Hey folks,
I was hoping to get some advice/suggestions from fellow feminists on how to go about organizing a sexuality workshop for Sexual Assault Awareness Month this year. For several years now, students at my university have put together a sexual assault awareness week, which includes tabling with information on sexual assault, hosting a "Day of Expression" (a venue for victims of sexual assault to express themselves, as well as for other students to show their solidarity with these individuals through music, poetry, reflections, etc.), ending the week with Take Back the Night. As an upcoming senior, I will be one of the people organizing the event this year. I've always felt that something was missing from this week-long event, or that we could simply do more during the year to keep this issue at the forefront of college issues. Thinking it over, I've realized that a workshop on sexuality would be a great complement to our promotion of Sexual Assault Awareness. I'm looking for one that focuses on healthy consensual sex, understanding personal sexual needs, heterosexual/homosexual sexual roles and how they overlap with societal gender roles--basically a feminist workshop that promotes open dialogue about sexuality, taking into account the ways in which race, class, gender, and sexual orientation, and perhaps religion (but that might be asking too much) affect our sexual expectations and actions.
So, any suggestions?? I'm looking for something relatively affordable (I go to a SUNY school, after all), and preferably with a group from NY state (to cut down on travel expenses). Please let me know!
I'm also looking to hold a teach-in on sexuality and would really appreciate some article suggestions on the politics of sex.
Thanks!
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Think about approaching your local Planned Parenthood's education department for help with the workshop.
Did you want information/stories of how race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion effect different relationships? If you wanted some personal stories I would be happy to talk with you, as im sure many others would about their lives. I wasnt sure what information you needed so I didnt want to write three pages that werent needed! I think its great what you are doing, and I think it would help to talk to diverse individuals about the topics you mentioned for healthy consensual sexual relationships. That would really bring a diverse perspective and get people thinking. Its been my experiance that people respond faster to real stories than statistics.
Yes, personal stories would be greatly appreciated! My school held a Race on Campus Teach-In two years ago, which is what I'm basing my teach-in on. It included both personal stories, as well as scholarly articles on the subjects of race/white privelege. I'm hoping to do the same with mine: I personally value personal stories more than articles because they are so heartfelt and much more effective at breaking through apathy/complacency. However, since the teach-in will be held at a university, I want to also include contemporary articles which examine the ways that our culture, and specific social institutions, reinforce the Culture of Rape, as well as articles that engage in a dialogue about how these discussions of Rape Culture often overlook argumentative flaws of compulsory heterosexuality, white privelege, compulsory christianity, gender binaries, etc.
I would absolutely love and appreciate to read your personal story! I know blogs are pseudo anonymous, but if you would prefer to send me your story through email, let me know (or maybe there's some sort of personal message thing on Feministing that I'm unaware of, being a new member and all). Thank you for your response!
I volunteer at my university for a group called SAPAC (sexual assault prevention and awareness center) as a peer educator. We reguarly give workshops to the greek community, classes, other student groups, and every incoming freshman. We tailor our workshops to what the group requests, but even the most basic presentation on sexual assault and intimate partner violence almost always fuels discussion. I think it's great that you want to do this because I can tell you from experience that the average college student knows less about the topic than you'd think. This isn't to say that college students are necessarily dumb or even uninterested, but we live in a culture that constantly perpetuates myths about SA and promotes rape culture. In terms of saving money, I think it's totally doable to put something together on your own and save money on a speaker. Sometimes I think our group gives better presentations that guest speakers in my women's studies classes. I'm sorry if I rambled without being much help, but let me know if you want to further discuss this! And good luck!
Thank you for your advice and encouragement! I would love to discuss this more with you. I'm new to Feministing, so I'm not sure how to go about continueing our discussion--do folks usually do it through the comment section? Or is there an easier/more personal way to go about it?
Again, thank you for your comment!
Great! I have no idea how this works, comments are fine or if you want to give me your email address I can email you. I saw in the above comment that you were interested in incorporating personal stories. Have you considered holding a speak out? To me, speak outs are the most powerful events for both survivors and listeners. I wouldn't necessarily mix this with the educational component, though, because I would be afraid that people could conflate the educational piece with personal stories. While this isn't all bad, when giving a presentation on sexual violence I think it's most effective to stray away from personal stories because there is inevitably someone in the workshop whose friend/cousin/brother/etc. was accused of rape and this person 'knows' their friend was innocent, or the hypothetical, 'well what if...' However, if you're target audience is more of a feminist group/feminist friendly group then maybe you wouldn't have this problem. But even good people who may be socially consious on other issues often struggle with wrapping their mind around ideas like 'sexual assault is not about sexual attraction.' I know that the training I went through to be a member of this group absolutely blew my mind and I had considered myself a feminist long before I joined. It would be wonderful if you could inspire other 'aha!' moments!
Wow--I never would've considered that issue. Thanks for the forethought! Sometimes it's hard for me to wrap my head around why sexual assault issues can be so controversial, but I certainly get your point about separating the personal from the educational. The past few years at my college we have had speak-outs, and while I certainly want to continue having them and have always been personally touched by their stories, the rest of the campus just walks by the event without a care! Many students even walk in front of the speaker on their way to class and talk loudly as they pass through. It irks me to no end! That's part of why I'm trying to organize a teach-in: our school offers community service points for participating in such events. As much as I don't like to force issues on people, I feel the need to persuade them to actually take a moment to listen and think (after all, that's what we're paying to go to school to do). How have you dealt with reluctant participants in the past? How would you respond if someone started talking about an unfounded rape accusation?
Wow, I can't even imagine people acting so disrespectfully during a speak out! I guess I shouldn't be surprised but wow. And I can't believe how brave the speakers are to still speak in that environment! Our annual speak out takes place in a large ballroom where silence is required, and the space is closed off so people can't interupt or walk by, etc. It's really powerful because the entire ballroom sits is complete silence until someone goes up to the front to speak...and then more silence between each speaker (the speakers are unplanned and speak when/if they decide to). Only survivors are allowed to speak for the first hour and a half and the last half hour is open for comments from supporters/friends/etc. We have three microphones, one 'normal' microphone, one for those who do not want their image/name/words in the press, and one in a separate room that plays over the speakers if someone doesn't want to be seen. Every speaker recieves a flower and a hug as they step off stage and there are professional staff members available at all times in the next room to speak to anyone who wants to. Whew, that was a lot of rambling about our speak out. We hold a second one annually for volunteers only (obviously not in a large ball room) so maybe you could hold a smaller speak out that only includes those who attended the work shop or something?
As for dealing with reluctant participants, I do think it's a good idea to take advantage of the point system. I know it's not ideal, but it's realistic. If freshmen weren't required to attend our workshops in their dorms, they most certainly wouldn't. When I hear stories about someone's brother/cousin/best friend etc. I make sure to validate their story (even I think it's bs) by saying something like, "well I'm sorry that your brother/cousin/bff had that terrible experience, but statistically that is the rare exception." Which it is, because rape has the same false reporting rate as any other violent crime, contrary to popular belief. All the stats we use have been published by the government, which we state at the beginning, to dispell the myth that the crazy feminists make up numbers. I would make a list of 'tough question' like "if two people are drunk and have sex, does that mean they raped each other?" and formulate answers beforehand. Also, have as many stats handy as possible. I also have a hard time understanding why it's so difficult for people to hear "this is what rape is, rape is bad, don't rape" without getting defensive. But kudos to you for putting in the work to make them hear it anyway!