For this year's Sex and Relationships Special Issue, The Statesman chose the theme "body positivity." Seven participants chose to step in front of our cameras and tell us their stories. Photography by Sara Ruberg, Rabia Gursoy and Gabby Pardo.

For this year's Sex and Relationship Special Issue, The Statesman chose the theme "body positivity." Seven participants chose to step in front of our cameras and tell us their stories.

For the Sex and Relationships special issue, editors report on the body positivity movement, student's experiences with eating disorders and diet culture, legislation for the welfare of the LGBTQ community in the military and the journey to self-love.

Danaher has struggled with anorexia nervosa — an eating disorder characterized by distorted body image and a compulsive fear of being overweight — since the age of 13. She is now 22. 

#OPINION: Films about queer relationships are necessary, but representation is only a fraction of the work society must do. It’s important to ensure changes translate over to the real world and aren’t just relegated to a screen.

#OPINION: In a society that relies on human connection and relationships, it is vital for people to create deep bonds with one another. Unfortunately, many cannot develop healthy relationships due to childhood traumas that affect their self-esteem. 

#OPINION: Thanks to more relaxed attitudes toward sex and sexuality, "hook-up culture" - casual sex without emotional intimacy - has become more common among teens and young adults.

#OPINION: Whether it be to prevent equal representation in the workplace or to block adoption and marriage rights, hateful legislation passed on all levels of government demonizes and diminishes LGBTQ people. 

In the beginning weeks of lockdown, around March of last year, home-made whipped coffee recipes, rising TikTok stars and YouTube videos on-at-home ab workouts dominated social media.

#OPINION: For a long time, I thought that self-love was something you "uncovered" and that it would always be there. I'm finding that — like so many other aspects of adulthood — it's not as simple as that.

#OPINION: Catalina Benavides is a first-semester graduate student in the Master of Arts in Teaching English program. Benavides wrote a love letter to herself in the form of a poem.