Alternative Spaces of Sex Education: A Look into the Lived Experiences of Young Queer Women by Clio Fregoli A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts Department of Geography University of Toronto © Copyright by Clio Fregoli 2019 Alternative Spaces of Sex Education: A Look into the Lived Experiences of Young Queer Women Clio Fregoli Master of Arts Department of Geography University of Toronto 2019 Abstract The classroom is a formative space for young women to learn about sexuality and sexual health; however, sexual health education is often engrained in heteronormative expectations of sexuality, which exclude the experiences and health concerns of young queer women. This provokes the question of where, and how, young queer women learn about sexual health. This project draws on 29 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with young queer women who attended public high school in Toronto. The results illustrate the exclusion of queer sexual health in Ontario’s Grades 9-12 1998 sex education curriculum, and both the benefits and drawbacks of learning about sex and sexuality from friends, family, the Internet, clinics and community organizations. This analysis of spaces of education expands our knowledge of how and where young queer women learn about sexual health, with the hope to ultimately improve sexual health education for young queer women in Toronto. ii Acknowledgments I would like to thank the many people who supported me and consistently lifted me up throughout this experience. I am so grateful to Dr. Sarah Wakefield who dedicated so much time and effort to guiding me and supporting my work from the very beginning. Our meetings kept me organized and helped me trust that my ideas were valid. I would like to thank Dr. Kathi Wilson who trusted in my research abilities before I began my Masters, and has encouraged me and guided me since. I would also like to thank Dr. Elspeth Brown who helped me understand and contextualize my research methods and sparked my creativity throughout our class together. I would like to thank Dr. Laura Pitkanen who opened doors into critical geography, and created such a welcoming and encouraging environment in her class. I would like to thank Dr. Ron Buliung for his insightful comments and meaningful discussion that helped guide this project. I am so grateful to my family and friends who listened to me think through this thesis and reassured me to keep working and to keep writing. Thank you to my family who read drafts and made me feel like I was on the right track. Thank you for being patient with me and giving me the confidence I needed to complete this project. Thank you to my study partners, I could not have done this without you. Studying together has brought me so much joy and comfort and made this experience that much more meaningful. I feel so lucky to have had this special time together. I would like to say a big thank you to Sam who endlessly encouraged me in all my moments of doubt. They reminded me of the importance of prioritizing the lived experiences of young queer women. Sam was incredibly patient, and validated both my work and process from the very first day. Finally, I want to thank the participants of this study for taking the time to talk to me about their sexual health education experiences. This project exists because of your willingness to spend time and energy sharing your experiences with me. Having these intimate and vulnerable conversations is what makes this project so special, and I will hold on to that experience always. Thank you. iii Table of Contents Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iii List of Appendices ..................................................................................................................... viiii Chapter 1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................1 Methods ......................................................................................................................................3 Research Participants ..................................................................................................................4 Significance of Study ..................................................................................................................5 Thesis Outline .............................................................................................................................5 Chapter 2 Literature Review ............................................................................................................7 Introduction .................................................................................................................................7 Space ..........................................................................................................................................7 Space and Sexuality ...................................................................................................................9 Sexual Health Education at School ..........................................................................................10 4.1 Sexual Health Education Curricula ...................................................................................11 4.2 Learning at School ............................................................................................................14 4.2.1 School Environment...............................................................................................14 4.2.2 Gender Binaries at School ....................................................................................15 4.2.3 Teachers at School ................................................................................................16 Alternative Spaces of Sexual Health Education........................................................................17 5.1 Networks of Friends and Family........................................................................................17 5.2 Online Spaces.....................................................................................................................20 5.3 Community Organizations and Clinics ..............................................................................23 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................24 Chapter 3 Methods .........................................................................................................................25 iv Introduction ..............................................................................................................................25 Methodology ............................................................................................................................25 Research Setting .......................................................................................................................26 Research Design .......................................................................................................................28 4.1 Participant Criteria .............................................................................................................28 4.2 Recruitment .......................................................................................................................30 4.3 Interviews ..........................................................................................................................32 Data Collection and Analysis ...................................................................................................34 Positionality ..............................................................................................................................36 Chapter 4 School and the Sex Education Curriculum ..................................................................39 Introduction ..............................................................................................................................39 Literature Review .....................................................................................................................39 2.1 Sexual Health Education Curricula ...................................................................................40 2.1.1 Sexual Health Education ........................................................................................40 2.1.2 Intersecting Identities within Sex Education Curricula .........................................41 2.2 Learning at School ............................................................................................................42 Results ......................................................................................................................................43 3.1 Sexual Health Education Curriculum ...............................................................................44 3.2 School Environment ..........................................................................................................48 3.3 Classroom Environment ....................................................................................................49