Fox Fisher and Durex celebrate exploration and education with exclusive Pride designs

A composite image of artist Fox Fisher next to a series of illustrations that form part of his Pride collaboration with Durex

Artist Fox Fisher admits they are “still affected” by a lack of teaching around LGBTQ+ sex and relationships as they lend their queer creative vision to an empowering new collaboration with Durex to mark Pride and celebrate the work Durex and Stonewall have done to drive LGBTQ+-inclusive sex education since 2021. 

Fox, a queer, trans-masculine, multi-disciplinary creative and campaigner, is renowned for their colourful designs that explore the queer experience through a lens of joy, strength and resilience.

Now, they’ve teamed up with Durex to create a one-off collection of caps, pin badges and stickers featuring a series of cheeky and unifying illustrations that can be found in each and every Durex x Fox limited edition CelebraXion box, which also contain a handy LGBTQ+-inclusive sex education guide developed with Stonewall and leading community voices, as well as and either condoms or a toy (depending on your preference). 

With £52 worth of free merchandise in each box, the collaboration celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community and encourages LGBTQ+ people to feel confident and empowered to explore their sexuality on their terms this Pride season – all while looking and feeling the part, too.

While the picture is slowly improving for LGBTQ+ youth in England with the introduction of mandatory sex and relationship education that includes teaching around sexual orientation and gender identity in secondary schools in 2020, many in the community are still dealing with the ramifications of outdated sex education that simply failed to acknowledge LGBTQ+ sex and self-expression.

Fox counts himself among this group, describing his own experience of sex education delivered by an “older, stern deputy principal” as “awkward” and “haunting”.

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“Not being able to see myself represented, and lack of understanding really took a toll on my confidence because I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere”, recalls Fox, who says pressure to conform left them feeling like they were “living a double life” as an adolescent.

“My relationships were fraught with feeling bad about my body and therefore not being able to be present,” they explain.

“I didn’t have the language and I didn’t feel safe enough to explore.”

Fox’s own schooling came during the era of Section 28, the legislation banning the so-called ‘promotion’ of homosexuality or LGBTQ+ issues in schools in England and Wales from 1988-2003. Following its abolition, it took 17 years for compulsory LGBTQ+-inclusive sex and relationship education to be introduced in secondary schools in England. Even now, an ongoing review into relationship, sex and health education (RSHE) means that the future strength of teaching cannot be taken for granted.

A composite image of Fox Fisher next to a Durex x Fox limited edition CelebraXion box, released to mark Pride
Every Durex x Fox limited edition CelebraXion box contains the Stonewall x Durex LGBTQ+- inclusive sex ed guide, lube, free merch worth £52 and either a toy or condoms now. (PinkNews/Durex)

As Fox himself notes: “Social change and legal change don’t always occur simultaneously.”

In 2021, a survey by Durex of LGBTQ+ people in the UK found that just 6 per cent of queer individuals felt that sex ed had given them confidence in their sexuality. That’s why Durex have been working with Stonewall since 2021 to help give queer people the tools they need to safely and successfully navigate sex and unleash the exploration and liberation we all deserve. 

The result – All In – is an inclusive and alternative sex ed guide featuring vital insights and advice from LGBTQ+ people. What’s more, it’s included in Durex’s limited edition CelebraXion boxes alongside Fox’s stylish accessories, Durex lube and a toy or condoms, so queer people can bring in Pride month feeling empowered to safely learn something new (and to try it, too). 

“I am still affected today, by the trauma of growing up without inclusive sex education and support”, declares Fox, who remembers finally “feeling a deep sense of belonging” after first hearing the terms genderqueer and non-binary.

“This is one of my main motivations for all the work that I do, to help people feel less alone, more connected,” they state.

For Fox, having access to an LGBTQ+-friendly sex ed guide like that contained within Durex’s CelebraXion boxes would have been a “game-changer” growing up – and even now, given that some of the challenges faced after missing out can “last a lifetime”.

“It’s incredibly heartening to see brands like Durex actively filling the information gap in inclusive sex and relationship education for the LGBTQIA+ community,” he comments.

“As a queer, trans-masculine artist, I’m thrilled that Durex is stepping up to show their support for LGBTQIA+ lives.”

That stepping up is plain to see in Durex’s pledge to donate £1 in every £5 spent on durex.co.uk to LGBTQ charity Stonewall* – another tangible commitment to the community that Fox believes is “essential” to any Pride campaign.

Fox also highlights the “refreshing” creative freedom he was given to create illustrations and screen prints that capture the essential joy and pleasure of Pride through the collection’s “cheeky, playful puns”.

“Of all the pieces I’ve designed for the Durex CelebraXion Box, the cap holds a special place in my heart,” admits Fox, who eagerly explains that the Pride-ready accessory’s quality of craftsmanship means it’s “not just a statement piece, but also a reflection of our shared passion for excellence.”

All-too-often, conversations about LGBTQ+-inclusive sex education are limited to the classroom, but the truth is that understanding sex and identity – and embracing all of their exciting possibilities – is a life-long journey. 

For Fox, experiencing joy is a process that depends on the “freedom and security to discover one’s true identity.”

“Transforming challenging experiences into art is a remarkable feeling,” they note, adding sagely: “Everyone deserves to feel safe to explore.”

Get your Durex x Fox limited edition CelebraXion box featuring the Stonewall x Durex LGBTQ+- inclusive sex ed guide, lube, free merch worth £52 and either a toy or condoms now.

*Durex and Stonewall are working together to support inclusive sex education. Durex will donate £1 for every £5 spent on Durex.co.uk to Stonewall Equality Limited (a charity registered in England and Wales, number 1101255, and in Scotland, number SCO39681). Valid from the 5th of June to the 9th of July 2023. 

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