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November 5, 2015 | Vo l u m e 1 2 0 | Is s u e 2 5
Sex Week is coming
File photo / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo
Tatiana Falcón-Rodríguez dons a vulva costume during an event at last year’s Sex Week. The series of sex education events will return this coming week after drawing controversy a year ago.
SexUality Week to inform students on topics ranging from assault to pleasure By Ryan Lotz After a controversial premier last year, Sex Week has returned with the same goal: informing UNM students about necessary sexual education and promoting tolerance of the idea of sex. Sex Week, which goes by “SexUality Week” this year, will run from Nov. 9-13 on campus and will feature a variety of different classes, seminars and workshops covering different aspects of sex education for students. According to the Student Alliance for Reproductive Justice, the overall goal for SexUality Week is “to provide inclusive, comprehensive, educational and pleasurefocused sexual health information to the students and community of the University of New Mexico.” Activities will cover topics such as birth control, abortion, STIs, religion and sex, enhancing sexual relationships, more pleasurable sexual experiences and resources for those who may need help with relationships or sexual assault. Shaya Rogers, a member of the Student Alliance for Reproductive Justice, said SexUality Week is meant to offer students a chance to gain sex-related factual information in an open way that isn’t mediated by fear or shame. “We want to open up the conversation about sex to make students feel a little bit more comfortable talking about it and engaging in it so they are being safe,” Rogers said. Last year’s Sex Week was met with controversy due to the names of certain seminars, including “How To Be a Gentleman AND Get Laid” and “Reid’s Negotiating Successful Threesomes.” The Daily Lobo reported at the time that,
Here are the workshops and seminars that will be available to students as part of SexUality Week next week. Students can go to facebook.com/sexweekatunm for more information and event details.
Monday Noon But I’m Queer! What’s Consent Got To Do With It?, UNM LGBTQ Resource Center. 3:30 p.m. The State of Sex Education: A Spectrum of Sexual Identity panel discussion, SUB Atrium
Tuesday 3:30 p.m. The Birds and the Bees 2.0: Better Birth Control, Abortion and STI Education, SUB Atrium
Wednesday Noon It’s Not All Black and White: The
after receiving more than 40 complaints from unhappy parents, Student Affairs Vice President Eliseo “Cheo” Torres issued an apology, stating that sex education “should be done in a careful and respectful manner.” Rogers said the 2015 iteration of SexUality Week will host events titled “Sex Ed Quickies: Sexuality for the 21st Century” and “Panocha Platica: De-colonized and De-stigmatized Sex.” The names are not meant to incite backlash, but
Asexuality Spectrum, LGBTQ Resource Center 3:30 p.m. Let’s Talk About Sex and Religion: What Does Religion Say About Sex?, Mirage Thunderbird room in the SUB 5:30 p.m. Student Panocha Plática: De-colonized and De-stigmatized Sex, Facebook event RSVP required for location 7:30 p.m. Sex Ed A Go Go: University Edition!, SUB Ballroom A
Thursday 3:30 p.m. Sex Ed Quickies: Sexuality for the 21st Century, SUB Atrium
Friday 2 p.m. Pleasure for All Bodies: Self-Acceptance Through Sexuality, UNM Women’s Resource Center
are simply a fun and more interesting way to attract students, she said. “People are uncomfortable talking about sex. That’s a real thing,” Rogers said. “We understand that, but at the same time there are plenty of people who want to talk about sex and who need to talk about sex, and we’re there for them.” Nicholas Montoya, also a member of the Student Alliance for Reproductive Justice, said that although some people may oppose
a week dedicated to sex on campus, it’s all about giving students facts and information to make smart choices. “Focusing on what the student body needs and wants will definitely play a big role,” Montoya said. Rogers and Montoya said that the event will include information for members of LGBT and asexual communities, as well as those who may be interested in sex education that is not traditionally taught in school. “As a student, getting the necessary education that I need coming from the LGBT community that I never really got in high school, that’s something that we’re definitely going to cover,” Montoya said. “It’s going to be important to a lot of other kids.” Rogers said that the topics of oral, anal and vaginal sex will all be covered, since many people do not have just one type of sexual experience. She said students think about sex through a much wider lens. Although factual information and guidance is the driving point of this year’s SexUality Week, some think that the events promote sex without addressing the consequences. President of Students For Life Sade Patterson said last year’s workshops and classes were disappointing due to the lack of helpful resources and information on topics such as sexual assault, abortion and unplanned pregnancy. “Last year I saw workshops on how to have great sex and objectify women,” Patterson said. “Not once did they talk about sexual assault and how to prevent it. Not once did they talk about the consequences of sex, such as STDs or emotional distress.”
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