What Is Project 2025... and What Does It Have to Do with Sex Ed?
This is the part where I beg you to vote.
As the U.S. presidential election approaches, the name Project 2025 has been thrown around more and more. Where did it come from? What the heck is it? Should we be concerned? And what in heck does it have to do with sex ed?
Project 2025 may feel brand new to some, but it’s not. It was first unveiled in 2023, but has been receiving heightened attention lately as its more extreme ideas have gained traction across the country, and as a possible Trump presidency has appeared more and more within the realm of possibility. A 920-page policy blueprint created by the conservative Heritage Foundation, it lays out a far-right Christian vision for Donald Trump’s possible second White House term.
What may be even more surprising to some is that the Heritage Foundation has released a new “Mandate for Leadership” ahead of each incoming presidential administration since the early 1980s (!).
It’s only as we’ve become more invested in the ramifications of our present political landscape, and more active in pushing back, that we’ve become aware of it.
Should we concerned? I sure as heck am. It seems we’ve been moving more and more toward the world described in this document for the past decade. And whether or not Trump is elected, conservatives will continue to push toward this world they’ve envisioned.
More relevant to this email, what does it have to do with sex ed?
Impact put out a great tl;dr carousel in their Instagram feed that shows what Project 2025 means within the context of various civil rights. Under the slide for general education and sex ed, they point at that the document calls for:
classifying any educator or public librarian who shows “sexually explicit content” as a registered sex offender
funding “sexual risk avoidance” programs over more comprehensive sex ed programs
prohibiting agencies from requiring school standards that conflict with religious beliefs
and more.
I’m learning more about this document alongside you, and if you’d like a deeper dive, I also recommend this Project 2025 explainer over on The 19th.
Beyond that, all I can say is that voting remains one of the most important things we can do, from the local level to the federal level.
I know you care about strong and inclusive sex education, and about the civil rights of everyone, especially our most marginalized communities. I know that because you’re here. I encourage you to stay engaged, even when it all feels like too much. Together, we can be loud and disruptive AF.
Full Disclosure: Sex Ed in the News
This past year, over 50 bills have been introduced in 28 states attempting to block students’ access to comprehensive sex education.
The famed Dr. Ruth died this past month. Far from a perfect figure, she still looms large in the world of sex ed.
California became the first state to ban forced outing of LGBTQ+ students.
Sex Ed Resources
I love educator Kathleen Hema’s “some and other” strategy for responding to values-based questions from your kiddos.
Justine Ang Fonte is launching an Audible Original on How to Talk to Your Kids About Sex.
I finally got my own copy of Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan’s Let’s Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human, which is a fantastic resource for teens based on the couple’s popular webcomic. Can’t wait to pass it along to Em.
And this last isn’t specific to sex ed, but I found it useful because I often struggle with having contentious conversations without losing my cool. Mónica Guzmán's I Never Thought of It That Way provides great tips for shifting your mindset during these convos.
Action Steps
If you’ve browsed Guerrilla Sex Ed, you’ve likely seen Scarleteen on there, listed under the Websites section of my resource directory. Scarleteen is an independent, feminist, grassroots organization and website that provides sex and relationships information and support to teens and young adults worldwide, in the form of articles, guides, fact sheets, resource lists, interactive services, healthcare referrals, and more.
I’ve always been a huge fan of the site, and of Heather Corinna, its founder. (Have you read their book on menopause and perimenopause, What Fresh Hell Is This? I highly recommend it.)
Anyway. At a time when there has been such an onslaught of legislation that seeks to strip us of our rights, it's become difficult for Scarleteen and similar organizations to find sufficient funding that allows them to continue to do the work they do. So this month, I encourage you to donate to Scarleteen. Perhaps even set up a recurring donation, if you are able.
And if you’d like to shout out other sex ed organizations you’ve donated to in the past, I invite you to do so in the comments section of this email!
Today’s Vibe
