Facilitators: Sex has more than 1 way

by Signe Brewster

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 01:31

Sex Out Loud program facilitators Erica Andrist and Ryan Adserias are in agreement about one thing: There is more than one way to think about sexuality.

During a presentation Monday night to University of Wisconsin group Allies Program, the facilitators said media emphasizes that there is only one way to think about sexuality, and that “is really not a great message to send.”

“I think that’s one part of what Sex Out Loud is: to show that sexuality is a fluid thing, and that pleasure is a fluid thing,” Adserias said. “You should think about individuals as defined by people, not defined by the editors of Cosmo.”

Andrist, a UW senior and Badger Herald sex columnist, described the media as a powerful force in shaping student perceptions of sexuality, calling it a “double-edged sword” because of its ability to break down and set up societal norms. She said while these are not always positive, diversity is a necessary component.

“For lots and lots of people, either major or minor aspects of their identity are not seen on television, and so I think that having more diversity … on television does make a difference,” she added.

The presentation took place during the weekly meeting of Allies Program, a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender group that focuses on the educational aspects of the LGBT community.

Allies Program Co-President Tony Giuffre said his group’s goal is to educate the campus community about the LGBT community.

“If students are looking to become more involved in the LGBT community, I think student orgs are the first resource they should look for,” Giuffre said.

Giuffre expressed disappointment that the program was not geared more toward LGBT-lifestyles, but noted the material presented was still educational for the students present.

According to Andrist, this is a result of the way Sex Out Loud is orchestrated.

“It’s not like we have a pleasure program that we do for the heterosexual section of campus and a pleasure program that we do for the [LGBT] community on campus,” Andrist said. “We make sure that we emphasize … issues that are more predominant in these communities, but it’s not like it is a vastly different program, and I think that is what the biggest misconceptions about … the programs are.”

“It gives people a chance to ask questions in a peer-to-peer environment. It gives an air of approachability that isn’t always present with other professionals,” Andrist said. “We’re not here to advocate that people have sex. We’re here to advocate that people have the information about sex that they want and that they need when they are making choices.”