as tightly as you can. The amount of pressure the provider feels on his or her fingers will provide the information needed to make a recommendation.
Lovely Animation of Love and Loss
January 31, 2011
“Thought of You” is an elegant animated video that illustrates the power of love and pain of loss. I will be showing it to my college students when we address love relationships. View the video here.
Teen Creates Text Message Anti-Bullying Program
January 28, 2011
Please read this inspiring story about a high school girl who took action against bullying at her school.
And, since not everyone has access to a program like that, consider BullyShield, a phone application that provides helpful information to bullied youth and to their parents and teachers.
The Problem with “Tweens”
January 27, 2011
This is a guest post by Deborah Roffman, a sexuality educator and author of the parents’ book, “But How’d I Get in There in the First Place?” Visit her website. She wrote this in response to a speaker request I passed along to a listserv we’re both on. My note included the requestor’s term, “tween,” even though it isn’t a term I normally use. Deborah’s comment on my email, reprinted below with her permission, is a good reminder to take advantage of teachable moments — in this case, by explaning our rationale for avoiding certain terms.
I always urge caution in using and reinforcing the word “tween.” Many people have fallen into the habit of using and passing on the term as if it represents a bonafide developmental stage. In reality it is a cynical marketing niche, composed of 8-14 year olds, who of course have nothing in common developmentally except for money in their pockets and the ability to be coached in manipulating parents to get money out of their pockets.
The message marketers want to give is that what’s good for a 14 year old is fine for an 8 year old. They have been blitzing this age group with adult-oriented products and messages for more than 10 years and have eroded the understanding that development occurs in a series of unique qualitatively different developmental stages, not in a smooth curve.
My experience in working with parents is that many have bought into this thinking, literally and figuratively, and it has very negatively impacted their ability to set age-appropriate limits in children’s lives.
Update: Good Morning America ran a piece today on GeoGirl makeup, a new product line being sold by Wal-Mart. Targeted at girls 8-12, the line includes not only makeup but also exfoliator and other products normally reserved for adult women. The line is meant to “fill the gap” that was left when the Olsen twins ended production of their line. A mother interviewed for the piece inadvertently illustrated the skewed thinking behind these products. As her prepubescent daughter rested on a spa table being slathered with facial products, the mother said, “Massage and facials are things that I do for hygiene, and I want to my girls to start taking care of themselves early.” Hmmmm. Perhaps taking care of themselves could include enjoying their natural, fresh-faced looks?