Monday kicks off Sex Week, a weeklong series of events held by the Student Alliance for Reproductive Justice.
Sex Week has been an annual event at UNM over the past few school years. Although it has caused controversy in the past, it returns to campus, offering lectures and other on-campus events that help educate students about topics ranging from consent to more intimate subjects such as the use of sex toys. SARJ hopes that educating students about these controversial subjects will lead to a decrease in sexual violence, unwanted pregnancies and abusive relationships.
Monday
Navigating Consent — Duck Pond, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This event hopes to educate students on the subject of what consent is and how to prevent sexual violence. Navigating Consent is an interactive event that includes a cardboard path that participants will follow, with statistics that offer an engaging way to expand one’s knowledge of consenting and understanding a partner’s consent.
Tacos y Reproductive Justice with Young Women United — Kiva Auditorium, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
This event will be hosted by Young Women United, a group for women of color in the Albuquerque community, featuring a discussion about reproductive justice in New Mexico. Young Women United will approach this subject from the perspective of women of color fighting for reproductive rights in Albuquerque. The group will also provide free tacos for attendees.
Tuesday
Sex Toys with Self Serve — Cornell Mall, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Self Serve is a local business that specializes in sex toys and sex education for adults. This event features the Self Serve Sexuality Resource Center, which will display sex toys and explain how to use them. There will also be a tent for students who would like to ask questions about this topic privately, to create a safe space for healthy conversations.
Healthy Campus = Healthy Sex Resource Fair — Cornell Mall, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sex Week features groups within the community, such as the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, Planned Parenthood, Young Women United, the Black Student Union, Queer Student Alliance, SARJ and more. These groups will be on campus Tuesday to explain the importance of healthy relationships and healthy sex lives for students and other community members, along with available resources on and off campus.
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True Tea with Kat Blaque — Keller Hall, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Feminist Youtube personality Kat Blaque will give a lecture on the topic of transgender rights activism, sponsored by the Women’s Resource Center. This event hopes to open up conversation about empowering all intersectionalities that students may have and to appreciate the lives of other students and community members. Tickets are free and must be obtained through the Women’s Resource Center.
Wednesday
HIV/STI Mythbusting — Cornell Mall, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sex Week representatives will provide information on STIs and HIV/AIDS. This event will help students learn about the risks of STIs, and debunk common misconceptions about these topics. SARJ hopes to create a safe space for dialogue about HIV/AIDS and STIs in the student community, to prevent the spreading of diseases and to promote healthy sexual activities. This event will also provide information as to what students’ options are when it comes to getting tested and treated. Southwest Care Center will be onsite to conduct rapid HIV testing.
“I’m Still Josh” — Kiva Auditorium, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
SARJ’s keynote speaker, Josh Robbins, was the first person to film his HIV test results and post them on social media. Since then, Robbins has been an advocate, combating the stigma surrounding being HIV positive.
Thursday
Smashing Stigma! — Cornell Mall, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This event will be a cathartic exercise for students to, quite literally, smash common stereotypes and misconceptions written on pumpkins with a sledgehammer — symbolically destroying the stigma and creating a fun environment to open up conversations about ending stereotypes.
Friday
Abortion Mythbusting — Cornell Mall, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
There are a lot of myths surrounding abortion, and this event aims to spread education about abortion. The goal of this event is to prevent harm done to the women who make the choice to access this health care option. The goal is to debunk these myths and spread the facts surrounding abortion access.
Fighting the Stigma of Abuse in Queer Relationships with the Queer Trans People of Color UNM — Kiva Auditorium, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
This event is a workshop put on by the student group QTPOC. The goal is to highlight the fact that transgender, gender nonconforming individuals, queer women and queer men experience abuse in relationships. The event will offer awareness, support to these individuals and ways to approach this topic and end violence.
Movie: “TRAPPED” — Kiva Auditorium, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
To bring Sex Week to a close, Friday night will feature the screening of “TRAPPED” This film provides an informative look into Targeted Regulations for Abortion Providers, or TRAP Laws, and explores the facilities and people heavily affected by TRAP Laws.
Rebecca Brusseau is a news reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @r_brusseau.
