Help a Sex Educator Flee Gaza3/11/2024 Sexual justice and consent do not exist under genocide. From unsafe and unmedicated birth (including C-sections without anesthesia) to sexual violence and mass murder by the Israeli military, what we are witnessing in Gaza couldn't be farther from sexual justice or consent. Since our country is actively funding this mass murder of over 30,000 people and counting, I feel a responsibility as a U.S. resident to do everything in my power to stop this. When I was living in Jerusalem, I connected with a young sex educator in Gaza named Mohammed. I interviewed him about what sex ed in Gaza was like (here's the interview) and we have stayed in touch for the past six years.
It's been powerful to connect with someone who shares my values around sexual liberation, but who lives with much less freedom than I do. Mohammed is passionate about empowering youth to make decisions about their own lives, and giving them all of the information that they need in order to do that. As he said during our interview, "I believe that creating a new generation of leaders in sexual rights, and creating a generation that can make responsible decisions about their bodies, is the best service we can give to our community." Now, he and his family have fled their (now destroyed) home to Rafah, since Israel designated the city a safe zone. But the reality is that nowhere in Gaza is safe. Mohammed has asked me to raise funds so they can evacuate Gaza to safety. I am working to raise $80,000 to cover the costs of relocating Mohammed and 10 of his family members as quickly as possible. Here's the fundraiser. The cost of leaving Gaza is $3,000 per child and $5,000 per adult.* Are you a part of a community or group that might be interested in hosting a fundraising event or fundraising drive? If so, I invite you to get a group together to raise funds to cover the cost one of Mohammed's family members' evacuations (or part of the cost, like $1,000). Here is our fundraising interest form. Any way that you are able to support this fundraiser would be enormously appreciated. It is a big undertaking, and the stakes are high. *The remaining funds will go to basic necessities, like lodging, food, and money transfer fees. This article was written by Pleasure Pie founder Nicole Mazzeo. Nicole is a sex educator and zine maker with a passion for shame-free, pleasure inclusive sex and consent education. Comments are closed.
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