Open Book Project in Gold Coast, Queensland | Local business

Open Book Project

Locality: Gold Coast, Queensland

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24.01.2022 Periods are normal not shameful or gross. We need to stop censoring menstruation and start celebrating it instead. You wouldnt be here without it!

24.01.2022 Porn viewing is still a gendered activity, which means it’s watched more by cis boys and men. They’d probably no great surprise seeing as mainstream (free) heterosexual porn is created for them. However, all young people will eventually see it and the messages it sends can really skew their ideas about bodies, sexuality, and relationships. My own research showed that pornography was also viewed more by children and young people who were already at risk of other social and em...otional problems. Involvement from a caring and trusted adult can make a big difference in the levels of pornography use (and the kinds of pornography they’ll eventually seek out), by supporting young people to develop healthy relationships and giving them the information they need about sexuality. Don’t be scared to talk about these topics or to ask them about pornography. You might need to be creative and the one step removed tactic is definitely your friend on this one! do the other kids at school talk about pornography? are people in your class watching pornography? how old do you think people should be before they see pornography or sexual stuff online? (This kind of question is one of my favourites. It gives them a chance to critically think about the harms and benefits and opens up a bigger discussion about the messages we get from media)

23.01.2022 If you are wondering how you might talk to your littlies about gender and being trans, 'Introducing Teddy: a story about being yourself' is a wonderful book about love and acceptance.

23.01.2022 Embrace sexuality as messy, complex, irrational, emotional and part of being human. Don’t look for the right answers from young people. Allow them to explore the emotional complexity and joy of sexuality. In this way, online access to pornography becomes just another intersection on their sexuality journey.

22.01.2022 In Queensland, October is Sexual Violence Awareness Month (SVAM). To launch the month we are hosting an event with a difference on the 1st October at 9.30am. Wh...ile our annual Community Breakfast isn't possible we will still be marking the day with an online event with special guest Clementine Ford speaking out about Affirmative Consent. Tickets are $20 and you get a free entry into the lucky door prize! Pour a cuppa, get some snacks and settle in for an inspiring hour to launch Sexual Violence Awareness Month. The goal of SVAM is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and educate communities on how to prevent it. We know that one month isn’t enough to solve the serious and widespread issue of sexual violence. However, the attention October generates is an opportunity to energise and expand prevention efforts throughout the year. Sexual Violence Awareness Month is about more than awareness our ultimate goal is prevention.

19.01.2022 Hiki is a new dating app where being atypical is celebrated, being different is destigmatised, and people can embrace theit uniqueness! This looks really exciting. The webpage has clear instructions and messaging and they seem to have put a lot of care into it. What are your thoughts?

19.01.2022 RIP RBG! Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a true fighter for gender equality and inclusion. From being told her place was in the kitchen to proving her place was on the Supreme Court she was not only an advocate and a dissenter, but a true icon. Today I’ll be smashing the patriarchy for you RBG.

16.01.2022 #valesherehite I have a copy of 'The new hite report' and its also well worn. A luminary and advocate for cis women's pleasure and the broader conversation about how people experience pleasure.

12.01.2022 Sexual violence is any unwanted sexual behaviour that happens without consent!

12.01.2022 Menstruation is a normal bodily function that we should talk about and learn about.

12.01.2022 Perspective is everything! #fridayfun

11.01.2022 Sometimes children need us to be their voice. It's important that we as adults advocate for them and help protect them from harm.

10.01.2022 Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance. It is a time to stop and remember all those we have lost due to transphobic hate and ignorance. Trans and gender diverse folk are at much greater risk of suicide or violence than the rest of the population.... In Australia, 4 out of 5 young trans people have self harmed and 1 in 2 have attempted suicide. Take a moment to ask why these statistics are so high. Living in a world that denies your existence is tough. Constant bullying, misgendering, violence, rejection, and judgement all add up. We can all work to be trans allies and advocate for equality. It might be as simple as educating yourself and those around you by sharing resources made by trans and gender diverse folk (ive even linked one below to make it easier for you to get started). You can also help by normalising using pronouns or being an active bystander when you witness disrespect or injustice. Every bit makes a difference. #TDoR2020 https://youtu.be/-3ZzpTxjgRw

09.01.2022 Intersectionality is an essential part of our identities. Humans are diverse and complex and part of the amazing thing about that is they belong to different groups at the same time. There is often a false assumption that asexual people arent attracted to anyone however attraction can be quite separate from the desire to have sex and there a loads of different experiences of being ace including being Bisexual. This Bi Visibility Day, the Asexual Census has released a visibility report to challenge biphobia and increase bi awareness using data taken from the 2019 Ace Community Survey.

09.01.2022 Protecting children is everyone's business and there are lots of simple things you can do to get involved!

09.01.2022 This is spine-tingling. An introduction from Julia Gillard, followed by a performance of Helen Reddy's I Am Woman featuring Jessica Mauboy, Amy Shark, Tones An...d I, Christine Anu, Delta Goodram, Marcia Hines, Montaigne, The McClymonths. Kate Ceberano, Emma Watkins & more. Watch here. And this, from Gillard: I want to acknowledge the strong women who have come before me. The strong women who stand beside me. And the ones I look forward to meeting, the women of our future. I hope they can have the freedom to take their place, to own their voice, and to write their story without limits. See more

08.01.2022 Its Women's Health Week in Australia and what better time to revisit the Labia Library than now. Many cis women have complicated relationships with their vulvas. From being taught the wrong names for them (NOT A VAGINA!!!) to being shamed for the appearance and smell, there hasnt been much positive social discussion of this amazing body part until recently. The thing is every vulva is unique and they come in all shapes and sizes, just like every other part of a human. Viva la vulva!!!

08.01.2022 Using the Continuum of Safeness is a good way to engage children in conversations about what safety really is. Children like to explore and take risks in their everyday lives. The Continuum is a way to explain when this might become unsafe, putting experiences and situations on a scale from Safe to Unsafe (not good or bad!). Talk with children about situations like the ones below and ask them how they might respond: *Going on a rollercoaster (might be fun to feel scared beca...use we know it's safe) *Riding your bike down a hill (might be risking on purpose because you know it's a risk but it is unlikely you will get badly hurt) *Stranger offers them a lift home in a car (unsafe) It can help to use ‘one step removed’ scenarios which make it easier for children to learn about safety by thinking about what someone else would do. Instead of ‘what would you do if’, saying ‘what could someone do when’ One step removed is also a great strategy for older kids and teens as it gives them a chance to talk about what's happening at school or to talk about their thoughts and feelings without having to actually say its how they think and feel.

07.01.2022 Today is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls. Its a day to not only kick off #16dayofactivism but to call for real action to end the cycles of violence and build a gender equal world. Covid has been a gendered pandemic, with women and girls across the globe disproportionately affected by the social and economic fallout. It's pushed back a lot of the hard fought progress of feminism and put a huge burden on already vulnerable and marginali...sed women. When I was living and working in Mongolia, I was a member of the UN Theme Group on Gender and contributed to the regional CEDAW submission. As we assessed each domain of gender equality and the disparities became clearer so too did the levels of exploitation and violence. The patriarchal drivers for this violence are the same across the world and whilst here in Australia we might have the illusion of a more equal world you only have to look at the statistics of violence to see we do not. One woman a week is murdered by a current or ex partner. That statistic is appaling and yet it does nothing to accurately reflect the number of women and girls every day who live in fear, who are not free, and who's lives are seen as worthless. While process like CEDAW, declarations, and policies are essential, at the end of the day without the political (and community) will to create social change they are just words on a page. We need men to care about violence against women and take action. We need to change the ratio so that womens voices are heard at every level of social and political life. We need comprehensive sexuality education so the next generation embraces equality (and fully understands consent and respect) . We need to raise awareness by talking to our friends and family and calling out disrespect and sexism. We need justice for survivors and a system of law that holds perpetrators to account. #orangetheworld

07.01.2022 It’s not the young persons job to make sure the curriculum includes them. Having an accredited sexuality educator deliver comprehensive sexuality education means that it’s inclusive and trauma informed and it’s a great way for teachers to see these things in action as part of their own skill development. Who teaches sexuality education at your school? Image by Sophie Labelle.

07.01.2022 Knowing when to tell and when it's ok to stay quiet is an important skill for kids of all ages.

06.01.2022 I've had so many great conversations this week about dobbing. The Macmillan dictionary defines it as "telling someone in authority about something bad that another person has done". Dobbing holds some negative cultural weight in Australia, seen as the worst thing a person can do. Unaustralian even! ... So how do we encourage children, and even adults, to speak out when someone is doing something 'bad'? Perhaps its time to retire the word altogether and teach people that telling the truth and speaking up, especially when there is injustice or harm, is actually a positive thing to do. Tell a trusted adult. Get a second opinion. Help out a friend. Keep an eye on the situation. Talk with a friend. Provide extra information to the teacher. Protect someone else. So many different ways to look at the act of telling someone with the power to make things better. For older kids it can be helpful to teach them to ask themselves: Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it right? (thanks Buddah!) Having a flowchart like this great one from @Kidshelplineau is also a great way to support decision making. You could even print it out and keep it on the fridge.

05.01.2022 Grab a pen and paper and write down the answers to the following questions: What does pleasure mean to you? What age should we start teaching people about pleasure?... Chances are that if your answer to the first question was related to sexual pleasure then your answer to the second question was probably older not younger. Pleasure is about so much more than our genitals and sexual activity. It's an experience that our body and brain create in response to sensations. Whether or not something feels pleasurable has a lot to do with what's going on in your brain, your emotions, feelings, chemicals, thoughts, safety, connection, and more. A warm drink on a cold day, the summer breeze on your face, a hug from a friend. All of these experiences create a response that for some people are pleasurable. That's the other great thing about pleasure- we get to decide what is pleasurable. If we talk to children from birth about pleasure, the things that feel good and safe, then we give them a foundation understanding sexual pleasure and importantly consent. We also help them to think about pleasure more broadly so that over time they can experience intimacy in ways that doesn't just focus on genitals. How will you start talking to your children about pleasure?

03.01.2022 Parents often contact come me after they've reacted badly to a child masturbating or playing doctors. Their first instincts are usually grounded in their own fear and shame which can come out as "dont do that", "what are you doing?" and other words that essentially communicate "thats disgusting and wrong". After the emotion calms the parents are worried they've sent the wrong message and caused irreparable harm. They want to do better and be more open and accepting of sexuali...ty. The good news is the repair is easy, talking with the child about your reaction and your own fear and shame will let them know what they were doing wasnt wrong. Then teach them all the things you wish someone had taught you about your body and pleasure. Public and private should be one of the earliest lessons and when delivered in shame free ways it teaches kids that they are normal. Talking and teaching about sexuality with children doesnt actually mean we talk about sexual activity. Most of the time it's talking about how amazing bodies are, how we are the boss of our bodies, and that there are rules about bodies and touch to help keep us safe. And darling, we dont play with our vulvas at the table!

01.01.2022 Research and representation!

01.01.2022 I’m so proud of you Christian Hull I will also be adding ‘the fallopes’ to all future sexuality education sessions.