by Alana Laanui |
This week is Diversity Dialogues week. If you are looking to explore another side of diversity, come to Body 101, and learn more about diversity in terms of sexuality.
The Feminist Discussion Group and Gay-Straight Partnership are hosting a sex education event known as Body 101. It will be a non-heteronormative discussion on topics ranging from gender to safe sex practices held this Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Mago Hunt Recital Center.
Amanda Crowe, a junior nursing major and ASUP senator, has been working for months to organize this event. Crowe has been shocked by the lack of knowledge that many students on campus have when it comes to sex education. Body 101 will look at sexuality through multiple lenses to equip students with basic knowledge.
“I want people to know about sexuality from how it really is instead of what all of these agendas are, just stating it from a factual, biological perspective,” Crowe said.
Crowe recalls those awkward films that many students had to watch in elementary and middle school. A melodic voice explained the birds and the bees while half the class was giggling at the graphics. Unfortunately, Crowe said, this often seems to be the extent that sex is talked about in the classroom and is the only knowledge students have when first coming to college.
“There is such a lack of knowledge about the human body especially when it comes to sexual health,” Crowe said. “I want people to feel more comfortable addressing these topics no matter what walk of life they are.”
Body 101 will feature panelists from the Health Center, biology department and Planned Parenthood, as well as a transgender student. Crowe hopes these panelists will provide multiple perspectives.
“I want students to know about this,” Crowe said. ”I want students to be advocates for themselves and for each other in their sexual health. I want every student to feel like they can talk about these things and to have these tools in their tool box.”
Alana Laanui is a reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at laanui18@up.edu or on Twitter @AlanaLaanui.
