Quickie: Sex Ed Isn't Making Kids Queer, Here's What It's Actually Doing

Ready for a refreshingly honest take on sex education myths? Strap in as we take a sledgehammer to the biggest, most bizarre misconceptions swirling around teaching gender and sexuality in schools.

The myth that teaching LGBTQ+ topics somehow "turns kids gay" falls apart under scrutiny. Research consistently shows that queer identities remain stable across cultures and time periods regardless of visibility or acceptance. What inclusive education actually does? It creates safer environments where bullying decreases, empathy flourishes, and suicide rates among LGBTQ+ youth dramatically drop. The science is clear: we're not creating identities—we're saving lives.

Particularly fascinating is the connection between neurodivergence and queer identities. Studies reveal that autistic adolescents are up to 7.6 times more likely to express gender variance than their neurotypical peers. When we avoid these conversations in special education settings, we're failing the very students who need this support most.

As for the "kids are too young" argument, developmental research paints a different picture. By age 5, children have observed different family structures. By 8, they're asking questions about relationships. By 10-11, many have started puberty and nearly half have encountered pornography. The choice isn't whether they'll learn about these topics—it's whether they'll learn accurate information in a supportive environment or pieced-together misinformation from TikTok and playground rumors.

And that viral panic about children identifying as cats? Pure internet conspiracy with zero basis in psychological research. No credible clinical manual recognizes "species dysphoria" as a diagnosis. When fact-checkers investigated these claims, they found no evidence supporting them.

The evidence is overwhelming: comprehensive, inclusive sex education reduces bullying, improves mental health outcomes, delays sexual debut, lowers STI rates, and fosters healthier relationships. We don't make children queer by teaching about queer people any more than we turn them into ancient Egyptians by teaching history.

Looking for more resources? Visit jordanwalkerrse.com for adult education or youwontlearnthisatschool.com for young people navigating gender identity questions, especially those with additional needs. Remember, awkward is just a step on the way to awesome!

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Sex Ed Myths
• 1:04 Myth 1: Teaching Makes Kids Gay
• 3:10 Neurodivergent Students Need Inclusive Education
• 5:10 Myth 2: Kids Are Too Young
• 7:04 Myth 3: Kids Will Identify As Animals
• 8:30 Benefits of Inclusive Education
• 11:35 Closing Thoughts and Resources

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Hey there, supersexfam. I'm Jordan Walker, and today we're taking a sledgehammer to some of the biggest, baddest, most bizarre myths floating around sex education in schools, especially when it comes to teaching gender and sexuality. Now, you've probably heard some of these before Teaching LGBTQ plus stuff makes kids gay, or they're too young to learn about this, or, the best one yet, they're identifying as cats. Now it's all gone too far. Yep, we're diving into the myth soup and fishing out the facts, because when you look past the moral panic and political theater, the truth is not only way more reasonable, it's evidence-based, hopeful and desperately needed. So let's bust these myths wide open, using research, common sense and just the right amount of sass. Okay, so the first myth is teaching about queer identities makes kids gay or trans. Let's just hit this one straight on Talking about queer identities does not create queer people. If that were true, then decades of exclusively heterosexual education would have produced exactly zero queer students. Spoiler alert it didn't work out quite like that, did it? Now this myth is built on fear, the kind of fear that tells us that visibility is the same as recruitment. But here's what the science tells us Across time, culture and continents, rates of same-sex attraction and gender diversity are pretty consistent. Whether you're in rural Uganda or inner-city London, queer folks exist, whether they're seen or not. Now take this 2012 review in the Journal of Sex Research. It found that same-sex attraction and behavior have remained relatively stable over time, even in repressive societies. Another 2021 study echoed this, showing changes in self-identification are more about increased social acceptance than some explosion in queer identities. In short, queer people aren't new. We're finally just opening our eyes and our hearts to them. So, jordan, what does inclusive education actually do? Aren't new. We're finally just opening our eyes and our hearts to them. So, jordan, what does inclusive education actually do? Well, I'm glad you asked. It does have a powerful influence, but not on identity. It influences how kids treat each other. Inclusive sex ed reduces bullying, increases empathy and creates a safer environment for everyone. In fact, a 2020 study found that students in inclusive schools were 75% more likely to say that their peers were accepting of queer people, and trans students in affirming schools were up to 60% less likely to attempt suicide. Now, that's not ideology. That's saving lives, okay. So now for a bonus round.

Speaker 1: 3:16

Neurodivergent kids need this even more. A growing body of research shows that neurodivergent young people, especially autistic students are significantly more likely to identify as LGBTQ+. Let's break down the numbers A 2018 study found that autistic adolescents were up to 7.6 times more likely to express gender variance. A 2020 review found that between 15 to 35% of autistic individuals identify as something other than heterosexual. That's compared to about 5 to 10% in the general population. Finally, a 2021 study found that trans and gender diverse youth are three to six times more likely to be diagnosed with autism or other neurodevelopmental conditions. So if you're in a special education setting and you're avoiding conversations about gender or sexuality, you might just be skipping the students who need this most.

Speaker 1: 4:24

Neurodivergent kids aren't being confused by these lessons. They're often more reflective, less constrained by social norms and more likely to ask honest questions. When we give them language and tools, they don't spiral. They thrive when we don't talk about it. These students face higher risks of depression, anxiety and isolation. Many report feeling doubly misunderstood, once for being queer and again for being neurodiverse. This isn't woke. This is basic, compassionate education and humanity. It's about seeing and serving the students who are already in our classrooms.

Speaker 1: 5:10

And on to myth number two the kids are too young. Let's wait until they're older. Now, this one tugs at the heartstrings. I get it. People want to protect children, and that's great. But withholding education isn't protecting. It's setting them up to learn from TikTok, reddit or the schoolyard rumor mill.

Speaker 1: 5:32

The truth is age-appropriate sex and gender education works best when it starts early and builds over time. A 2023 meta-analysis of 34 international studies on comprehensive sexuality education found that early, incremental education leads to more accurate knowledge, healthy relationships, better decision making. Why? Because kids are already noticing things. By the age of 5, they've observed different family structures Single moms, single dads, two parents, one's female, one's male, one's female and one's female. You get the drift. By age 8, they're asking questions about relationships, sexuality and identity. By 10 or 11, many girls are starting puberty and nearly half of all kids have watched or are continually watching porn. So if we're not guiding them with real info, we leave them vulnerable to confusion, stigma and shame. Think of it like teaching maths. You don't wait until year 10 to explain multiplication, do you? You start with counting, you build to addition, then you layer it up. The same deal with sexuality and identity, and bodies like the World Health Organization, unesco and the American Academy of Pediatrics agree Start early, teach often, keep it relevant. Alright, here's the big one.

Speaker 1: 7:04

Myth number three If we teach gender identity, kids will think they're animals. Hmm, yeah, the infamous furry panic. According to this myth, if we talk about gender identity in schools, kids will start identifying as cats, dogs or unicorns. Spoiler, they won't. Let's break it down. There's no scientific basis for this claim. No psychological manual recognizes species dysphoria as a valid diagnosis. When Reuters fact-checked it, they found no credible evidence. This is an internet conspiracy dressed up as a very real and valid threat. Now, yes, there is a furry fandom, which is a community of people who enjoy transforming into animal characters for a good time, not a long time. But being a furry is more like being a Marvel fan. It's a hobby, not a mental health crisis. And if a child does genuinely believe they are an animal, that's a rare and complex clinical issue unrelated to what's being taught in their health class. So no, talking about gender won't turn your kid into a border collie. This myth belongs right where it started the depths of Facebook comment sections.

Speaker 1: 8:30

So why teach gender and sexuality in schools? Here's the real kicker. Inclusive education helps everyone, not just the queer kids, not just neurodivergent kids, but all kids. Firstly, it reduces bullying. Schools with inclusive policies and curricula see less bullying, more safety and stronger peer support. A large US study found that these schools also have better academic performance among their queer students. In Australia, over 2,000 students surveyed said that queer-friendly schools felt safer and had higher trust in teacher intervention. Basically, less bullying equals less trauma. Less trauma equals more learning. Secondly, it improves mental health outcomes. Queer youth are at a higher risk of depression, anxiety and suicide, mostly due to stigma and isolation. But inclusive education creates protective environments. When students see themselves reflected in the curriculum and feel affirmed by staff and peers, mental health outcomes improve across the board, and it's not just for the queer students. Teaching empathy and respect helps every kid grow into a kinder, more resilient adult. Third, it leads to better sexual health.

Speaker 1: 10:10

Comprehensive sex ed the kind that includes gender relationships and consent is linked with delayed sexual debut, lower rates of STIs and unintended pregnancy and more respectful and consensual relationships. So when people say we're sexualizing kids by teaching this, they've got it backwards. Inclusive sex ed decreases risk, silence, shame and misinformation and will actually put kids in danger. Here's my final mic drop. We don't make kids queer by teaching about queer people. That's like saying we'll turn our kids into ancient Egyptians by teaching about ancient Egyptians. We don't turn them trans by teaching about gender. We don't confuse them with furries by explaining identity and we don't sexualize them by talking about consent. But we do give them tools. We do create safer classrooms. We do reduce suicide risk. We do teach them how to be kind, informed and thoughtful. Sexuality and gender aren't contagious. But shame is, silence is bullying is misogyny is so let's replace that with truth, with care, with science, because every kid queer, straight, trans, cis, neurodiverse, neurotypical deserves an education that includes them, respects them and keeps them safe.

Speaker 1: 11:35

Alright, folks, that's a wrap for today's deep dive. If you're an adult who's looking to explore your own sexuality relationships or just need a space to unpack the stuff school never covered, head over to jordanwalkerrsecom. It's never too late to learn about yourself and I've got you back. But if you've got a young person in your life who's navigating questions around gender identity or anything in between, especially if they've got additional needs, then check out youwon'tlearnthisatschoolcom. That's where the real inclusive and judgment-free education is happening. This is Jordan Walker, your friendly neighborhood sex educator. Reminding you awkward is just a step on the way to awesome.