Sex! It’s a steamy topic that gets talked about as frequently as the Facebook craze, but do students understand it as well as they should?
To address sex in a fun and creative way, the University of Calgary Students’ Union will run a series of activities in and around the MacEwan Student Centre during Sexual Awareness Week. The events will take place March 23-27.
Activities include a Belly Dancers Studio Sublime performance, a Culturally Sexy panel discussion, the Sex Fair, Love Knows No Gender dance party and drag queen and king show, a Perogies and Porn film screening which will feature The Vice Guide to Sex: Genki and the Art of Eel Porn and Young People Fucking, Queer Community Resource Panel, the Snowboard Club’s annual Porn Star Cab, Queer Speed Dating and four separate Photo/Voice Exhibits.
Jocelyn Kelln, the program assistant for the Women’s Resource Centre, said her team will be hosting Sex Toys for Single Women, which will introduce the women’s positive sex boutique, A Little More Interesting.
The shop will promote sex products made from non-toxic materials, including medical grade silicone and elastomer. A Little More Interesting owner Sue Naylen Sorrell is scheduled to discuss body image and sexual empowerment for women in the WRC from 4-6 p.m.
“We think that this is a really good place to host a sex toy workshop,” said Kelln. “Talking about sexual empowerment and owning your own body and knowing yourself because this is a safe place on campus– non-judgemental, open and welcoming. I think that really aligns with [the WRC’s] values.”
The WRC also plans to set up a booth at the Sex Fair on March 24 in the north courtyard. Kelln said the WRC will offer information about reproduction, sexual health resources and a chance to play some trivia games.
Additionally, the WRC plans to have AIDS Calgary talk about Shift– a program that helps sex trade workers reduce harm to themselves and improve their quality of life. Two film screenings will be shown through the campus-sanctioned club Feminist Initiative Recognizing Equality on March 24 and 26 at 5 p.m. The first will address violence, media and the crisis of masculinity and the second is about the medicalization of pregnancy and midwifery.
FIRE vice-president of events Delshani Peiris said Sexual Awareness Week is interesting because it covers a broad range of sexual awareness issues.
“We weren’t focusing on just one aspect like we weren’t just focusing on birth control or what it means by safe sex,” she said. “We attempted to touch upon the entire spectrum of sex and sexuality and what it means.”
Co-chair of the U of C Queers on Campus club Jasmine Ing added that an anti-homophobia campaign is in the works as well.
“I think that [the activities] bring an important dimension to sexual awareness, to the school,” said Ing. “We don’t really think you can talk about sexuality without talking about people outside of the heterosexual norm.”
SU vice-president events Luke Valentine said he’s excited about this year’s Sexual Awareness Week and hopes that students will develop a healthier attitude towards their own sexuality.
“I think [Sexual Awareness Week] is important because a lot of students have sex and it’s important to show sex in a positive way instead of saying, ‘Don’t have sex, don’t do that,’ ” he said.