The Missing Chapter: Queer Youth in Sex Ed by Daia Bromberg

Sex education in the United States has long reflected the political and moral anxieties of the adults shaping it. Codified both culturally and legally, sex ed has tried to balance fear of sexual risk with an idealized vision of sex as foundational to family and society. Queer identities, often erased or stigmatized, have been a hidden force in that tension. Today, a resurgence of censorship laws target gender and sexuality in schools, even as new research underscores the stakes for queer youth. This thesis explores the entwined histories of sex education and LGBTQIA+ exclusion—and the potential of inclusive sex education to support youth wellbeing.