By Alexander McInnes

This article presents the definition of what it means to be non-binary, the dynamics of being both non-binary and transgender (or only identifying as one or the other), and how to best support/understand non-binary peers, friends, and relatives.

By Anushka Bhagavathula

In 2021, for the first time in 5 years, there was a decrease in LGBTQ+ characters in TV shows. But despite the recent decrease, there have still been a multitude of characters who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community that have made a significant impact in the last 20 or so years. So, to commemorate some of my favorites amongst those characters, and pave the way for even more to come, here are five of my favorite instances of LGBTQ+ representation on TV, and five more that I think could have been handled better.

By Alexander McInnes

This piece provides a deeper look into the gender binary and its relation (or lack thereof) to the unique biological makings of individual people. Additionally, it outlines the medical and social backgrounds of intersex people, specifically how they stand to prove that the gender binary is incapable of accurately defining the human experience.

By Haley Schragger

Over the last couple of years, my sexuality has been at the forefront of not only my mind but others’ as well. I have identified as queer for the last two years and I still struggle with doubt and internalized heteronormativity. Even before I started questioning, people would make comments, saying that they “thought I was gay” before I even knew myself. I never realized, prior to coming out, how much your sexuality can be influenced by society and people around you. It was only when I dated a man that I realized this.

By Alexander McInnes

For decades psychologists have theorized and debated on the exact process which fosters our development as humans, eventually settling on two possibilities; nature and nurture. Research has revealed that both factors have a major influence on the person you eventually become in life, but there surely remains one force with an even greater impact on your growth than the other. When looking at the world around us it becomes apparent that each separate individual is different, unique in their experiences, skills, and personality.

By Alexander McInnes

Within our society exists the notion of the “ideal relationship” popularized in both mainstream and social media. And, while identifiers such as multi-racial and like-gendered parents already break such social standards, the taboo topic in question focuses specifically on the number of parents/adult-figures in a given household. I’m speaking, of course, about polyamory. Polyamory, otherwise known as consensual non-monogamy, is a term applied to both sexual and romantic relationship dynamics involving multiple consenting adults.

By Alexander McInnes

So common in our universal discussion of sexuality is the additional stigma many male-identifying individuals face when existing as something other than straight. While, of course, society has evolved in the past few decades to be far more accepting of all forms of queer life, old beliefs, unfortunately, die hard. This is evident in environments as common as schools where, even in an as progressive and open state like New Jersey, I remain the only guy in my entire grade who publicly identifies as a man that is attracted to other men.

By Anonymous

I used to wonder if it was just me that let people I observed in various forms of media affect the way I saw and thought about myself. You know: movies, TV shows, Instagram, TikTok, and yeah, even porn. Even if inadvertently, I have to admit I’ve let them affect me more than I’d like. But it’s no surprise that media can lead to bad self image, depression, and even suicide. Documentaries like The Social Network by David Fincher or the countless articles my parents send me in my family group chat taught me that a long, long time ago; the kinds that urge you to cease any and all media use immediately.

By Alexander McInnes

While our society has recently witnessed an explosion of interest in the topics of sex, sexual activity, and sexual health (areas of which our organization, similarly, wants most to explore), it is equally as important to therefore understand the opposite end of the sexual spectrum. Asexuality, or the general inability/lack of desire to feel sexual attraction, is yet another branch of the LGBTQIA+ community experienced by an estimated 2% of our global population. However, in a world newly divided between a lack of sexual education as opposed to social zones which have been overly sexualized, asexuality falls into a grey area often left undiscussed.

By Anonymous

Ever since the beginning of middle school I knew something was different. I felt a bit bubbly everytime another girl would hold my hand or feel flustered when they would call me pretty. Though my brain couldn’t quite pinpoint what that feeling was. I always knew about the concept of being gay, but I never fully understood it. Some of my peers even believed that being gay was weird or something to be ashamed of. This lack of positive exposure shaped my journey of self discovery to be a tumultuous one, which is what I’m here to talk about. 

By Alexander McInnes

As we examined in the first part of this series, attachment and its effects on our development during childhood are highly complex, but the personalities and behaviors we obtain through this initial process of connection only become apparent later on during adulthood. In fact, the relationships we maintain as adults are often directly influenced, or, at times, exact replicas, of that which we shared with our early parental figures (Huang 1).

By Alexander McInnes

Within the world of sex and sexuality, almost every aspect of how we understand ourselves ties back to how we connect to and view others, especially those we are close to. So, in order to truly comprehend the society in which we live, we must first understand the intricacies of attachment theory, which begins its influence on our lives far earlier than you might expect.

By David Cohen

The birds and the bees. A topic so taboo that a codename is used worldwide to shelter us from the reality of the term. The reality, which many parents understandably struggle to inform their children about, has led to a wide variety of strategies through which we came to learn about sex.