In the last years sex education has been a subject of public debate as well as the topic of sexualization of the media. There are three main contentious issues in the debate about sex education: (1.) the inclusion on gender and sexual diversity in sex education, (2.) the issue of the prevention of child sexual abuse and (3.) the question what kind of sex education is needed under the condition of an immigrant society.

In our topic session we explore how this three controversal issues are interlinked and how they might be explored in theory and practice of sex education: in teacher education, school sex education and sex education research. Therefore we suggest to include a perspective of Critical Diversity in research and practice of sex education. Critical Diversity goes beyond the affirmation of differences as ressources and includes a critical examination of power struc- tures as well as Othering processes, through which hierarchical structures are legitimized and reproduced. Critical Diversity pursues the strategy of inclusive empowerment.

The topic forum explores perspectives of Critical Diversity in sex education in a theoretical and two research presentations