Sue Johanson, Canada’s favourite sex educator, dead at 93

Sue Johanson delighted, amused and educated fans with her straight talk about sex, relationships and intimacy.

Sue Johanson, Canada’s most beloved and celebrated sex educator, has died. She was 93.

Johanson rose to fame first in Canada with her call-in radio and television programs, both titled Sunday Night Sex Show. A U.S. spinoff followed, called Talk Sex With Sue Johanson.

According to reports, Johanson died in a long-term care facility in Thornhill, Ont., surrounded by family.

Chances are if you grew up between the late 1980s and early 2000s, you’re familiar with Johanson.

Through her programs, she taught many Canadians how to have safe sex and, also, how to enjoy it. No topic was too tough or taboo for Johanson, and fans found her no-limits style refreshing and funny.

Johanson would wade into conversations, sometimes to the network’s chagrin, about anal and gay sex, fetishes and sexual issues in the queer community, all of which were often considered taboo topics when her show was on the air.

Adding to her appeal and propelling her to stardom was Johanson’s straightforward, no-frills approach to awkward sex talk paired with her grandmotherly looks and razor-sharp sense of humour. (She “DGAF” before the acronym even became a thing.)

What started out as a small and sometimes controversial radio program eventually skyrocketed Johanson to international fame. She made appearances on Arsenio Hall, David Letterman and Conan O’Brien’s late-night talk shows. She was a recurring guest on the beloved Canadian Degrassi TV franchise. And she travelled across the country, appearing as a guest speaker at countless college and university events.