September 2021

***

HEY YOU! We've missed you! Maybe you missed us too? Just a little?

We took a hiatus from the advice-writing biz to explore new horizons. Em got her masters degree in Library Science (with the sexy glasses to prove it) and Lo became a Certified Holistic Sex Educator! While our career paths may have diverged, we are still Em & Lo at heart, and always will be.

Does that mean this is the end? NOPE!

The last newsletter we sent out was titled “Getting Freaking Hardcore About Better Sex Ed” and so Lo did just that! She founded The Butterfly Academy, an extracurricular sex-education organization for kids and their parents/guardians/caregivers/teachers. It was a reaction to the perfect storm of the #MeToo movement, the election of an alleged sexual predator to the presidency, and some serious disappointment with her own kids' public school sex-ed program.

The Butterfly Academy is dedicated to empowering people — especially young people — around the realities of healthy relationships, sexual-and-gender diversity and body positivity with inclusivity, accurate information and age-appropriate honesty. Its mission is to reduce shame, allay fears, empower with good info, instill confidence and engender personal agency via live & online workshops, books & workbooks, and various other materials & media. With the tagline “Above & Beyond the Birds & the Bees,” The Butterfly Academy is all about positive transformation through comprehensive education. (Click below to find out more!)

Perhaps you, once a reader of EMandLO.com, now have kids of your own, or niblings (i.e. nieces & nephews), or friends with kids who could use more and better sex-ed than they're currently receiving in school (really, what kid couldn't?). If that's indeed the case, we hope you'll stick around and stay subscribed to this once-in-a-while newsletter, which will be focused on The Butterfly Academy going forward. You'll still get helpful advice, interesting commentary and event notifications, just with a narrower focus on "relational education" (Lo's less scary umbrella term for sex-and-relationship-focused learning). EMandLO.com will remain up for at least a little while longer (we'll let you know ahead of time via this newsletter if things change).

We hope you have been well in these weird times — taking care of yourself, staying healthy, and practicing self-love (in all senses of the phrase). Thank you for joining us on our rollercoaster ride of sex & relationship advice over the past two decades — we truly hope you've found it even just a fraction as fun, educational, and life-affirming as we have!

Love always,
Em & Lo
*

Why Kids Need Extracurricular Sex Ed
Check Out Lo’s Org: The Butterfly Academy!

+
"You are the best thing to happen in our school district since I don't know what. The kids (and parents) are so lucky to have you!"
+
"What I liked best about The Butterfly Academy: The bravery to take on content that the schools won't. I couldn't think of one additional topic to add to what your middle school series covered."
+
"I am so very grateful for the Butterfly Academy! The topics covered were absolutely on point, necessary and urgent for all middle school kids. The world is changing rapidly and to know that my daughter has been exposed to all these topics (whether she was comfortable or not, had to laugh about it or was embarrassed), makes me feel so good! Phew! Thank you again for these workshops!”
---

quotes from the anonymous feedback forms of parents of recent elementary & middle school participants

Join the Conversation!

“Providing young people with equal access to comprehensive sex education respects their right to the highest attainable standard of health, including safe, responsible and respectful sexual choices free of coercion and violence, as well as their right to access the information that young people need for effective self-care.”

— The World Health Organization

Sign up at The Butterfly Academy to go above & beyond the birds & the bees:

© 2021 Em & Lo