Let's Talks About Sex

Safe is sexy. Such was the mantra of  "Let's Talk About Sex!" which, last Thursday, October 6, 2011, packed the Frost Academic Commons.  The workshop, facilitated by Professor Robin DeRosa and Resident Director Kyle O'Neill, blushed the cheek of many a participant.

The introduction typified the night, it being given by Chlamydia, a stuffed toy effigy of the sexually transmitted infection. A meet and greet followed, where participants were given index cards with "Meet and greet!" written on them in varying colors and asked to approach three people that they didn't know, touch them in a nonsexual way, and get their signature.  Once this was done, everyone returned to their seats, where DeRosa and O'Neill proceeded to tell the participants that certain colors of the "Meet and greet" cards represented STIs. They then had those "infected" stand, and then those who had obtained their signature were told to stand, as they too had been "infected".  About three quarters of the room had stood up, serving to illustrate the real and disturbing prevalence of STIs. Stuffed toy versions of gonorrhea, Herpes, and a makeshift HIV bear made appearances as well; in British voices provided by DeRosa, the cuddly disease dolls gave bios of themselves providing useful and sometimes scandalizing information to entertainingly promote awareness.

"There really is no safer sex that the sex you have by yourself," said DeRosa, promoting masturbation as a way of protecting oneself from venereal disease.  She went on to say, "You can't give yourself herpes." The highly underrated dental dam was sung praises by the facilitators, who said, "Dental dams ease you into the world of oral sex." In fact, barrier protection was emphasized as the easiest form of STI prevention. Condoms were given out at the end of the event, and are also available at all times in the Wellness Center, the SAGE center, and all residential halls as well as various other locations across campus.  

 The hoodie and jean clad workshop-goers enjoyed several sex positive step-by-step condom instructions, a condom application race, and a chance to play with rubber gloves and lubricant. The atmosphere was open and animated; O'Neill repeated throughout the night, "If you can't talk about it, you shouldn't be doing it."

The event was a part of Queer History Month. The session was packed with great questions, examples, and ideas that most students aren't comfortable bringing up themselves.  The staff made this session fun and comfortable for students to engage in the sex talk. Information and sexual humor were doled out in the interest of keeping sex both hot and safe.