A BoB short:
A museum sex exhibit designed to educate teenagers has proven too racy for some Ottawa parents — and it hasn’t even opened yet.
“Sex: A Tell-all Exhibition” is due to open at The Canada Science and Technology Museum on Friday. In response to over 50 complaints from parents who feel that the exhibit is more smutty than educational, the museum has raised the age of unaccompanied admission from 12 to 16.
Certain aspects of the exhibit, such as the “Erecto-Matic,” which allows observers to watch a cross-section of a flaccid penis become erect with the press of a button, have sparked the parental concern. The museum, however, says they offer precise and accurate information that teens might not get anywhere else. “This exhibition, developed by the Montreal Science Centre, is intended for adolescents 12 years and older, parents seeking a better understanding of the subject in preparation for their children’s questions, teachers of high school and their students, health care professionals, and anyone else who wishes to learn more.”
With teenage STD rates on the rise, they might be on to something. Memo to parents: explaining sex isn’t promoting it. If anything, the “Erecto-Matic” is liable to encourage abstinence for a good few years.
“Sex: A Tell-all Exhibition” runs until January.
– Emily Olesen
