In the battle against HIV, one must recognize that we will not defeat this virus just by condom demonstrations and sex ed advocacy. Instead we must address homo/queer-negativity, the gender binary, racism, sexism, ageism, classism, and all other forms of hate. It is through this, in conjunction with sexual health education, that we can dramatically affect the health of all people.
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It is with great pleasure that I write that our last event, "Let's Talk About Sex pt. II" was a resounding sucess and really captured the essense of what our initiative is all about. Held last week, the event focused on creating and enhancing dialogue amongst college aged students (who may or may not be members of a local Catholic university) to have honest, productive, and sex positive discussions about S E X. Too often dialouge is cut by oppressive forces at the expense of all others. The irony, of course, being that to the more you don't allow conversations the more vital they become.
Discussing everything from a male culture of masturbation to how sex education can sometimes render BDSM invisible, we deconstructed, reconstituted, and most importantly, imagined. I never cease to be inspiried by the brave voices of young people fighting to be heard. The event ended, of course, with the distribution of hundreds of condoms."Any situation in which some individuals prevent others from engaging in the process of inquiry is one of violence" -Paulo Freire
We are excited to announce our preperations to team up with the Broadway Youth Center to provide free HIV testing to the community coming up in a few weeks. Stay tuned!
Along with our Planned Parenthood friends (and condoms that they provided), we handed out 1,000 condoms on the street last Friday in preparation for Valentine's Day. While the condoms were open to anyone in the community (and lets be honest, word got around), we targeted young people who are at great risk for STD and HIV transference. When working near campuses that are hostile to reproductive education, as we do, we walk a fine and precarious line sometimes that is fraught with uncertainty; but we know that we do good work and that we provide important resources for thousands of young people, regardless of university affiliation. We are so excited to have had our first major event, and can't wait for more to come.
Well my friends, the condoms have arrived. Yes, that means that on my bedroom floor sit a box of one thousand prophylactics in glorious teal-blue packaging just waiting to be distributed. The question, of course, remains: what to do now? Don't worry, we've got plans, and lots of them. While I don't want to spoil any surprises, Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood should be expecting some guerilla sex ed, party favors, and HIV/STD awareness events. On such a short notice, it looks like we'll miss Valentines Day, but never fear, people have sex all year round, and we'll make sure they are protected.
But, of course, these condoms are one part of a greater struggle. They are just one piece to a much larger fight for health, justice, and pleasure. Within public health there is an understanding that we cannot be healthy physically until we are healthy environmentally. As such, we use these condoms to fight against queer-negativity, against misogyny, against violence, hate, racism, ageism, ableism, the gender binary, and so much more. We use these condoms as a method to a greater goal, one that we hope will eventually lead us as global citizens to a world where sex and pleasure are always synonymous, where justice prevails, and where we are healthy.
We leave you with both guiding quotes and photos. Viva la revolution!
Organization is not only directly linked to unity, but a natural development of that unity. Accordingly, the leaders' pursuit of that unity is also an attempt to organize the people, requiring witness to the fact that the struggle for liberation is a common task.
Paulo Friere - Pedagogy of the Oppressed
How can I tell you. How can I convince you, brother, sister that your life is in danger: That everyday you wake up alive, relatively happy, and a functioning human being, you are committing a rebellious act. You as an alive and functioning queer are a revolutionary.
Anonymous - "Queers Read This," June 1990
