Sex Ed Before Bed

By Rebecca NavaSociety & Culture Health & Fitness Arts Relationships Sexuality

Sex Ed Before Bed episodes

September 18Operating With Joy: barbara findlay on Fighting Transphobia in Canada
A conversation with my friend and mentor, barbara findlay (she/her). For nearly five decades, barbara's worked tirelessly for LGBT rights in Canada. The episode was recorded in February 2025.
Our discussion ranged from the modern world we find ourselves in and how we got here to the homegrown transphobia right here in Canada, to galvanizing and taking action. barbara died on August 22, 2026 - this episode includes a closing tribute.
Timestamps
00:00 Cold open
00:58 Introduction and the political moment
02:32 Climate dread, fear, and the rise of right-wing populism
05:59 Trans rights in Canada
10:16 Saskatchewan's Bill 137 and the notwithstanding clause
13:28 The "people not like us" sentiment, and why Lawyers Against Transphobia operates with joy rather than righteousness
17:39 barbara's path from feminism to anti-racism work and finding agency
19:54 What listeners can do - locating yourself in systems of power
23:59 Building community
27:09 Tribute
Taking Action
https://www.repeal137.ca/action to send an email to your MLA insisting on repeal of Bill 137.
Transphobic Legal Actions in Canada
https://egale.ca/egale-in-action/alberta-bill9-nov18/
https://egale.ca/egale-in-action/sask-appeal-aug11/
Remembering barbara
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/barbara-findlay-lawyer-lgbtqia-advocate-mourned-9.7317710
https://nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articles/people/2026/a-transformative-force-in-the-legal-profession
https://egale.ca/egale-in-action/barbara-findlay-aug-24/
https://xtramagazine.com/video/barbara-findlay-lawyer-obituary-284076
29 min
May 09The Other Breakup: We're Grieving Friendships And Nobody Talks About It
Sex Ed Before Bed Host Bex (she/her) is in the hotseat for the first time ever, interviewed by her sister Izzy (she/her) on another taboo topic: friendship breakups.
Timestamps
0:00 Cold open
3:30 Coming out late, building a queer community
9:42 Pursing love with a friend
12:00 Girlfriend breakup, crew breakup
15:44 The stories we tell ourselves and friendship ideals
18:10 Rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD) and cognitive distortions
24:53 Transmuting pain into art
30:00 Accepting what is
33:00 Closing
Topics we discuss:
Coming out and building community
Role that queer families play for newly out folks
Romantic relationships within a friend group
Friend group ruptures in the wake of breakups
Role of compounding factors in coping with loss
The role of rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD) in grappling with loss
Accepting the loss and moving forward
Books
The Other Significant Others by Rhaina Cohen
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay Gibson
Who Deserves Your Love: How to Create Boundaries to Start, Strengthen or End Any Relationship by KC Davis
Tools
Thought Record exercise to combat distorted thinking
Research
The Lesbian's Experience of Friendship by Jeanne Stanley pgs. 43-44
Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria definitions from ADDitude and the Cleveland Clinic
The lived experience of rejection sensitivity in ADHD - A qualitative exploration PLoS One - Published January 2026
Theme song: "Rise and Shine" by Audiobinger, sourced from the Free Music Archive. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
36 min
March 15, 2025Finding Queer Community as an Adult Through Sports, Art & Organizing
In this episode, Bex (she/her) is joined by Aislin (she/her) and Stella (she/they) to discuss what queer community means, how to find and build inclusive spaces, and the challenges of representation in the arts and athletics. They share personal stories, insights, and shoutouts to local queer organizations making a difference.
Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
04:30 - Defining Queer Community
12:15 - Toronto’s Queer Community & Inclusivity
21:00 - Queer Identity & Representation
29:40 - The Importance of Organizing
39:50 - Challenges in Queer Spaces
48:30 - The Role of Art & Performance in Queer Culture
56:10 - Lifting up the Queer Community in Real-time
1:04:15 - Community Shoutouts
Where to find us
Bex @sexedbeforebed
Aislin @queerrunclub & @architectaislin
Queer Run Club - Weekly Saturday runs & coffee meetups  
Queer Jock Night
Queer Mingle Events  - Black and Indigenous-run meetups for the lesbian, non-binary, trans and queer community
Theme song: "Rise and Shine" by Audiobinger, sourced from the Free Music Archive. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
54 min
January 27, 2021The Sexual Assault Prevention Program That's Actually Working
1 in 5 university-enrolled women will experience attempted or completed rape. Rape is one of the most underreported crimes - 10% are reported.
A world without rape. A world where sexual violence is rare. This is the goal of Sara's work on Flip the Script, a new Canadian sexual assault prevention program for young cis and trans women to assess, acknowledge and act. This episode is a must-listen for every parent and every young woman.
We talked about how the program works and the positive impact it has had so far. We talked about how young women want to have these conversations about setting boundaries, understanding coercion and pondering what pleasure looks like for them.
We also talked about radical self-love and for women, trusting our gut!
Resources
Globe and Mail Article
Draw The Line
Loveisrespect.org
Sexual Assault Centres Near You
Sara's Work
Insta @girls.resist
Twitter @girls_resist
About Flip the Script
Sexual Assault Resistance Education (SARE) Centre
Theme song: "Rise and Shine" by Audiobinger, sourced from the Free Music Archive. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
50 min
December 16, 2020 Self-Compassion in the Age of COVID-19
Why the hell are we so afraid of our own damn feelings? Turns out the frightening, painful work of facing ourselves is the self-compassion we need in the age of COVID-19.
53 min
May 18, 2020Why Sexual Attraction Fades — And What To Do About It | Dr. Jessica Maxwell
With great attraction comes great sex, forever, right? Not so much.
Dr. Jessica Maxwell studies relationships and sex for a living. With Canadian roots, she's now an assistant professor at the University of Auckland. I learned things from her that I started applying to my own life as soon as the conversation ended.
Topics of discussion
Sexual fixed mindset vs. growth mindset
What factors play into long-term relationship satisfaction?
How often are people having sex?
Who else is thinking about how often people are having sex?
A neat quiz to tell your partner what you want in bed (or out of it)
The Orgasm Gap
What's the best way to meet someone we're compatible with?
How scientific are dating apps?
Double standards & myths
Fun Stuff
Sex preferences quiz | Mojo Upgrade
List of researchers Jessica mentioned along with media coverage of their work:
Terri Fisher | LA Times | Who lies more about sex, men or women?
Sam Joel | The Cut | It's All Too Easy to Ignore Relationship Dealbreakers
Amy Muise | Science Daily | Couples who have sex weekly are happiest
Lindsey Hick | Global News | Are you lying to yourself about how much sex you need in your relationship?
Theme song: "Rise and Shine" by Audiobinger, sourced from the Free Music Archive. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
54 min
October 17, 2019What a Township Tour in Cape Town Taught Me About Sex, Shame & Culture
In 2019, I traveled to South Africa and Namibia. While visiting Cape Town, I went on a Township Tour with Lele Mbinda and visited his hometown of Langa just outside Cape Town. Lele opened my eyes to not only how people live day to day in Langa, but also how sex is viewed by adults and youth. Heads up that this episode includes a discussion about rape.
We talked about the following topics as they pertain to Langa Township:
the intersection of poverty, class, race, intergenerational differences and culture in how residents talk or rather, do not talk about sex
the many obstacles to speaking openly about sex and asking questions
dating for young people
the impact of menstruation on young women
lack of awareness regarding harassment and rape
suggestions for how to move forward and create more open dialogue
local perspectives on LGBTQ folk
STEM programming for youth
The iThuba Project
Learn More
The iThuba Project

Lele's Website

Episode Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langa,_Cape_Town
https://www.westerncape.gov.za/general-publication/teenage-pregnancy
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-45889366
https://hivhealthclearinghouse.unesco.org/library/documents/sexuality-education-south-africa-three-essential-questions
Theme music: "Rise and Shine" by Audiobinger, sourced from the Free Music Archive. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
51 min
January 21, 2019Can We Forgive People Who Commit Sexual Violence?
Jessica Ruano is the director of The Ghomeshi Effect, a dance-theatre performance about sexual violence and the legal system in Canada.
This interview stayed with me long after I stopped recording. With the proliferation of #metoo narratives in the media, this conversation is a much-needed dissection of sexual violence from several vantage points. Jessica doesn't give quick and easy answers, instead, she approaches this murky issue meticulously, using stories and research to punctuate her points.
Together, we grappled with these questions and more:
What kinds of people commit sexual violence?
Are there good people and bad people?
Is it possible to reconcile our perception of a "good" person with something horrible they've done?
Is it possible for someone who has raped someone else to atone for it and/or be forgiven?
How much do we want to exclude people who have committed such acts and with what goal in mind?
Can or should a guilty person be brought back into a community?
Does ostracizing the guilty help the problem?
How common are false rape accusations, really?
How can art heal survivors?
Links
The Ghomeshi Effect
Hannah Gadsby's Nanette Trailer
Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women
Theme music: "Rise and Shine" by Audiobinger, sourced from the Free Music Archive. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Edited for time and volume.
54 min
December 19, 2018Male Sexual Trauma and Hope for Healing
A fascinating discussion with Rick Goodwin. Rick is at the forefront of Canadian programming for men who have experienced sexual and/or physical childhood abuse. The statistics and the impact are alarming to say the least. Rick relays two decades of experience in a concise way and we still found time to talk about #metoo, Netflix, the US military and more.
Timestamps
0:34 Intro — Rick Goodwin & Men in Healing
3:13 How the Men's Project ended and why male survivors feel invisible
4:03 The scale of the problem: 1 in 6 boys, 3 million men across Canada
6:26 Why men wait 35 years on average before seeking help
8:02 Trauma's downstream cost: addiction, incarceration, social harm
9:02 Trauma and the criminal justice system
11:57 Shame, grandiosity, and Western masculinity
16:23 How Me Too has affected male clients
19:49 The Three Steps of Emotional Integrity
28:07 On forgiveness
Topics
When men experience trauma, how long do they tend to keep it secret?
What is emotional integrity and why are more men interested in it now?
How is #metoo impacting male survivors of sexual violence?
How do ideas about Western masculinity foster a sense of shame for men?
How does trauma impact the lives of men and the people around them and what can survivors do to start healing?
Links
Men and Healing
1in6
The Bristlecone Project
Theme music: "Rise and Shine" by Audiobinger, sourced from the Free Music Archive. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Edited for time and volume.
1 hr 9 min
July 11, 2018 5 Experts Answer Your Questions About Sex, Pleasure & Women's Health
Sex Myths Uncovered is a panel I was asked to host in Toronto. If you ever wanted to hear a complex, nuanced, high-level conversation about sex politics, this is it!
A groundbreaking, funny, frank conversation from five very distinct, brilliant vantage points. We asked the public to submit questions in advance and answered them on air. 'Twas awesome!
Sex Myths Uncovered will unbox the mysteries, misunderstandings, and curiosities surrounding women’s sexual health. The conversations explore both the physiological and the psychological, with voices from the medical community, sex work activism and sexual health education. Panelists will share their experiences from the Toronto sex community and beyond, opening up the discussion with the audience at the end for a Q&A.
Panelists
Veronica Kazoleas, M.A, Founder of The Nookie // Veronica Kazoleas, M.A. is an award-winning social psychologist and former healthcare executive. @thenookieshop
Allison M. Dalby, RN, MN-NP (candidate) // Allison has worked in sexual health throughout her nearly nine-year career as a Registered Nurse.
Claire AH, Matchmaker, Sex and Dating Coach/Educator, Disability Advocate // Claire AH is a matchmaker for Friend of a Friend Matchmaking, working with the Toronto LGBTQ+ community and the entire Hamilton population. www.ClaireAH.com Instagram: @claireahhhh
Ducky Doolittle, Sexual Assault & Violence Intervention Counselor & Pleasure-Based Sex Educator // Ducky is a Sexual Assault & Violence Intervention Counselor and a pleasure-based Sex Educator. @duckydoolittle
Shriya Hari, Sexual Health Promoter/Community Based Researcher // Shriya Hari is an experienced community based researcher and sexual health promoter based in Toronto Ontario.@shareyournuance @asaaptoronto @kshyamasattic
Theme music: "Rise and Shine" by Audiobinger, sourced from the Free Music Archive. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Edited for time and volume.
1 hr 36 min

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