As with discussions about race and gender in the United States, talking about sex, even sex education, are still often taboo in the supposed land of the free. Enter Jimanekia Eborn, MS, and her vast array of knowledge on the subject and its intersections with race and gender.

Jimanekia is known for centering QTBIPOC (Queer Trans Black Indigenous People of Color) in her sex education work and also advocates for them to care for themselves during the “active trauma state” we are living through, which has been triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and civil uprisings caused by racist police violence.

The intersections of race, gender, identity, and sex are more visible these days, thanks to the work of people like Jimanekia Eborn, and they influence the spaces of interpersonal relationships. Even in a growing gender fluid world, these intersections can still seem like a novelty with few spaces in mainstream media that reflect the lived experiences of QTBIPOC individuals.

As the world asks for more attention to and justice for Black lives, Scarleteen engaged in an interview via email with the self-proclaimed Trauma Queen, who's been a mental health professional for the last 12 years and has a Master’s in Health Psychology, to talk about her sex ed and trauma work that centers QTBIPOC communities.

Scarleteen (ST): You’ve been working in sexual education for 12 years now, and focusing on trauma. What are the differences from when you started to now?

Jimanekia Eborn, MS (JE): What I see is that the conversations are changing. I believe that there will always be folks that are going to push back on this information. The fact that it is being talked about and the fact that they have never dealt with their own issues is an entirely different thing. I also see that the youth are tired of not being heard. Which I love!

They are advocating for themselves, for their future selves, and even for us now. They are tired of being told half-tales, want the full information, and push for deserved knowledge. Laws are changing slowly, but surely things won’t change overnight. Especially because there are people that are uncomfortable or very much religious and believe that the best education is forcing abstinence information on folks. Read more via Scarleteen