University of Wisconsin-Madison student sexual education organization Sex Out Loud announced plans in February for a national expansion aimed for the coming year.
Sex Out Loud started in 1995 as a University Health Services (UHS) proposal to provide students with peer resources for sexual health before becoming a registered student organization in 1998. Nearly three decades later, Sex Out Loud Chair Mia Warren told The Daily Cardinal she hopes to expand the organization to college campuses across the nation.
Warren said the demand for a nationalized comprehensive sexual health organization goes back several years, and universities across the nation have contacted Sex Out Loud to establish chapters at their campus.
Warren said the program was still in the development stage as the organization was researching campus policies and looking to secure funding. She noted the program should roll out next year.
“The core of our mission remains fundamental to who we are: creating inclusive, accessible, comprehensive sex-positive educational programing and expanding this throughout the United States,” Warren said. “Sex Out Loud will remain the same, however, we are hoping to become a non-profit, officially registered by the IRS, within the next year.”
Lucas Glander, a Sex Out Loud program facilitator, said the organization educates students through a variety of programs about healthy relationships, safer sex programs and peer-to-peer counseling. Glander said the Sex Out Loud office also offers brochures to help equip staff and students with the necessary tools to learn about sexual education.
“We pride ourselves on being available to students,” Glander said.
Beyond nationalizing the organization, Sex Out Loud Program Facilitator Katie Drinan said the organization is overhauling language and information across many of its programs to make them more accurate and inclusive.
“We want to make it more informative for all levels of knowledge that are coming into these programs,” Drinan said.
Warren said they hope the organization can create a “standard of professionalism” for its national chapters with the overhaul.
Warren said the organization's goal is not to “over-pave” pre-established sexual health organizations at other universities. Instead, she said Sex Out Loud plans to collaborate and uplift those groups.
“If there is a comprehensive sex education program at a university, we want to celebrate that,” Warren said.
Editor's note: Sex Out Loud hosts a podcast under The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation. Mia Warren is a co-host of the show.
