While you might’ve been under the impression that the sex edition of The Crimson White would be more akin to an Alabama-themed copy of “Hustler,” complete with a tear-out Nick Saban car wash calendar, we at the opinions desk believe there is something far more important to discuss than the scantily clad promotion of his Mercedes dealership. That something is our modern aversion to sexuality.

This is not to say that we don’t live in a hyper-sexualized society. Rarely can one see an advertisement or performance that doesn’t involve some amount of innuendo or the sort of clothing that surely contributes to the stress-related deaths of clergy members all across the country. We at The Crimson White are not in the business of passing any sort of moral judgment on these sorts of matters, but we do believe that despite the saturation of sexual content in our society, we still refuse to discuss the matter in any sort of meaningful way.

To begin, our modern sexual education system is centered around the notion that kids should be taught to be fearful of and abstain from sex. In addition to this, most modern religious institutions, as well as many fundamentalists, view sex as a sort of dirty, despicable act. This viewpoint is passed on to their followers, who are further repressed and less mentally healthy for it. In order to truly accept oneself as an individual, one must acknowledge and accept their own sexual feelings and desires. Only when we stop fostering a society predicated on the repression of one of our most basic human needs will we be able to enjoy all the benefits.

Once someone has been liberated from the many misconceptions and fears clouding their mind in regards to sex, they can begin to truly and fully enjoy the fruits of a healthy relationship. While a relationship isn’t just about sex and should never be based purely on it, the ability to be so vulnerable with another person helps to alleviate the many other stresses that appear over the course of a relationship. Fights become less bitter and kisses are all the sweeter, because you know that to engage in such an intimate act means your significant other must trust you as much as you trust them. Besides, it’s hard to argue with someone when you live in constant fear of them exposing that one weird birthmark none of us want to talk about. 

It will be a long time before we foster a culture that promotes such intimacy between two human beings (or multiple human beings if you’re into that; we’re printing a sex edition, we can’t judge). As for now, we can only hope for improvements and strive to be more open in our lives with those who we care about. Rather than shying away from what seems like an awkward topic, we can embrace the one experience that, yes, even your grandmother has had. So let’s talk about sex.