You don't work in the sex ed field before you get asked the question everyone is always wondering - what the "craziest" question is that you've ever been asked. I just happened to me, so I've been thinking about it. There are maybe some sexuality educators out there who speak vaguely about what they do with some people, they say they teach health or whatever, but I am not one of those people. I say exactly what my job title is and what I do. It's largely because I really love what I'm doing, I think it's super important work, and I'm not ashamed of what I do. I also suppose it's in part because I think there's value in naming something. Naming what I do opens the door for folks to maybe think more about the role sex ed has in our community/society and what value we give to it.

I'm usually pretty happy to talk with people about what I do. I think folks often think that it's a super specialized topic when, in reality, it's a universal one since we're all sexual beings and sexuality is integral in so many aspects of our lives. Often what happens when people hear what I do for a job, they ask me what the "craziest" question is that I've ever been asked. It's a hard thing to answer. It's not that I haven't been asked questions that make me chuckle or seem kind of strange, it's that even those questions that I have a strong reaction to are still questions that someone needed to ask. Yes, young people ask questions about really specific things (like "what if you have a lot of cuts in your mouth and someone spits blood into your mouth, will you get HIV?") that some would categorize as silly or "crazy" but those are genuine questions someone is asking because they are learning and they need the information. Even questions that might be someone trying to get a rise out of me or shock me are opportunities to talk about important information or ask important questions, that's part of our training and our role as facilitators.

And, as unexciting as it might be for the person who asked me what has been the silliest or "craziest" question, I can't shake the impulse, so I basically explain what I just wrote here. Because we can all be sexuality educators (many people are without even knowing it) and my answer to that question is a way to provide a little casual information about how we can be open, nonjudgmental resources for young people.