Love, Lust and Laughter - 03.15.22

<p style="font-weight:400;">Transgender Acceptance in Our Culture</p> <p style="font-weight:400;"> </p> <p style="font-weight:400;">How do cultural issues affect sexuality and sex education? Dr. Mark Schoen, founder of <a href='http://www.sexsmartfilms.com/'>Sex Smart Films</a>—the “Netflix of Sex Education”—has the answers. The website, with more than 650 films, is divided into sections on Research, Therapy, and Education. We focused on Education, which provides accurate information on a very wide range of sexual and gender issues. The 3-minute animated film <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjT2v9jNN1E'>“’What’s Gay?’ Asked Mae”,</a> directed by Mark Schoen and based on the <a href='https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Gay-Asked-Mae/dp/1719918120'>book of the same name by Brian McNaught</a>, recently won the award for BEST ANIMATION at the <a href='https://lgbttorontofilmfestival.com/2022/02/09/short-film-whats-gay-asked-mae-3min-usa-animation/'>2022 LGBTQ+ Toronto Film Festival</a>. (The answer to the question: It is a way to love.)</p> <p style="font-weight:400;"> </p> <p style="font-weight:400;">Cori, an M-to-F trans person, joined the conversation. Offering her articulate and poignant personal observations, she spoke of her transitioning journey. She shared her motivations, fears, and lessons of self-evolution. Cori had viewed Dr. Mark’s <a href='https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2351417/'>award-winning film “TRANS”</a> and was brought to tears. For so many others the film truly resonated: there are more than 250 reviews (average 4.5 stars out of 5) on the <a href='https://www.amazon.com/Trans-Chris-Arnold/dp/B00K0TWVFI'>Amazon page for “TRANS”</a> (available on DVD and Prime Video). One reviewer observed, “One of the best documentaries I’ve ever watched. For anyone with a loved one or someone they care about who is transgender, this film will educate and inform you. It also happens to be very moving. Nothing is sugar-coated here, but I also did not walk away with a feeling of despondency.”</p> <p style