by Mariya Stangl
So, a few days ago I was in SHAC to get an annual women's health exam and I was asked to fill out an intake worksheet asking me different questions about my health. Most questions were pretty standard but there were a few questions that I didn't feel comfortable answering and wasn't quite sure how they related to my exam. There were a couple that I didn't answer but the one that stood out the most was a question that asked me to fill in every bubble of the people I'd had sexual contact with, male, female or both. I asked my doctor about why some of these questions were relevant to my exam and she responded with a generic answer about how SHAC is concerned about the overall health of it's students and that these questions were aimed to discover to the overall health and wellness of it's students. Which is a perfectly good answer but I still don't understand why they would need to know who I was being sexually active with to determine my health. Especially since the most highly infected population with HIV is no longer single gay males, but married heterosexual females. That is the only explanation I could come up with and it still doesn't make any sense. Of course there was a disclaimer at the bottom of the sheet that said I didn't HAVE to answer any questions that made me uncomfortable (and I didn't) but I was still asked the same questions by my doctor, who also claimed these questions weren't for insurance or survey reasons. I want to know why, specifically, I was asked this particular question and if there isn't a good answer I would like to move to get this form reconstructed for the peace and wellness of PSU students who do not feel comfortable disclosing this confidential and often times difficult information.
What do you think about SHAC asking its students about the gender of their sexual partners?
Showing posts with label sexuality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sexuality. Show all posts
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Guest Contributor: On Virginity
(originally posted 4/09 at wordpress.com)
by Daphne
What a strange concept virginity is. The idea behind such a status can be mind-boggling. How do we give meaning to virginity individually? There are a multitude of differing notions on which activities one can lose their virginity doing. The dictionary defines virginity as never having experienced intercourse. However, many would interpret it otherwise. Certain sexual acts would be included and others would be excluded. The definition of virginity is socially and contextually constructed, therefore the very conception of virginity is culturally based, not something one can reliably base on fact or certainty.
by Daphne
What a strange concept virginity is. The idea behind such a status can be mind-boggling. How do we give meaning to virginity individually? There are a multitude of differing notions on which activities one can lose their virginity doing. The dictionary defines virginity as never having experienced intercourse. However, many would interpret it otherwise. Certain sexual acts would be included and others would be excluded. The definition of virginity is socially and contextually constructed, therefore the very conception of virginity is culturally based, not something one can reliably base on fact or certainty.
Eyes Wide Open: The Burger King Likes Square Butts, huh...
(originally posted 4/09 at wordpress.com)
by Talia Jae Potter
The measure of a woman?
I walked into the Women's Center a week ago with Ellie and Deborah and our director pulled us over to the computer to show us a video. She told us how they had been talking about it on The Today Show or some other morning entertainment/news show. Apparently Burger King is promoting Spongebob Squarepants and has released a new commercial to hype the toys they pass out with their version of a happy meal. Spongebob is one of my daughter's favorite cartoons.
We pulled up the video and hit play.
Guest Contributor: "Bromance"
(originally posted 04/09 at wordpress)
by Alicia Katopodis
"Bromance"
I have recently noticed a new way of thinking about intimate relationships among young men. This new idea of "bromance" has revolutionized what is acceptable for men in our society. Now men can have relationships with men that involve feelings and emotions with out being labeled as homosexual. Now there is even a television show that airs on MTV that highlights this recent development. It is a competitive reality show that follows nine men as they compete for the friendship of one man, Brody Jenner. This concept has never been made into a public spectacle and so well received. This show and this concept has changed the opinions about male relationships. Yet it has also blurred the lines between male intimacy and male homosexuality.
by Alicia Katopodis
"Bromance"
I have recently noticed a new way of thinking about intimate relationships among young men. This new idea of "bromance" has revolutionized what is acceptable for men in our society. Now men can have relationships with men that involve feelings and emotions with out being labeled as homosexual. Now there is even a television show that airs on MTV that highlights this recent development. It is a competitive reality show that follows nine men as they compete for the friendship of one man, Brody Jenner. This concept has never been made into a public spectacle and so well received. This show and this concept has changed the opinions about male relationships. Yet it has also blurred the lines between male intimacy and male homosexuality.
Guest Contributor: Abstinence- Only Sex Education
(originally posted 02/09 at wordpress)
by Marissa Mark
Let’s talk about sex. Or can we? Since 1981, the federal government has been supporting abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. Though theoretically, abstinence-only programs are a good thing, in actuality, they are ethically problematic; exclude lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth; and create unknowledgeable teens (SIECUS).
Abstinence-only education, set up through the Social Security Act of 1998, states that the programs must teach, “social, psychological, and health gains of abstinence; abstinence as the expected standard; abstinence is the only certain way to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases; monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of sexual activity; sexual activity outside of the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects; how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increase vulnerability to sexual advances” among other things (U.S. Social Security Administration). Abstinence-only education is somewhat like communism-- in that the idea looks good on paper, but the execution of it becomes skewed. Though it claims to be teaching what is moral and what is effective, it is misleading to teenagers.
by Marissa Mark
Let’s talk about sex. Or can we? Since 1981, the federal government has been supporting abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. Though theoretically, abstinence-only programs are a good thing, in actuality, they are ethically problematic; exclude lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth; and create unknowledgeable teens (SIECUS).
Abstinence-only education, set up through the Social Security Act of 1998, states that the programs must teach, “social, psychological, and health gains of abstinence; abstinence as the expected standard; abstinence is the only certain way to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases; monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of sexual activity; sexual activity outside of the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects; how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increase vulnerability to sexual advances” among other things (U.S. Social Security Administration). Abstinence-only education is somewhat like communism-- in that the idea looks good on paper, but the execution of it becomes skewed. Though it claims to be teaching what is moral and what is effective, it is misleading to teenagers.
Hey... its 2009... Playboy... really???
(originally posted 01/09 at wordpress)
by Blythe Pavlik Why is Playboy okay?I don’t get it. I don’t get why Playboy is still considered the “gentlemen’s” magazine or why it is exempt, in some groups, from critical critique. I don’t get it. I grew up in a house with Playboy magazines.
by Blythe Pavlik Why is Playboy okay?I don’t get it. I don’t get why Playboy is still considered the “gentlemen’s” magazine or why it is exempt, in some groups, from critical critique. I don’t get it. I grew up in a house with Playboy magazines.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Feminism Isn’t a Four-Letter Word, Part III
(originally posted 08/08 at wordpress)
by Blythe Pavlik
I am finding my voice thanks to feminism. I’m sure this is much of the reason why feminism and its participants get such a bad wrap. It is as if feminism is the can opener – and the can, of course is institutionalize, traditionalized, socialized… patriarchy.
by Blythe Pavlik
I am finding my voice thanks to feminism. I’m sure this is much of the reason why feminism and its participants get such a bad wrap. It is as if feminism is the can opener – and the can, of course is institutionalize, traditionalized, socialized… patriarchy.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
(originally posted 04/08 at wordpress)
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)There are a lot of great events going on at Portland State University and in the Community.April 3:
9:30a @ SE Multnomah County Building, 501 SE Hawthorne Boulevard
A proclamation of support and acknowledgement of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The Board of County Commissioners will also be honoring OHSU's Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner's Program who has pioneered the medical response to sexual assault in Portland.
Presented by the Multnomah County Sexual Assault Response Team
April 11:
12-2pm at the Multicultural Center in Smith Memorial Student Union Room 223 Communities Against Rape and Abuse is a Seattle-based organization created to undermine the root causes of sexual violence and is driven by survivors who are marginalized from mainstream sexual assault services.
Presented by the Tri-County Sexual Assault Task Force. and lots of FOOD will be provided. You can learn more about this awesome group of activists at http://www.cara-seattle.org/
April 21st
Lasting Relationships: A Brown Bag Lunch at the Multicultural Center 12am to 2pm. Northwest Family Services presenter Jed Johnson will visit PSU to talk about: 1) Sliding Vs. Deciding Making decisions about what you want, rather than sliding into situations. 2) Problem Behaviors - Danger signs in unsafe partners. 3) Smart Love - Seek a good match. Pay attention to values. Choose a real partner, not a "makeover" project. Don't try to change
yourself. Expect good communication and don't run from conflict. Don't play games, pressure or manipulate someone. Have a bottom line. 4) "Should I stay or go" dos and don'ts if you decide to break up. 5) Info sheet on "Taking stock of support in my life".
April 24th
Take Back the Night (TBtN) at PSU 6:30pm-9:30pm in the Park Blocks.
Bike Back the Night: presented by Portland Women's Crisis Line (PWCL) happening before TBtN at 5pm in Colonel Summer's Park, 20th & SE Belmont Street.
A spin on Take Back the Night, riders will take to the streets to demonstrate their commitment to a world without sexual violence. The ride will end at Portland State University in time to join in and celebrate their campus Take Back the Night.
And, one more fabulous event to attend will be the Multnomah County Proclamation of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This will happen April 3rd at 9:30am in the Multnomah County Building at 501 SE Hawthorne. Presented by the Multnomah County Sexual Assault Response Team.
9:30a @ SE Multnomah County Building, 501 SE Hawthorne Boulevard
A proclamation of support and acknowledgement of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The Board of County Commissioners will also be honoring OHSU's Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner's Program who has pioneered the medical response to sexual assault in Portland.
Presented by the Multnomah County Sexual Assault Response Team
April 11:
12-2pm at the Multicultural Center in Smith Memorial Student Union Room 223 Communities Against Rape and Abuse is a Seattle-based organization created to undermine the root causes of sexual violence and is driven by survivors who are marginalized from mainstream sexual assault services.
Presented by the Tri-County Sexual Assault Task Force. and lots of FOOD will be provided. You can learn more about this awesome group of activists at http://www.cara-seattle.org/
April 21st
Lasting Relationships: A Brown Bag Lunch at the Multicultural Center 12am to 2pm. Northwest Family Services presenter Jed Johnson will visit PSU to talk about: 1) Sliding Vs. Deciding Making decisions about what you want, rather than sliding into situations. 2) Problem Behaviors - Danger signs in unsafe partners. 3) Smart Love - Seek a good match. Pay attention to values. Choose a real partner, not a "makeover" project. Don't try to change
yourself. Expect good communication and don't run from conflict. Don't play games, pressure or manipulate someone. Have a bottom line. 4) "Should I stay or go" dos and don'ts if you decide to break up. 5) Info sheet on "Taking stock of support in my life".
April 24th
Take Back the Night (TBtN) at PSU 6:30pm-9:30pm in the Park Blocks.
Bike Back the Night: presented by Portland Women's Crisis Line (PWCL) happening before TBtN at 5pm in Colonel Summer's Park, 20th & SE Belmont Street.
A spin on Take Back the Night, riders will take to the streets to demonstrate their commitment to a world without sexual violence. The ride will end at Portland State University in time to join in and celebrate their campus Take Back the Night.
And, one more fabulous event to attend will be the Multnomah County Proclamation of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This will happen April 3rd at 9:30am in the Multnomah County Building at 501 SE Hawthorne. Presented by the Multnomah County Sexual Assault Response Team.
Herstory: Gladys Bentley
(originally posted 03/08 at wordpress)
by mae stephenson
by mae stephenson
Gladys Bentley (1907 - 1960)
Audio Clip from www.queerculturalcenter.org
Gladys Bentley was an out lesbian blues singer during the Harlem Renaissance. She moved to Harlem from Pennsylvania at age 16 and began performing at rent parties (thrown by artists for a cover charge to raise rent), soon graduating to speakeasies and nightclubs. She gained immense notoriety for her raunchy renditions of popular songs, always performed in her signature tux and top hat. She began recording her music in the 1930's, and while politics of the era forced her to forego including her songs with lesbian lyrics, she still performed them at clubs and attracted a predominately gay audience. Once the "lavender scare" and McCarthyism hit in the 1950's, Bentley became a prime target an as out lesbian bulldagger in the entertainment industry. Despite her previous marriage to a white woman in New Jersey, she quickly married a man and began wearing dresses, touting salvation via the consumption of female hormones. Her efforts to survive in a dangerous era are seen as a piece of her important herstory.
For more information, visit http://www.queerculturalcenter.org/Pages/Bentley/BentleyBio.html or http://lesbianlife.about.com/od/lesbiansinhistory/p/GladysBentley.htm
Dear Bird and Bitsy
(Originally posted 03/08 at wordpress)
Dear B&B,
I have been married to a man for about six years, we have been together for eight. I love him, we have a baby, and a great life together. He is handsome and affectionate. The problem is that he wants to have sex all of the time, he asks me every night. It has gotten routine for me to turn him away and for him to pout or get mad. It isn’t that I’m not attracted to him or that I want anything different, I am just tired and not into it. I go to school, take care of the baby, do all the chores, cooking, and cleaning and by the end of the day, I am exhausted and don’t feel attractive or horny. I know I should learn to have sex even when I don’t want to. How can I learn to get into it even when I’m not feeling particularly horny or even awake?
Thanks, Not Feeling in the Mood
Dear NFM,
A couple of things, you two need to talk. I know, people think talking about their sex life, especially when it isn't going great, can be an excruciating, embarrassing, or potentially hurtful experience. But, if you don't talk about how you are feeling, you will build worse and worse habits with each other.
Second, the routine that the two of you are in which he instigates, you are the gate-keeper, and he pressures some more is pretty troubling. When you talk to him it is important to listen about where he is coming from, but the two of you need to talk about this assumption that you are both making that you owe him sex and he deserves it. You are denying your own needs to try to meet his. There is clearly more going on in your relationship and lack of sex is the symptom. Maybe your husband needs to get off his ass and do his share of the chores, taking care of the baby, cleaning, and emotional support. Feeling appreciated, not being exhausted, and not feeling pressured can go along way in increasing horniness.
Lots of love, Bird
Dear NFM,
I'm sorry, did you say YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD LEARN TO HAVE SEX EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T WANT TO"?!?!?! Newsflash--your body is yours. Your sexuality is yours. I wish I could surgically remove that idea from your brain. If your husband has any self respect, HE SHOULD BE APPALLED BY THE IDEA OF HAVING SEX WITH SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T WANT TO BE DOING IT! Let me ask you this: Does it sound really hot to you to get all steamy with someone who is just going through the motions to appease some archaic sense of obligation? Secondly, How about showing you and your spouse that people who are rested, cared for, supported, and not overworked might be more likely (but still not obliged) to be in the mood for a little slap and tickle. Finally, have you considered that rather than asking: "how can I have sex when I don't want to?" you could be asking: "how can I get my sex life back"? Maybe you once loved sex (if you didn't, it's not too late), it sounds like you're attracted to your husband, so wouldn't it be great to take care of your self and get your sex drive back? You might teach your partner a thing or two about the behaviors and interactions that turn you on, like how great he looks wringing out a mop or playing with his kids. You can also tell him how sexy you feel after a night out dancing with your friends, a day hiking at the coast, or whatever it is that lights you up.
Sincerely, Bitsy
Dear B&B,
I have been married to a man for about six years, we have been together for eight. I love him, we have a baby, and a great life together. He is handsome and affectionate. The problem is that he wants to have sex all of the time, he asks me every night. It has gotten routine for me to turn him away and for him to pout or get mad. It isn’t that I’m not attracted to him or that I want anything different, I am just tired and not into it. I go to school, take care of the baby, do all the chores, cooking, and cleaning and by the end of the day, I am exhausted and don’t feel attractive or horny. I know I should learn to have sex even when I don’t want to. How can I learn to get into it even when I’m not feeling particularly horny or even awake?
Thanks, Not Feeling in the Mood
Dear NFM,
A couple of things, you two need to talk. I know, people think talking about their sex life, especially when it isn't going great, can be an excruciating, embarrassing, or potentially hurtful experience. But, if you don't talk about how you are feeling, you will build worse and worse habits with each other.
Second, the routine that the two of you are in which he instigates, you are the gate-keeper, and he pressures some more is pretty troubling. When you talk to him it is important to listen about where he is coming from, but the two of you need to talk about this assumption that you are both making that you owe him sex and he deserves it. You are denying your own needs to try to meet his. There is clearly more going on in your relationship and lack of sex is the symptom. Maybe your husband needs to get off his ass and do his share of the chores, taking care of the baby, cleaning, and emotional support. Feeling appreciated, not being exhausted, and not feeling pressured can go along way in increasing horniness.
Lots of love, Bird
Dear NFM,
I'm sorry, did you say YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD LEARN TO HAVE SEX EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T WANT TO"?!?!?! Newsflash--your body is yours. Your sexuality is yours. I wish I could surgically remove that idea from your brain. If your husband has any self respect, HE SHOULD BE APPALLED BY THE IDEA OF HAVING SEX WITH SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T WANT TO BE DOING IT! Let me ask you this: Does it sound really hot to you to get all steamy with someone who is just going through the motions to appease some archaic sense of obligation? Secondly, How about showing you and your spouse that people who are rested, cared for, supported, and not overworked might be more likely (but still not obliged) to be in the mood for a little slap and tickle. Finally, have you considered that rather than asking: "how can I have sex when I don't want to?" you could be asking: "how can I get my sex life back"? Maybe you once loved sex (if you didn't, it's not too late), it sounds like you're attracted to your husband, so wouldn't it be great to take care of your self and get your sex drive back? You might teach your partner a thing or two about the behaviors and interactions that turn you on, like how great he looks wringing out a mop or playing with his kids. You can also tell him how sexy you feel after a night out dancing with your friends, a day hiking at the coast, or whatever it is that lights you up.
Sincerely, Bitsy
The Vagina Monologues Inspire Portland
(originally posted 02/08 at wordpress)
by Blythe Pavlik
Friday night I gathered some friends and headed down to PSU for the second night’s performance of the Vagina Monologues. When we arrived on the third floor of Smith Memorial we were greeted with positive, welcoming vibes. Smiling people lined the way to the entrance creating a funnel into the ballroom where we connected with all the other vagina celebrators. Volunteers and tablers were helpful, directive and very knowledgeable. My friends and I felt well received.
by Blythe Pavlik
Friday night I gathered some friends and headed down to PSU for the second night’s performance of the Vagina Monologues. When we arrived on the third floor of Smith Memorial we were greeted with positive, welcoming vibes. Smiling people lined the way to the entrance creating a funnel into the ballroom where we connected with all the other vagina celebrators. Volunteers and tablers were helpful, directive and very knowledgeable. My friends and I felt well received.
Asexuality, Not Just For Amebas Anymore!
(originally posted 6/18/2007 at wordpress)
by Jennifer Tennent
If you were to look up the word “asexual” in the dictionary chances are the entry would read: non-sexual reproduction exemplified by plants and single celled organisms. Unknown to many people the word asexual has taken on a new meaning:
by Jennifer Tennent
If you were to look up the word “asexual” in the dictionary chances are the entry would read: non-sexual reproduction exemplified by plants and single celled organisms. Unknown to many people the word asexual has taken on a new meaning:
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