Since 2019, May has been recognized as Sex Ed for All Month, as part of a national effort spearheaded by a coalition of sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations committed to ensuring equitable and accessible sex education for all young people. Sex education gives young people age-appropriate, medically accurate information and answers to their questions about sex and relationships, without being shamed or judged. It has been proven to positively impact young people’s lives and studies show that parents and guardians are overwhelmingly in support of the subject matter being taught in school. And yet, too many young people don’t have access to sex education, or if they are receiving sex education, the programs in their school are shaming or inaccurate.
Together, by advocating in our communities, we can ensure Sex Ed for All!
Join us to hear from experts about what is happening with regard to sex education laws policy in states across the country. We’ll discuss how some states are expanding access to sex ed, while others are limiting access, banning books, and attacking LGBTQ inclusive sex ed. Hear from local activists how you can engage in advocacy for comprehensive sex ed where you live!
Our Presenters:
Alison Gill is American Atheists’ Vice President for Legal & Policy, managing the organization’s federal and state advocacy for religious equality and litigation activities to protect the separation of religion and government. Alison is a nationally recognized expert on civil rights law and state advocacy. She directs American Atheists’ legal and legislative advocacy strategy and represents American Atheists in Washington DC.
Alison Macklin, MSW, is the Policy and Advocacy Director at SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change. She provides strategic guidance to communities looking to advance sex education and is a national leader in the comprehensive sex education field for over 19 years.
In 2019, she helped author and pass Colorado’s Youth Wellness Act, ensuring young people in that state are able to access inclusive comprehensive sex education. Alison is the author of the internationally published book: “Making Sense of It: A Guide to Sex for Teens (and Their Parents Too!),” a skilled sex education trainer, and adjunct professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work.
Jaclyn Friedman is Founder and Executive Director of EducateUS: SIECUS in Action, and a lifelong activist, advocate and organizer. Friedman’s work has globally popularized the affirmative consent standard of sexual consent. Her first book, Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape, was one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Top 100 Books of 2009, and has inspired new laws in five U.S. states, as well as policies on countless campuses across the country and the world. She also spearheaded the legendary #FBrape campaign, which forced Facebook to address and exclude content that promotes or trivializes violence against women under their hate speech policy, and is founder and former executive director of Women, Action & the Media (WAM!).
Dusty Sabourin is a Canadian ex-pat, and lifelong atheist with a passion for developing and empowering secular community. She serves as the co-chair of the Virginia Secular Legislative Advocacy Team, the Virginia State Director for American Atheists, Parent Outreach Director for the Virginia Coalition for Sex Education Reform (VACSER), and sits on the board for Washington Area Secular Humanists. By combining her passion for secular community and social justice, Dusty hopes to guide people toward a goal of increasing acceptance and inclusivity both within and on behalf of the atheist community.
American Atheists is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan, nonprofit educational organization that relies on the support of members like you. Contributions are tax-deductible. Our Federal Tax ID Number is 74-2466507 and our Combined Federal Campaign number is 52217.
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