Sex Positive Open Mic Night at UWT

On March 8th, UWT literary publication Tahoma West is hosting an open mic event called “Doing Lit”: a night filled with literature that focuses on the multiple interpretations and feelings that sex can bring for UWT students. This literary event will be hosted from 6-7:30 pm at the Black Box Theatre which is located at the bottom of the Cherry Parkes Build­ing. Last minute signups for readers will be at 5:30 pm. Student & Health Ser­vices is providing free condoms and sex pamphlets for the audience. And let’s not forget that butt-shaped cookies will be provided, with vegan options as well.

While UWT has hosted a couple of comical and informational events that are geared towards sex awareness, this is the first time that the sex is being dis­cussed in a literary form.

All of the Tahoma West members will be reading their own pieces at the event. All UWT students are welcome to read original or unoriginal literary pieces that contain or revolve around sex. Tahoma West will accept all genres of writing from poetry, fiction, to nonfiction. This literary event will not expose sex as strictly vulgar, perverse, or disrespectful. Instead, sex will be placed in a more positive light that embraces body positivity, diversity, and the complexity of the subject.

Editor-in-Chief of Tahoma West, Sabrina Burns explains that since March is women’s history month, an event geared towards sexual positivity can give women the ability to express their sexu­ality in a healthy and meaningful way. “Throughout history our worth has been attached to our sexuality. When it shouldn’t be, women are much more than our sexuality.” Burns says, “We thought this would be a good opportunity for women to take ownership of their sexu­ality instead of being ashamed of it be­cause there is sort of this dark history where sexuality has been repressed for centuries.”

But this event is not just for women. Tahoma West wants to represent the en­tire UWT community by welcoming all genders, transgenders, and sexual orien­tations. That way, sex positivity can be told through a variety of perspectives.

Intern at Tahoma West, Sage Farray, hopes that “Doing Lit” encourages diver­sity. “It can’t constantly be a heterosexu­al environment. We are hoping that the idea of sex positivity is really opened up further,” says Farray.

This literary event can possibly show college students that sex is nothing to be ashamed of but instead a part of life that one can take ownership of. Burns says, “Women have been tied to this idea that sex is based on marriage and love and I believe that we should be able to have fun with sex and not have it be such a de­bilitating thing.”

Even students who are not sexually active should considered attending the reading because sex is a topic that every­one has thought about and questioned. Why not bring in your perception and curiosity about sex into this event? You might be surprised at what you will discover.

It’s a scary feeling to talk about a sub­ject as personal as sex in front of a crowd, especially if someone is currently not sexually active. Farray explains that the Black Box Theatre was chosen in order to create a small and intimate setting where students can feel comfortable speaking on stage. Farray says, “It’s a sub­ject that is already hard for people to open up about; if we make it more comfortable it’s like, ‘I can read it in a small space.’ ”

For those of you who have been sexually active for years, just got sexu­ally involved, or are simply curious, come to this event. Through literature, the UWT community can explore a variety of ways to discuss sex on a deeper level.