Washington School Board Member to Host LGBT Event for Kids at Her Sex Shop

“Queer Youth Open Mic Night” is scheduled for June 1.

QUICK FACTS:

• Washington State school board director for Bellingham Public Schools Jenn Mason is hosting an LGBT event for kids at her sex shop, according to Fox 57. 
• The open mic event is scheduled for June 1 “to share poetry, music or a story” for those who are “0 to 18 years old.”
• When questioned about the event, the Bellingham Public Schools’ board said that since it’s not a school-related event the board will likely not have anything to say.
• The Facebook event called it a “Queer Youth Open Mic Night” to be held at Mason’s sex shop for the purpose of celebrating “young queer voices” in the community.
• The shop, called WinkWink, is described on its Facebook page as a “sex shop delighting in expertly curated sex and body products, lingerie, and books.”
• “We believe that normalizing, accepting, and affirming all bodies, identities, and gender experiences is an inherently political act. Pleasure is our revolution,” reads WinkWink’s website. 

A school board member in Washington state is preparing to host an LGBT event for kids at her sex shop.

A Facebook event surfaced for a “Queer Youth Open Mic Night” to be held at the sex shop on June 1 to celebrate “young queer voices” in the community.https://t.co/v2I77Ck3wo

— Ohio 24/7 Now (@ohio247now) May 19, 2022

MORE ON MASON’S SEX SHOP:

• The shop’s mission is laid out on its website, part of which pertains to the education of young people on the issue of sex: “Many young people feel like they can’t ask questions about sex,” the company’s “About” page says. “Everyone eventually learns about sex from somewhere (or someone); unfortunately, what they often get is inaccurate, unhealthy, and dangerous information that puts them at risk.
• “We believe that all people deserve to have a place where they can ask questions in a non-judgmental setting and get answers from sexuality educators that have their well-being in mind,” the website goes on to say.

BACKGROUND:

• WinkWink’s website indicates “there is no law or store policy that sets an age-limit for our customers,” saying that “all people” are allowed in the shop at any time.
• The only regulation noted is that, “ID is required for any items that must be legally sold to people 18 and over,” but it also says, “we don’t actually sell any pornography or any other items that are age-restricted.”