We know that figuring out what to do in love and sex doesn’t always come naturally. 

Sitting through a comically bad first kiss, typing “am i gay?” into the Google search bar, fumbling through a messy makeout session in the backseat of a car —  life is rarely perfect on the first go, but with every experience, we learn more about ourselves.

Firsts aren’t just about your first time having sex — they’re also your first crushes, learning what sex is and what gives you pleasure or realizing that you don’t want to have sex at all. 

Everyone eventually goes through their own types of firsts, and in this year's sex issue, we tried to capture those voices. Writers recalled difficult conversations with their parents about sex, learning about sex through iconic 2000s shows and experimenting with kinks. Other pieces dive into what gender euphoria during sex can look like and whether or not Queer students feel supported by their sexual education.

No matter what your firsts have looked like, there’s something in this year’s sex issue for you.

— Aisha Chaudhry, Elena Massing & Gloria Klein
Sex Issue Editors

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Firsts: The Ubyssey’s 2025 Sex Issue

How Queer sex ed is taught — and how it should be

Written by Aisha Chaudhry & Elena Massing | Photos by Saumya Kamra

Rory Sexton was living in Texas when she first received any form of sexual education — if you could even call it that.

She remembers having two days of lessons entirely about HIV in grade 4, but students only learned that a person could contract it by being in contact with the blood of someone who was infected. It wasn’t until moving to Massachusetts that she received a more in-depth education that actually talked about sex, let alone the concepts of gender identity and sexual orientation.

“[My sexual education] was so wonderfully well-rounded,” she said. “My area, Boston, is one of the most Democratic cities in America. So I feel like I kind of lucked out in that way, because there was definitely a big community of acceptance [and] I had openly Queer teachers.”

NEWS

‘I’m not the first victim’: Removed VP AUA calls out toxic culture, plans to sue AMS for wrongful termination

Written by Aisha Chaudhry & Viyan Handley | Illustrations by Ayla Cilliers

Since 2022, 46 per cent of all elected AMS executives have left the society in some capacity — whether by resignation, removal or extended leaves of absence during their term. Some of these former executives have alleged a toxic culture inside the student society, calling into question the AMS’s leadership and structure.

FEATURES

On a sunny day in the Nest, I headed upstairs to the AMS Student Services office. Light shone down on a huge display, which stated, “40% of UBC students don’t have enough to eat.”

Food insecurity has long been a pervasive issue at UBC. This statistic echoes research from the UBC Food Hub which shows that 30–40 per cent of students are consistently food insecure. In last year’s AMS Academic Experience Survey, 51 per cent of students worried about being unable to “afford adequate groceries.”

For fourth-year student Sophie Co, this critical issue lies at the centre of her academics and advocacy. Co studies food, nutrition and health (FNH) and has been the coordinator of the AMS Food Bank for two years.

OPINION

Hyperlinked: Of course UBC is full of Redditors

Written by Maia Cesario | Illustrations Emilija V Harrison

Hyperlinked is a column written by columnist Colin Angell, asking readers to think about how different types of media impact our lives, and how our lives impact media in turn. Put away the tinfoil hats — this is just about the digital age.

Last week, I’d found a rather lovely spot in the library to set up shop for the afternoon. I’ve grown used to seeing peers in the library with iPads full of Good Will Hunting squiggles or asthmatic gaming laptops crunching lines of code. You may be surprised when I tell you I wasn’t shocked to see her on the UBC Reddit reading about whether salt & vinegar chips are valid or not?

Grimace or cringe all you want, you’ve probably encountered the page at some point or another, looking online for details on a class or housing tips or even out of unbridled boredom. Whatever or wherever, I know I’m not breaking news to you that a UBC student was using Reddit. 

HUMOUR

SCIENCE

SPORTS

Kaitlyn Kim's softball journey is one of female empowerment and passion 

Written by Maia Cesario

Softball is often described as ‘girls' baseball’ — but that’s inaccurate. Softball is a female-dominated sport separate from baseball with different rules and equipment, but is no less complex or exciting. Kaitlyn Kim, a fourth-year infielder on UBC’s softball team, is giving the sport the spotlight it deserves for National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD). 

Kim’s journey to softball began in Mississauga, Ontario, where she started playing T-ball at age four. She progressed to co-ed baseball and then switched to softball at eight years old, after her dad found an ad for it. Kim’s dad has been the biggest inspiration for her throughout her life in sports and she even chose her uniform number to be the same as his. 

“We used to practice extra all the time together, and I think it was just a way for the two of us to bond,” said Kim. “He's always been my biggest supporter and my biggest cheerleader on the field.”

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