Both/And: A Sexual Violence Prevention Podcast · Jess Clark

The Liberatory Power of Sex Ed with Jacyln Friedman

·1 hr 13 min·5 clips

Jacqueline Friedman shares how her college tried to silence her after she was sexually assaulted on campus.

This episode features host Jess Clark interviewing Jacqueline Friedman, author and executive director of the organization Educate Us, which advocates for transforming K-12 public sex education. Friedman is known for co-editing the influential anthology "Yes Means Yes" and has a long history in anti-sexual violence and feminist organizing. The conversation explores comprehensive sex education as a tool for liberation and primary prevention of sexual violence. Friedman began her activism after being sexually assaulted in college and organizing a student investigation into her university's mishandling of such cases. She later became an IMPACT self-defense instructor, which she describes as a healing experience that involved processing her assault through staged scenarios called "reversals." Her 2007 online article "Drinking and Rape: Let's Wise Up About It," which included her personal story, went viral and exposed her to the harsh realities of being a survivor online. The idea for the "Yes Means Yes" anthology emerged from a conversation with Jessica Valenti at a Women, Action, and the Media conference after-party. Friedman transitioned to sex ed advocacy because she views it as essential primary prevention, wanting to "stop the babies from going into the river" rather than just pulling them out. A pivotal moment came in 2018 at a local Democratic convention in Massachusetts, where Friedman realized widespread support for sex ed did not translate into political priority or action. She founded Educate Us to address this gap through grassroots movement-building and state-level political organizing, rather than federal policy. The organization runs a Youth Advisory Board and receives hundreds of applications for a few internship spots, demonstrating intense youth passion for the issue. Friedman shared an example of a young advocate who has been testifying for sex ed bills since high school and now confronts legislators about their failure to act. She also works with pro-sex education school board candidates, noting a specific race was lost by only 98 votes. One surprising insight is that opposition often uses misinformation campaigns to convince parents to opt their children out of new curricula, even after school board approvals. Friedman emphasizes that most parents support comprehensive sex ed once they understand the actual content, as they often had poor or no sex education themselves. She argues sex education requires professional pedagogy and skill, comparable to teaching calculus or biology, and should not be relegated to untrained staff. Host Jess Clark describes a successful local model where outside organizations, including a rape crisis center and IMPACT chapter, provide a coordinated, week-long curriculum in both English and Spanish, complete with parent engagement sessions. The tone is conversational, personal, and deeply reflective, weaving personal narrative with political strategy. The style is educational and advocacy-focused, grounded in real-world organizing experiences and specific anecdotes. This episode would appeal to educators, activists, and anyone interested in the intersections of sexual violence prevention, youth organizing, and educational policy. Listeners seeking a purely theoretical discussion or those opposed to comprehensive, pleasure-inclusive sex education might find it less engaging.

As heard by us

Comprehensive sex ed is framed as a public, anti-authoritarian project with real stakes in local democracy.

Jacqueline Friedman and Jess Clark treat comprehensive sex education as a liberatory, anti-authoritarian practice, not just another school subject.

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Why you'd press play

If you want sex ed framed as a liberatory, anti-authoritarian tool instead of a classroom afterthought.

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