Sex and relationships education for LGBT+ young people: Lessons from UK youth work

Formby, E.; Donovan, C.

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans+ (LGBT+) inclusive sex and relationships education (SRE) is of growing interest. However, there is a lack of clarity about what LGBT inclusive SRE should/does look like in practice. This article addresses that uncertainty by examining original research findings on innovative youth work based SRE provided within an arts-based project run by a third sector organisation in the North East of England. The research is set within the context of three broad rationales for LGBT inclusive SRE: to support the mental health of LGBT+ young people; to tackle sexual health issues, and to address concerns about sexual encounters and intimate relationships. The article sets out research findings within four main themes concerning: young people’s experiences of formal SRE; young people's attempts to acquire SRE informally; young people's experiences of youth work based SRE; practitioners' experiences of delivering youth work based SRE. It then draws on this data to make the case for dedicated youth work for LGBT+ young people, outlining its potential alongside school-based SRE.

Citation

Formby, E., & Donovan, C. (2020). Sex and relationships education for LGBT+ young people: Lessons from UK youth work. Sexualities, 23(7), 1155-1178. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460719888432

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 18, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Jan 2, 2020
• Publication Date: 2020
• Deposit Date: Oct 16, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 31, 2019
• Journal: Sexualities
• Print ISSN: 1363-4607
• Electronic ISSN: 1461-7382
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 7
• Pages: 1155-1178
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460719888432
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1287812
• Publisher URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/home/sex