Ahead of Valentine’s Day, college students are being offered workshops on topics like ‘masochism, fetish’ and ‘fornication’
Colleges and universities across the US have launched a ‘Sex Week’ ahead of Valentine’s Day aimed at broadening their students’ horizons. A wide array of workshops and events are planned for the next seven days starting February 7.
Organizers got creative, coming up with names like “Condom Bingo,” “SEXtravaganza,” and “Freaky Friday: A Beginner’s Guide to Pleasure,” to name but a few.
Hood College in Frederick, Maryland has paid special attention to issues faced by transgender people, with an event named “Lunch and Learn Reproductive Journeys of Trans and Non-binary People” helping students to learn more.
Tammi Simpson, JD, vice president of community and inclusivity at Hood College, said ‘Sex Week’ was particularly helpful as students got the chance to “learn, ask questions, and think about what is important to them in a relationship.”
Down South, a special Sex Week event at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana is dealing with subjects like “polyamory and ethical non-monogamy.” Another event called “Sexy Bingo” is helping students “engage in conversations about sexuality and learn about safer sex practices, sexual anatomy, sexual behavior and preference, and pleasure.” And there are actual prizes for the winners – “sex toys” and other “sex giveaways.”
At Ohio State University, students are being encouraged to “treat themselves” in a workshop devoted to “masturbation and self-exploration.” Another event seeks to introduce young people to “all things bondage, dominance, submission, sadism, masochism, fetish,” with an opportunity to “get hands-on with a variety of toys and gear.” On top of that, Ohio State students can visit the “Genital Diversity Gallery” as well, which aims to “destigmatize genitals and celebrate the diversity of bodies that exist.”
The highly charged topic of abortion dominates one more event at that university, where students are encouraged to “help thank abortion providers in Ohio and Texas for the valuable work they do for reproductive rights!”
Sky Hart, president of Student Advocates for Sexual Health Awareness told Fox News Digital that the event “emphasizes the constitutional right to a safe abortion, however many do not share that belief.” According to Hart, these health professionals “deserve appreciation, and should be reminded of the fact they are assisting our communities greatly.”
However, not everyone is impressed by the initiative. For instance, Kristan Hawkins, president of the anti-abortion group Students for Life, believes the university is doing a “disservice to students” by sponsoring the event. She criticized educational institutions for “ignoring their mandate to educate students and instead act as though their real purpose is facilitating the parties.”
Similar-themed ‘Sex Weeks’ have been held annually in multiple universities across the US since the early 2010s. Such events are no strangers to controversy and public debate.
For example, several years ago conservative lawmakers branded a ‘Sex Week’ at the University of Tennessee a “national embarrassment,” with legislative leaders demanding a report on whether state funds had been used to organize it.
