Florida LGBT youth center deletes social media after disturbing sexual posts are revealed

The leading "off-gender"/LGBT youth organization in northeast Florida has deleted many posts and several social media pages after backlash over content allegedly marketed towards teens as young as 13 was revealed.

The Florida Standard reports that the organization called Jasmyn deleted its Instagram account just hours after the outlet reached out for comment. Several of the posts on its youth-targeted Instagram page included messages about bondage and watching pornography.

"Up until yesterday, JASMYN operated two Instagram accounts – one specifically for youth (@jasmynjax), and another for adults (@jasmynlgbtq)," the Floridian publication reads. Adding that the organization's youth-facing Twitter and Facebook pages have been taken down.

In November 2022, Duval County Public Schools, a Florida school school district, cut ties with the organization over inappropriate "program materials."

Jasmyn CEO Cindy Watson described the decision as "an overreaction to a far right extremist website spreading inflammatory misinformation about our HIV prevention work with young adults" in reference to reports.

The content in question is a game called "Dick Match" and features illustrations of genitals, however the organization claims it was never presented to any children. "It is not true that we play this card game, or anything sexually explicit like this, with young people under the age of 17 — certainly not with 13 year olds at JASMYN," said the CEO.

While WJCT News mentions "a card game showing photos of genitals," News4Jax out of Jacksonville simply describes the game as an "adult card game" while describing the content that lead to the severed relationship.

However, the Florida Standard states that the youth-targeted Instagram account promoted an event involving the aforementioned game, without any "adult only" or "18+" disclaimers.

Other now-deleted posts offer additional disturbing content for an account that was allegedly intended for youth consumption.

In 2021, an Instagram story featuring sex toys in the shape of a heart was posted.

Another post from August 2021 describes dozens of sexual acts, positioning "society's" view of sexual acts as boring or limited.

Photos involving men in scantily-clad outfits wearing bras, cut-off shorts, and mesh shirts were used to allegedly promote dance lessons for "youth 13-18."

Along with Halloween party photos that frequently featured sex toys are now-private TikTok videos that feature a woman provocatively posing while holding a sex toy and wearing a "Protect Trans Kids" hoodie.

Other posts included gift card incentives for “Ages 13–24” to participate in "3MV chats,” which are informational sessions designed to prevent men from contracting AIDS or STDs and encouraging them to practice safe sex. Typically, these studies have been focused on adults, with both Yale and Rochester University conducting studies with participants over 18 years old only.