Hard Conversations: Sexual Healing. Cue Marvin Gaye.
One of our goals is to spark conversations that lead to change in our communities. It isn’t enough to demand harsher gun laws. If it was that easy, many states would not have the rate of mass murder we see today. It is not an easy answer and sometimes we do not even have the right questions.
Sex is a multifaceted action, feeling, connection, creation, moment. We do not feel comfortable with it which is where The Idea, Inc. comes in. We lead these conversations to support a more holistic dialogue about sexual health and as a result, help decrease the rates of STIs in the country.
I will talk more about this in weeks to come, but “holistic” is as follows:
- Bring up topics that make you feel uncomfortable with [trustworthy] people. I am not suggesting charts, pictures, and graphs, but consider broaching a hard (no pun) topic with your child. Take a moment to discuss ideas with a close family member. Talking about these topics will help to remind you to be open and stay safe (in a committed relationship or not) as well as give other people “permission” to also be exploratory if they choose, while also getting tested.
- Research topics you are interested in. For example, lately, I have been curious about how sex changes as you get older. I decided to journal a bit about childhood experiences and how that shaped my decisions in my 20s.
- Consider why we are seeing high rates of STIs, for example, HIV. It is the highest among cisgender black males. Where in our culture and/or within black culture are we not supporting all communities, therefore, aiding in the disproportionately high rates of HIV, for example in black men?
In 2019, there will be a series of events we roll out that addresses VERY hard topics. Our mission is to solve seemingly impossible problems. It could be small, larger, short term, long term or even beyond our lifetime, but our work is to provide the setting so agencies, government entities, and nonprofit organizations can not just be reactionary, but prepared for what may come when we are not honest.
Stay tuned.
