ABSTRACT
Discussing sexuality in the classroom increases student discomfort levels by threatening to raise questions about the connections among morality, behavior, and the bodies of those in the room—questions we have been culturally trained to avoid. In order to decrease discomfort, many instructors approach sexuality only as content-based subject matter. This approach is a disservice to student learning and personal development and disconnects sexuality-related issues from professional preparation and responsible citizenship. Instead, instructors can explicitly engage how personal experience and cultural contexts shape sexuality. The learner as a whole person brings with them histories and experiences that shape their worldview as well as their embodiment in the classroom. A student’s history, experience, and current embodiment affect how they, other students, and the instructor engage one another. Pedagogical approaches that include critical self-reflection and perspective transformation directly affect personal formation and professional development. Perspective transformation is as much a cognitive process as an affective experience for students.
