EDITOR'S NOTE: Trust Women Week overlaps with the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and reasserts our firm commitment to reclaiming the future of reproductive decision-making in 2012. Throughout the week, Amplify will be honoring women's experiences and voices by featuring a different story from The 1 in 3 Campaign January 21-27.

1in3Campaign - Bianca from biancalaureano on Vimeo.

by Bianca Laureano

There’s always talk about virginity, at least it seems that way. The idea of virginity and who is a virgin has been discussed for generations. It probably will continue for more generations after today. Earlier last week Samantha  wrote about virginity in the article “Myths About Virginity in Glee’s ‘First Time’”  and highlights 4 myths about virginity connected to the show. One of my homegirls, Ellen, also wrote about virginity focused primarily among queer youth and answered questions such as “how does a gay or lesbian person ‘lose’ their virginity?”  and also discusses Kurt “losing” his virginity on Glee. 

I greatly appreciate all of these posts because I stopped watching Glee seasons ago. This was around the time they were just not getting a lot of things right for me as a viewer. Like many folks, I decided to spend my time not working on shows that are actually entertaining and not enraging. Nonetheless, I still find these examples important to know about and to possibly use as opportunities to start conversations.

So this post is also about virginity. It’s about virginity because I went to see an advanced screening of the film Immortals  (in 3D) which was the highest grossing film this weekend bringing an estimated $68 million worldwide.  Now, I admit that I would not have seen this film had I had to pay for it, you can read my full review here,  but there were very interesting conversations around virginity represented that got me thinking for today’s post.

The narrative of virginity in the film were connected to the gift of seeing the future that the Oracle had (played by Freida Pinto) who is protected by three High Priestesses of various ethnic backgrounds throughout the film. The High Priestesses are there to deter those who wish to harm the Oracle and confuse them to which woman is the actual Oracle. Now, we are expected to believe the reason she has this gift is because she is touched by the gods and that it is only hers until she no longer is a virgin.

Yes, we’ve heard this story before. Lots of pressure on a woman and her virginity. What I did not expect was the Oracle to decide to give up her gift (seeing the future) and thus have sex. She decided that the pressure of seeing the world through other people’s eyes was too much. She wanted to see the world through her own eyes. As a result she decided to have penetrative vaginal intercourse, or so we are lead to believe.

What strikes me as interesting was this connection of responsibility and pressure connected to virginity. Isn’t that the truth?! There are so many ways that young women, especially young women of Color’s, virginity is connected to their being honorable, pure, good, and eventually being gifted with a relationship (often with someone of another gender), support, and everlasting love. It’s very much a constructed message directed mainly at young women. There are also many ways we and society, judge youth who engage in sexual activities and assume they are not aware of what they are doing. Sometimes they are often asked “why” they would want to engage in such activities. I’m not sure many folks would be ready to hear all the answers. Often, I find, we say “I don’t know” because it’s the closest thing we have to understanding what self-determination feels and sounds like.

So what if we looked at virginity from a different lens. From the lens of getting rid of pressure to be pure and honorable, desiring to have control over one’s life versus doing what others tell people to do. I’m basically talking about agency and self-determination here. If we looked at virginity and the choices some young people make in no longer maintaining/claiming/holding onto their virginity as a form of self-determination how may the messaging and work we do change and shift? What new challenges may we encounter? Who will be excluded from this approach (i.e. people who do not have a choice to maintain/claim/hold onto their virginity because of sexual abuse, rape, child marriage, etc.)?

I’ve thought about this topic for a very long time. How virginity is connected to a sense of morality and decency. My personal conclusion is that a lot of our understanding and ideas about virginity are connected to conquest and colonization. Some books that have helped me think more about this topic include Dr. Eileen Suarez-Findaly’s Imposing Decency: The Politics of Imposing Sexuality and Race in Puerto Rico 1870-1920,  and Hanne Blank’s Virgin: The Untouched History.  When I think about how complex virginity is, that is when I begin to understand we cannot just have one definition, one response, one reaction, and one right way.

by Bianca Laureano

If you are into popular culture in any way, or watch the news, you probably know who Justin Bieber is and that a young woman alleges 17 year old singer is the the progenitor* of her child. Reports claim that Bieber will take a paternity test,  that 20 year old Mariah Yeater requests financial assistance for her child, and that young girls all over the world are pissed off at the young woman and are bullying her and making rationalizations to act out violently!  Yeater claims she had sex with Bieber after a show he gave in Los Angeles, CA in a bathroom and that he stated specifically he did not want to use a condom because it was his first time and he wanted to “feel everything.”

I’m not on Team Bieber nor am I on Team Mariah Yeater. I’m not on any team besides Team Media Justice (yes that’s code for Team Bi). I created my team and I encourage readers to do the same. Figure out what all of the information is, and then think about how this information impacts our communities and work. That is what this post is about. What is going on regarding this child, the conversations around children of young parents, how are they supported, targeted, ignored, threatened, and what will we do to change that (if anything!?). An element of this hysteria among young people and Bieber is not that he’s no longer “available” (as he’s been openly dating Selena Gomez for the past several months). Rather, what do we lose if he is the progenitor of this child?

One of the things I do appreciate about Justin Bieber is that he not only demonstrates with his life how media can change one’s entire reality as he was “found” on YouTube (for the most part), but also that he’s been open about practicing abstinence and speaks on it freely and openly. I think it’s important for youth, especially young girls who identify right now as heterosexual, to have a image of a young person who is standing by the choice to be abstinent at this time. I think it’s useful to have this dialogue go on in popular culture that many pre-teens do consume especially at a time when comprehensive sexuality education is not offered for all youth in the U.S.

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by Bianca Laureano 

Yes! You read correctly. In this piece I will make an argument that using and applying make-up can be a form of media for many folks. Now, this is not to say that folks who use make-up are always choosing or aware they are making media, but I think many of them are aware they are engaging in a form of art. Now, I know there are lots of folks who may disagree with this for several reasons, and I’d like to respond to some of those. Last week was the first time in a long time that I had been complimented on my make-up. A friend and colleague had said to me in the elevator “your make-up is flawless” and I felt good!

I don’t know too many folks who don’t like to be complimented. I felt proud to know that there was someone who recognized the care, skill, and time it took to get my make-up the way I had wanted it to look. This was one of the things that sparked my desire to write this post. Before I get into the specific points I’d like to make, let me share a story with you.

When I went back to school to focus on gender I remember having many comments made towards me about my gender expression. As my bio above mentions, I identify as a “femme” and have always had a gender expression that many read as stereotypical to Western ideas of how women are to look and ideas of femininity. I did not feel welcomed in that space. I questioned if my purple backpack was “gender neutral” enough. I resorted to wearing jeans and t-shirts more often than I cared for. My creative spirit had been broken and I became depressed.

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by Bianca Laureano

Part of me has wanted to feature some revolutionary television shows that have inspired me in so many ways. These are shows that we don’t often have accessible on basic television (not including cable) but that were available when I was growing up on basic national networks. This may be a series depending on the response I receive from readers, or this may be a one-shot deal. Either way, I’m too excited to write about The Golden Girls! 

Earlier last week I saw an image shared on a social media site of The Golden Girls and it inspired this post. I remember watching The Golden Girls on television growing up and I would not be surprised that watching this show encouraged me to go into the field of reproductive justice. Growing up with this type of media really impacted me and still does today and I knew I had to share, even if just a bit, with readers.

Many of you reading may have a background with The Golden Girls as the one surviving cast member of the show is Betty White who is experiencing what some may call a “come back” (but it’s not like she went anywhere to begin with). With White being at the center of a hugely successful social media campaign to get her to host Saturday Night Live and now with a “rap” song released called “I’m Still Hot,” she’s making it clear she’s not going anywhere. Her song also makes references to The Golden Girls either by name or by referencing cheese cake.

For those not knowledgeable of the show, it takes place in Miami, Florida and features four women: Rose performed by Betty White, Blanche performed by Rue McClanahan, Dorothy performed Bea Arthur and Sofia, Dorothy’s mother, performed by . We follow the four women who are all over 55 years old in their everyday lives as single women. Estelle Getty. All of the women are widows except for Dorothy who is divorced and her husband Stan has a returning storyline. They are all parents and some even grandparents. We follow them as they age, find work, date, and remarry.

The Golden Girls discussed and represented so many aspects of our lived realities. How is it that I connected so much to a show that featured older white women living in Florida? I do believe it is because of how the characters are created and the topics they discuss. This was also one of the first times I saw a representation of a Caribbean gay man in a television series who was normalized and not targeted or harassed. Each episode had an amazing script written and the performances were stellar! Some of the topics they discussed, and that I remember to this day, include: HIV, condom usage, dating, sexism, homophobia, single parenting, marriage, divorce, healthcare, aging, disability, race, and of course friendship.

They were, and still are, on the vanguard of television.

Homophobia

In the pilot episode of The Golden Girls where we are introduced to all of the characters, Blanche, who owns the home all the ladies rent a room from, is seeking roommates. We are also introduced to her cook named Coco who is a gay Latino man. Throughout the series homophobia was challenged by normalizing lesbian, gay, and bisexual people.



For example, check out the conversation Dorothy, Sophia and Blanche have about one of Dorothy’s childhood friends who identifies as a lesbian.

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by Bianca Laureano

I’ve been struggling with what to write for this weeks article. I’ve fluctuated from writing about the protests and movements going on currently in NYC and all over the U.S. Then I’ve thought about writing about different topics that have come up for Latino Heritage Month (September-October). I also considered writing a longer piece about class and how that’s connected to so many ideas but our social realities of class and access are different. I’d still like to write about that topic sometime soon, but before I could write about that topic I had to get this out of my system: triflin’ and offensive advertisements.

It all seems to come together, those topics I wanted to discuss. The movements against corporate greed and wealth, class issues in this commercial for Verizon. There’s no transcript, but you can imagine just from the image what is going on or being sold.



In this advertisement Verizon has chosen to sell their latest cellular telephone using symbols that are appropriations of the Hindu religion. This occurring so close to when folks are dressing up for Halloween. I want to be clear with readers who are not familiar with this value and belief system: this is not okay. This is problematic on numerous levels! This advertisement is in no way praising or respecting any aspect of Hinduism. It is actually mocking the belief system and attempting to sell aspects of the religion to consumers.

And this is why this column exists. For media such as these. For us to be thoughtful and aware consumers and media makers. This is one of the reasons why when Latino Heritage Month comes around I try to focus attention on folks who are doing work that impacts reproductive justice movements. Often organizations and spaces celebrating this month often forget or consciously exclude topics of sexuality and reproductive justice. Instead of taking advantage of normalizing HIV testing (October 15 is the National Latino AIDS Awareness Day), or discussing how to combat transmisogny within our communities and prepare for Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20), I’ve often experienced conversations that are about watching groups perform, having authors discuss their work and watching films. I see these forms of celebrations useful in a very general sense, yet there needs to be more of a challenge among us and from within our communities.

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by Bianca Laureano

As I prepare for a new season of some of my favorite shows (can’t wait to check out the Sons of Anarchy (which I’ve discussed here before) I’ve been indulging in watching some of my favorite shows that I own on DVD. One of the shows that I’m constantly in awe of is Pushing Daises.

Pushing Daises is one of those rare shows that is not only entertaining with a strong, funny and intelligent script, but also mixes magical realism into the plot. One additional element to this show that I really adore is the representation of abstinence as well as the create ways characters find to express their love and attraction to one another. I find this type of narrative often omitted from stories of courtship or experiences in dating and forming relationships. Check out the trailer below:



I find this series extremely useful when discussing abstinence. Not only does this show center abstinence since this is a reality for the main characters, but it also offers a look into how we can be and get creative in our expressions of love and attraction to others that is safe in many ways. The premise of the show is that Ned (Lee Pace) is a pie maker who works with Olive (Kristin Chenoweth) but also has a secret power, which is where the magical realism comes in, in that he can “awaken the dead” for one minute, but if he leaves them alive something/one else must die in its place. He may touch them again and they are dead for good. Ned is using his power to help solve crimes of people who are murdered with private investigator Emerson Cod (Chi McBride). When his childhood sweetheart Chuck (Anna Friel) is murdered he awakens her but is so caught up in his love for her he does not touch her again. Their entire courtship and relationship centers around Chuck and Ned not touching one another’s skin, which of course limits their ability to show love and affection. But they find ways to do so.

This show is one of the few that has only had two seasons but has been so influential, at least for me as an educator. Using this in a classroom setting for a sexuality class is how I envision this piece of media being a good guide into conversations on affection, attraction, abstinence, limiting transmission of STIs, and safety. For example, take Ned and Chuck’s experiences kissing one another. This is something that if done without any barrier methods for Ned and Chuck, can result in Chuck’s death. As a result, they get creative. Check it out below:



Chuck and Ned use plastic wrap as a barrier method to protect themselves from coming into skin-to-skin contact with one another. This may not be a perfect example of reality, but it is a good example of how using plastic wrap can be used as a barrier method. For example, it’s not rare to hear that plastic wrap (as long as it is not microwavable) can be used in place of a dental dam to limit exposure to bodily fluids when engaging in oral sex. They also do similar things when holding hands as they wear gloves. Early in the show they did not hold one another’s hands, instead they made eye contact and held it and held onto their own hands. http://youtu.be/0raikOcfgi4 It’s a great example of showing affection towards someone by holding hands, but it’s also a great example of a safe activity that may limit STIs. The use of a glove for this safety speaks also to the use of latex gloves as barriers for various types of sexual activities.

Ned also finds his co-worker Olive is infatuated with him and desiring him as well. Their experiences are ones that are honest, hopeful, charming, and realistic for many folks. Being able to talk to someone we are attracted to, have a crush on, or want to get to know better takes courage. Olive is all of these things and so much more! Take a look at the witty and fun exchange Olive and Ned often have here. 

Ned and Olive’s relationship is one that evolves in ways that I find realistic and supportive. At the end of season one Olive goes to a convent and there discovers that Chuck’s birth mother is also her Aunt Lilly. Here we have a narrative of young mothers being sent away to birth their children. This was not uncommon in many communities at particular times in the US,  but today we don’t really have young mothers being sent away for fear of embarrassment (of themselves or their families) as we did years ago. Here’s a great clip of how Ned discovers the secret Olive has discovered. 

I also appreciate how Ned and Chuck discuss their relationship with one another. Sometimes these conversations are scary and difficult to have, but Ned is very much the type to “spit it out” to get the conversation going and the statement out! This is a characteristic I enjoy about Ned, but also one that I can relate to because often when you think about something so much you become anxious, often some folks may just blurt out what is on their mind to find piece of mind. Here is the exchange Ned and Chuck have about being in a relationship with one another. Chuck wants to be realistic and acknowledges that Ned may want and need different types of affection that she cannot give and share with him because of their situation. Ned’s response to Chuck’s statement is that “just because we want things doesn’t mean we need them to be happy” and reminds Chuck that he wants to be with her even if they cannot be together in certain ways. 

I find this interaction between Chuck and Ned one that speaks to how relationships may work even if/when one sexual encounters are not at the center. In our society we usually assume that a partnered, monogamous couple, especially one that is married and/or in love are engaging in sexual activity. Rarely do we imagine that their relationship works for them in ways that bring them both joy but does not include sexual activities. It really does challenge our way of thinking about relationships.

This is such a great show and I miss it dearly! Not just because it’s great content and stories, but it’s also useful in the classroom and entertaining. I’ve yet to find another show that embraces all of these conversations in such a unique and complete way. What are some forms of media that you all enjoy that discuss and represents abstinence that is accessible?

by Bianca Laureano

The past 5 weeks of sharing notes from my Human Sexuality course (read all 5 parts here) meant I wasn’t writing about what was going on in our communities for a bit. A media mash-up seemed like a good place to start as there is so much going on and being discussed! But more importantly, there is a lot of action around things that folks believe are connected to injustice.

Gun Hill Road in Theaters
The film Gun Hill Road was released in NYC (and soon LA) a few weeks ago and there has been a ton of media attention for the film, as there should be. Not only is the film one of the first independent movies to get such acclaim and notice in theaters, it also shares the story of a young transgender Latina from the Bronx and has cast a young transgender Latina from the Bronx to portray this character! The film introduces Harmony Santana who plays Vanessa (who is also called Michael in the film). Harmony has been interviewed  numerous times since her role and speaks about her experiences preparing for the film, her experiences with her family,  and what she is planning to do today.

Check out the trailer below


Here’s an interview with Harmony at the Sundance Film Festival this year (sorry, no transcript). 


It took me a few weeks to watch Gun Hill Road in the theater, but when I did, I was glad I did. You may read my review here, where I share some questions that still remain for me about this film and include some areas that were deeply uncomfortable and triggering. If you’ve seen the film I’d love to hear your thoughts. To see the next cities Gun Hill Road will be at visit the official website.

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by Bianca Laureano

This is a series of posts from the sexuality course I am teaching this summer. Check out the first, second and third  weeks. If you are interested in receiving some of the readings, syllabus, and workbook assignments please leave a comment with a way to contact you.

The last week of class has a series of guest speakers discussing topics that range from sex work, HIV and AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STI) and our final class will be an evaluation of the course, turning in of the final projects (information below of those) and a conversation with author and artists Ivan Velez, Jr. regarding his book Tales of the Closet.

There are two options for the final project: either a traditional research paper on the topic of the student’s choice or rewriting a form of media to represent inclusivity, responsibility, and accountability regarding sexual health, sexuality, and reproductive justice from the student’s perspective which is accompanied by an analysis. The final post will be about our conversation with Ivan Velez, Jr., what questions folks had for him and how he responded to them and I’ll share some of the topics students chose to (re)write about. Because we spend a good amount of time discussing the final project this week’s discussion and notes are not as long as the previous ones but still include good information and highlights of our conversations!

Day 9
Sex Work
This class discussion required students to do some reading in their textbook as well as a chapter from the book Sun, Sex and Gold: Tourism and Sex Work in the Caribbean, an anthology by Kamala Kempadoo. This anthology was one of the first by Caribbean scholars discussing and addressing gender, race, class, ethnicity, im/migration, citizenship, and how it intersects with sex work in the Caribbean. They read Joan Phillips article “The Case of the Beach Boy and White Female Tourist” which focuses on a historical analysis of sex work in Barbados from colonization to present. Her article turns the stereotype that primarily women engage in sex work and men as their clients by sharing her qualitative data of Bajan men who court and partner with racially White women (mostly from Europe) who are on vacation in exchange for profit. The profit in this case may be food, shelter, alcohol, access to places only tourists and their company may enter, clothing, and sometimes money.

Students were also asked to watch the first 15 minutes of the documentary “Rent A Rasta” which discusses the same exchange Phillips discusses, however the sex tourism occurs in Jamaica. The second part of the documentary focuses on Rastafarian religion and connections to exploiting the identity of being a Rasta based on stereotypes people living abroad may have. The film is also narrated in a way that is, in my opinion, misogynistic and sexist. It is one thing to state how this is a social issue and how it is impacted and influenced by colonization, racism, classism and religious inequality versus identifying the women in the film in degrading ways. The film is a useful example for folks who “don’t believe” the Philips article is true or relevant today and a useful tool in deconstructing and being a critical media consumer.

RENT A RASTA from cinepobre.com on Vimeo.

At the beginning of this lecture I write the following terms on the board: “Sex Worker,” “Prostitute,” and “Trafficking.” I begin by asking students how they would define the term “prostitute.” I start with this term because it is the terms that out of the three, folks have a working understanding or knowledge of. Because this is an upper level course, students have very inclusive definitions for “prostitute.” Students came up with the definition of “exchanging sex/ual services for profit/shelter/food/security/clothing/etc.” Students did not come to an agreement as to if this term was only applicable to street prostitution or “high end escorts” (similar to whom government officials/politicians have been connected to). From this conversation I was able to discuss a hierarchy that exists not just in our society and community, but also within the sex work field. It is not uncommon to hear that street prostitution is the “lowest” form of sex work, being connected to ideas of class, access, race, ethnicity, documentation status, ability, gender, and age.

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This is a series of posts from the sexuality course I am teaching this summer. Check out the first week and second week of notes. If you are interested in receiving some of the readings, syllabus, and workbook assignments please leave a comment with a way to contact you!

Day 6
Abortion, Adoption & Female Sexual Dysfunction

The first part of this class we discussed abortion. In this lecture I explained the legal and political history of abortion in the US, what is included in the procedure, and debunking myths regarding the procedure and people who experience this option. Reading's for this part of the course included What Did The Doula Do?, where I share my experiences as a doula and working with people who are having an abortion procedure. Another reading was Abortion Doesn't Increase Mental Health Risk but Having A Baby Does, which discusses research conducted by people who are parenting and people who have terminated a pregnancy.

Before beginning this lecture I made it clear to students that no part of this lecture is to attempt to convince them or change their own personal belief and value system about abortion. Instead, this segment is set up to provide information on how our society has come to legalize abortion, what that means, includes, how some states have specific regulations that impact accessibility, and what the procedure includes.

First, I asked the group what three options people who are pregnant have and these include: parenting, adoption, and termination. I began with the Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade 1973 which legalized abortion in the US. Since this decision, which falls under our right to privacy in the Constitution. This is one reason why they may hear people say that "abortion is our Constitutional right" because it protected by the 14th Amendment. From here, we discussed how individual states have created requirements around accessing abortions by people who need them. We discussed waiting periods, parental consent and/or notification, judicial bypass, and limitations on when terminations can occur.

Waiting periods are not in all states, they are not in NY, but in other states they are and this includes a person who makes a decision to terminate a pregnancy must first wait 24 hours before having the procedure. The rationale for a waiting period is to allow the person the opportunity to consider all of their options regarding their pregnancy. Some folks who do not support the waiting periods argue that they are condescending and assume a person who chooses termination has not considered all of the options, as if choosing termination is an easy decision.

Depending on the individual state and space that provides the procedure a few things may occur to fulfill the waiting period law. A person may have to physically come into the location and receive written information about all of their options (parenting, adoption, and abortion). Another way to receive this information may be watching a film about all three options, or listening to information over the telephone. After being given this information the person may choose to read/listen/view or not, but they will then have to come to the location again the following day if they choose to continue with their termination. I noted how for some folks this is a challenge. One challenge may be taking off work and having to go to the location twice which may mean not getting paid, and potentially losing a job. Another challenge with waiting periods may be transportation and that some folks may need to find (or pay for) transportation that could be a challenge and an additional cost.

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