Flowers are great on Valentine’s Day, but why not skip to what’s really important — sex. Starting Feb. 9, Porter College will host a week of events, titled “Week of Great Sex,” to promote discourse about sexuality and sexual health.
“It’s important to open up the conversation about these topics,” said Porter Community Assistant (CA) and event co-organizer Bethani Bridges. “Some people can feel shy about addressing some topics concerning sexuality or feel like they could learn more but don’t know where to start.”
Discussion topics include consent, foreplay, masturbation and everything and anything sex related. The week of events aims to get students talking about sex and sexuality, Bridges said.
“Being in a college environment in this country and in this culture, sex is very prominent,” said Porter CA and co-organizer Marissa Lowenberg. “We want to promote sex positivity and people having sex in a healthy and happy way.”
The week starts with a visit from Patti Stott, a representative from local sex shop Camouflage, to answer questions about sex and toys in an event called, “Beyond Dildos: An Expert Presentation of Sex Toys and More!”
“The idea to bring Patti came from one of our co-organizers who knew that Patti was really funny, entertaining and inclusive, and inclusivity is something we want to promote,” Lowenberg said.
Student Health Outreach and Promotion (SHOP) and the Condom Co-op will also take part in the week of events advocating for safe sex by providing students with resources and even condom bingo. The Condom Co-op sells male condoms at eight for $1, as well as female condoms for 75 cents, lube for 50 cents and pregnancy tests for $3. SHOP, located at the Student Health Center, offers information and education about alcohol and drug use, sexually transmitted infections, rape crisis counseling and more.
On Feb. 11, students will be encouraged to speak about sexuality through a creative medium in an event called, “Tongues Unleashed: An Open Mic Collaboration with Kinetic Poetics Project.”
“It will be an inclusive space for people to say what they want to say about their sexuality or sexuality in general, ask questions and learn something about human sexuality while getting to use their creative side,” event co-organizer Bridges said.
