Hey, hey, May is National Masturbation Month! This is a great opportunity to talk openly about masturbation. There is so much shame placed on exploring your body, but masturbation is neither “disgusting” nor “sinful.” It’s completely normal and even healthy! In honor of National Masturbation Month, here are some more reasons to feel good about masturbating. Sexual Self-Care Many people masturbate, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, age or cultural background. Not only is it a great way to get to know your body and de-stress, it’s also a safe way to have sex without risk o ..read more

Experiencing sexual violence can be physically and emotionally tolling. You might feel isolated, ashamed or scared. Trusting someone else or being vulnerable again may feel challenging. Intimacy after having gone through a traumatic event can feel impossible but it isn’t. It can, however, take time and patience to become trusting once again. As April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, comes to a close, I wanted to highlight an important part of healing after experiencing sexual violence. I’ve come across information about what to do immediately after sexual assault but no ..read more

This year, I reached out to a couple of my close friends about spending Valentine’s Day together and indulging in all of the loveliness and corniness of the holiday. We plan to dress up, eat as much candy as we want and just enjoy each other’s company. I’m even getting them flowers (shhh, they don’t know that part yet). Despite not being in a romantic relationship with either of them, I still wanted to show them they are loved and appreciated. Everyone deserves to feel that! Which leads me to this—everyone can enjoy Valentine’s Day! From being single to coupled up, with a few “situationships ..read more

Since 1988, World AIDS Day (December 1st) has been recognized as a time to remember those lost to AIDS-related illnesses, support those currently living with HIV/AIDS and work to end the HIV epidemic. Want to know more and what you can do to commemorate World AIDS Day? Read on! What’s Changed When It Comes to HIV/AIDS? Let me back up a bit. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that harms the immune system. There are three stages of HIV; if not treated, HIV can progress to its final stage, also known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. However, this is often preventable; HI ..read more

Not everyone realizes the significance of November 20th, but it’s the Transgender Day of Remembrance. This is an annual opportunity to remember and honor the memory of transgender people lost to violence. Of course, it’s important to do this more than once a year, but taking November 20th to reflect on and mourn the loss of trans people—more often than not transwomen of color—is a good way to reduce ignorance, share accurate information and show support and allegiance. Promoting Awareness Awareness is indeed critical. Since 2013, over 300 transgender and gender non-conforming people were kille ..read more

With books that have gone viral, readers all over BookTok (a community of readers on TikTok) are celebrating bisexual representation. Bisexual Awareness Week began on September 16th and Bi Visibility Day is on September 23. Both aim to increase awareness about bisexuality, including learning about bi stereotypes, validating bisexuality and becoming a stronger ally to bi folks. Via BookTok, books including LGBTQ+ characters have gained popularity. After speaking with teens who identify as bi, I discovered that many bisexual teens have found comfort in titles like these. Without further ado, her ..read more

Season one of Netflix’s Heartstopper, which premiered in April 2022, earned lots of love for fictional couple Charlie and Nick. Based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novels of the same name, the show features Charlie and Nick as well as teen characters like Tara, Darcy, Elle and Tao. The majority of the main characters are gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual. It has been so amazing to see this positive representation! Having a show where most of the cast is LGBTQ+ is so important. In honor of October being LGBTQ+ History Month, a time intended to focus on the history of LGBTQ+ people as well as in ..read more

With books that have gone viral, readers all over BookTok (a community of readers on TikTok) are celebrating bisexual representation. Bisexual Awareness Week began on September 16th and Bi Visibility Day is on September 23. Both aim to increase awareness about bisexuality, including learning about bi stereotypes, validating bisexuality and becoming a stronger ally to bi folks. Via BookTok, books including LGBTQ+ characters have gained popularity. After speaking with teens who identify as bi, I discovered that many bisexual teens have found comfort in titles like these. Without further ado, her ..read more

Last Mother’s Day, apparel brand Calvin Klein posted pictures of different parents and families on Instagram to celebrate “women and mothers all over the world” and highlight “the realities of new families.” The couple that got the most attention, however—Brazilians Erika Fernandes and Roberto Bete—are transgender; at the time of the photo, Roberto—a transgender man—was pregnant with their son. The intention of this advertisement was to promote inclusivity and support all kinds of parenthood, even if it deviates from what has traditionally been seen. It’s important to think about and see diffe ..read more

I’ll never forget the first time I saw a same-sex couple in a movie. As a questioning eighth-grader, it felt groundbreaking to watch two girls fall in love onscreen the same way that I had always seen heterosexual couples fall in love. This feeling of being seen and valued is why I love media like movies, books and TV shows. These stories allow us to understand each other and see ourselves in characters’experiences. Indeed, representation is an impactful way to help underrepresented groups feel seen. In celebration of Pride Month, I asked teens about their favorite media—movies, TV shows, book ..read more