Tag: Advocates for Youth

GenderQueer in the Midwest

Posted on by JAC

Mini-documentary about your favorite pink haired femme boy by Hunter Stuart at Stuart Productions

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The Midwest is crawling with queers. Not because of any strong presence but in the more literal sense. Queers are crawling because we do not have the space to stand up. We do not have the resources that would enable us to live full, healthy lives. We, like so many others, are isolated in our homes, in our towns, controlled and confined by others, longing for life and being unable to live it.

I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. When I came out as trans I didn’t know anyone who was like me and I had no way of finding them. The city‘s “gay“ scene was practically extinct and no trans or queer scene it had never existed in the first place. There was no space for me, so I decided to try and make one.

Continue reading “GenderQueer in the Midwest” →

Why we do what we do

Posted on by JAC

This weekend I attended the Sex Education Youth Summit which the Ohio Advocates were helping Planned Parenthood organize. It was a great day and I met lots of inspirational youth. One in particular was a young activist from rural Ohio. They are twelve years old, came out as queer at eleven, and are working on queer activism in their school. How awesome is that? Sometimes you just get lucky and meet someone that sparks the suffocated, warm fuzzy hope that got you into activism in the first place.  In that moment, you suddenly don’t feel so jaded, and the hard work and bullshit is all worth it.

Ohio Advocates and friends
Ohio Advocates and friends

x-posted AmplifyYourVoice.org

Ohio Takes Great Steps for Sex Education

Posted on by JAC

A groundbreaking bill was introduced, the Ohio Prevention First Act, a bill requiring comprehensive sex education in Ohio schools. Not only does the bill mandate age-appropriate medically and scientifically accurate sex education about abstinence and safe sex, it is also inclusive of gender, race, religion, disability status, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

Some key points of the bill:
*”Ensure that sexual assault victims have access to emergency contraception and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases in all hospital emergency rooms.

*Create a state teen pregnancy prevention task force that would recommend medically accurate and scientifically proven effective programs for reducing Ohio’s teen pregnancy rate.

*Require a pharmacy to dispense any prescribed drug, device or over-the-counter medication in stock without delay, consistent with the normal timeframe, and ensure that every licensed pharmacy does not intimidate, threaten or harass its customers in the delivery of services.

*Require the Department of Health to create materials to educate medical professionals and the general public about emergency contraception and to make them available on their website.

*Forbid a health insurance company from limiting or excluding coverage for FDA-approved prescription contraception if the policy covers other prescription drugs or devices.”

Two senators are presenting the bill, Senator Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) and Rep. Tyrone Yates (D-Cincinnati -woot!). This is a major step for Ohio sex education, and for bettering the lives of our youth. I’ll keep you posted on progress.

x-posted AmplifyYourVoice.com
x-posted buckeyestateblog.com
x-posted ohiodailyblog.com

Ohio Youth Rock D.C.

Posted on by JAC

The Ohio Advocates for Comprehensive Sex Education on Capital Hill lobbying for the REAL Act. (Also pictured Advocates for Youth Campus Organizers for University of Cincinnati and Bowling Green State University)

This weekend The Ohio Advocates attended the annual Advocates for Youth Urban Retreat in Washington D.C. Its my second year with the Advocates and it was awesome to spend time with the Ohio folks and re-connect with people I met last year. The youth are always so articulate and empowered, it is an energizing experience!

Ohio CAMI team dancing as Nobles Darby (front) freestyles about the awesomeness of Ohio Advocates.

I choreographed a couple routines for the advocates to do, which were ridiculous, of course. As to be expected we blew everyone out of the water with our fabulous dance stylings. Plus we had matching purple shirts. Duh, we’re the best state. We’re coming….

Find out more about the Ohio Advocates.