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Deadass the majority of “think of the children!!!” rhetoric operates under the blatantly incorrect assumption that kids are just. Devoid of sexuality in any form. The idea that kids don’t have basic bodily functions, or curiosities, or even just the fact that sexual development (on a mental level) begins VERY early. This includes the concept of gender. Conservatives and other sex negative groups heavily rely on the assumption that children are pure beings devoid of sin that are then “corrupted” by the outside world (loss of innocence), as opposed to gender and sexuality being innate concepts present in all children, which is partially influenced by society, and partially influenced by biology.

Most people will tell you that they first started having sexual or kinky fantasies– as well as masturbating– either at a toddler or elementary age. Children will start asserting their gender at around 2-3, and is consequently when a lot of (though not all) trans people first realize and voice what is later identified as gender dysphoria. Children can start asking about the birds and the bees at almost any age; I started asking when I was 2. Hell, I was always very curious about human and animal sexuality! While parents in US schools are outraged and clutching their pearls about the fact that elementary aged children are learning about the reproductive habits of seahorses (yes, they’re mad that the males get pregnant, why wouldn’t they be), I was fucking researching that shit on my own volition while I was being homeschooled! I infodumped to my own fucking mother about seahorse sex! Only a few years later I was researching how clams had sex, and slugs/snails, and worms. Cut to present day and my primary special interest is sexology and I want to become a sexologist. It’s almost like I was naturally curious and exploring an undeniable facet of the world that is stigmatized for no reason.

And another thing, of course: accepting that children are sexual also requires accepting the fact that children can commit sexual assault, particularly against other children. COCSA is shockingly common and how traumatizing it is for the kids involved is highly variable. Some people regard their own experiences as simply innocent exploration, while others feel deeply taken advantage of and dirty, or somewhere in-between the two.

Also: “children can’t consent” is honestly kind of a weird/misleading phrase, and honestly kind of depends on ages. Teenagers can absolutely consent to having sex with their peers, for example. A minority amount of under-13 children may also engage in peer-to-peer sexual contact that may not necessarily be classified as COCSA by those involved. However, it is important to note that (for both kids and teens), they may not fully grasp the full ramifications and implications of consent and sexuality (hell, many adults don’t), and under no circumstances can they consent to a much older adult. The reason larger age gaps are less of an issue with adult relationships is because, even if there’s a noticeable gap in maturity, I much more trust the judgment of a 25 year old to gauge the risks of dating a 40 year old, compared to a 17 or even 18 year old. Minors can and often do engage in consensual sex, and a lot of the issues that arise from that come from a lack of comprehensive sex education and heavy stigmatization surrounding sexuality. The amount of teens who genuinely fear being kicked out of the house for getting pregnant is frankly appalling.

That’s another thing. The idea that sex education is sexualizing kids, when sex ed protects kids from potentially being taken advantage of, or at LEAST gives them the tools to tell an adult if they’ve been molested. Don’t tell them their genitals are a “cookie” or a “thing”. Say vulva/vagina. Say penis/balls. Tell them what their body is and does. Don’t tell them that it’s always okay if mommy or daddy touches them there, or if their doctor does. Most sexual abuse happens within families, and I’ve heard PLENTY of tales from doctors offices. If anyone touches them in a way they don’t like and they don’t listen when they’re told to stop, that’s when you start biting and kicking. I don’t care who it is. Most sexual assault is instigated by someone the victim thought they could trust. Instill that survival instinct early. I shouldn’t have to tell you how fucking terrifying it is to have kids be disregarded when trying to warn about dangerous adults, because their parents refused to teach them basic anatomical terms.

I also shouldn’t have to tell you how terrifying it is that school-aged children in Texas can’t ask for period products or learn about periods in some schools because it’s considered to be a sexual topic, or just flatly not mandated for them to accommodate. The only people sexualizing children’s bodies are the ones screaming about how children are pure, innocent beings devoid of any sexuality. Sexuality blossoms around puberty, which can begin as young as 9 years old. Most people recount that their sexual interests and behaviors took root during childhood. Most teenagers are horny fuckers who need to be told how to have SAFE sex, not to avoid sex.

Stop desexualizing the human experience. Stop treating sexuality like a sin or a corrupting force that warps the minds of children, and not an innate facet of most humans that is constantly developing throughout childhood, and even into adulthood. Your child could be LGBT, they could be kinky, they could flatly have an interest in sexuality. It doesn’t just pop up out of nowhere during puberty; it comes to a head during puberty. There’s a difference.

Further reading:

https://www.hopkinsallchildrens.org/Patients-Families/Health-Library/HealthDocNew/Understanding-Early-Sexual-Development

https://www.ncsby.org/content/childhood-sexual-development

Planned Parenthood PDF Link

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/preschool/Pages/Sexual-Behaviors-Young-Children.aspx

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Please unmute this

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I just want to get dicked down again =/

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What's your best example of correlation not equaling causation?

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Hey Mr. Gaiman, when did you decide on season 2 for good omens?

In 2010 when Terry and I agreed to let people go forward with making Good Omens as a TV show, we talked about the shape of the show as a whole and where it would go.

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first donut pic, feeling kinda shy please be kind

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*original tumblr post*