Sexuality is a major theme in Grunge, and at the forefront, there is a discussion of sexual identity. In chapters one and two, Seri spends a lot of time questioning her sexuality and is conflicted over her feelings for Carmen. By chapter two, she comes to the understanding that she is in love with Carmen, but is still unsure as to what this means for her identity. 

While Seri has never been interested in boys, she also recognizes that being a lesbian in 1990s North Carolina is no bueno. But despite societal pressures, Seri has a strong desire to understand herself and solidify her identity. Sadly, Seri isn’t really exploring her sexuality in a positive way. She’s more so doing this out of her own anxiety over being alone, being unsure of herself, and if her hopes for Carmen will ever be fulfilled. 

Now, Seri can absolutely solidify her identity by abstaining from sex. In real life, you don’t need to have sex with someone of a particular gender to confirm your sexuality, but for some people, that can help them. So in the game, Seri has the option of sleeping with either Tony or Kiriko, depending on what the player chooses. Regardless of who she sleeps with, Seri comes to the same conclusion: that she’s definitely a lesbian. Her identity isn’t any less valid after sleeping with a man or a woman; it is the same.

The toxicity of purity culture is also discussed in certain stories and quests. Monae tries to keep her feelings and desires for Marquis a secret out of fear of being slut shamed. If you make certain choices, Carmen is horrified by the fact that you think she isn't a virgin, meaning that she views a lack of virginity as synonymous with being slutty. While I wanted this game to be sex positive, I found that it was hard to avoid talking about the internalized fears women have about slutshaming, especially when they are in high school. 

Brandy's character helps to counteract this. In the comics, Brandy is a woman who is vocal about enjoying sex. In her teen years, her feelings about sex are much the same. I wanted Brandy to be a character who felt entirely empowered and in touch with her sexuality. She is unphased by slutshaming. Most importantly, she knows what she wants, clearly establishes boundaries with her partners, and even helps others work through their relationship problems or feelings surrounding sex. 

Now I'm going to pause for a minute here, as I want to address something that may be surfacing as people play the game. I think a lot of people may be upset by the conversations about sex in this game, given that it starts off when they are teenagers. Many teens are not sexually active, and not all the kids in Grunge are. Some teens are, and for the few that are, it's important to discuss sex frankly and carefully. 

"But teenagers shouldn't be having sex!" -- mmmkay Karen except some of them do and you can't stop it from happening. And as long as the experience is consensual and the persons involved are using protection, I mean really, who cares? 

“Nunya business” is what I'd normally say to people like Karen, except in Grunge, you see the world through Seri's eyes, so everything is personal. I knew that Seri would view her first time with Carmen as an important experience. I wanted to capture Seri's thoughts and feelings  in a tasteful way. More importantly I wanted to address consent clearly between the two. A certain action is described, and then one of the girls asks the other if it's okay to perform said action. 

At the moment when it becomes clear that they are going to have sex, I cut to black, because while I'm fine with discussing consent and teens making out, I think it's inappropriate to depict teens having sex. My hope for Grunge is that I was able to discuss sex in a positive, healthy way. However, I understand that I still have a lot to learn when it comes to addressing sex in the context of a game.