Positive Sexuality at Colgate

 This week's brown bag focused on positive sexuality at Colgate. The panelists were Mel Grover –Schwartz’14, Evan Chartier'14, Marvin Vilman'14 and Zoe Huston'15. Mel and Evan have been involved in the positive sexuality movement at Colgate since their freshman year through their involvement "Yes Means Yes," seminar and Zoe joined the movement last year. Marvin is "boss" of Bunche House. They were also involved with the production of the play, “This is not a Play about Sex.”

            In their reflection, they noticed that the positive sexuality movement is not inclusive of everybody at 'Gate because various sexual experiences are not part of the conversation. For instance, in "This is not a Play about Sex," the voices of women of color were not represented when their sexual experiences are different. Some of their hopes of the movement are incorporating the intersectionality of all identity, race, and class and how it can be used to reduce sexual violence. Marvin stated that since the positive sexuality movement is evolving, we all have to learn from one another. The panelists included the audience in a conversation, asking for their view points as to how the view the movement, how it can be inclusive to all, and ways to attract different groups of people who are not often present at these types of conversations. In addition, Prof. Stern and Dean Brown offered their input how, as faculty, they view and understand the sexual climate. Prof. Stern states that most professors are unprepared to have certain conversations with their students especially in regards to the sexual climate and also the boundaries that exist between teacher and student to have reciprocal conversations about it.  Dean Brown also mentioned how the faculty is unprepared to have conversations about the sexual climate. He asked of the audience, “What can we be doing as an institution that allows you to make decisions that make sense to you?”

            I thought the reflections were crucial because as a student who partook in both sections of the “Yes Means Yes” seminars and a member of the play, there are multiple ways to be part of the positive sexuality movement at Colgate. I, like my peers would love to have multiple voices heard and represented because even with my involvement in the positive sexuality movement, because I am a woman of color, I don’t necessarily feel like the movement is for me. However, I am positive that a result of this brown bag will be finding ways to include all identity, race, and class in the movement. I think it is important to have these conversations as a community to find a solution that is inclusive off all.

Noufo Nabine'16