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These students are talking sex and battling stigma at UBCO

Student Union spreading positive messages

Spreading positivity and raising awareness about sexual health resources on campus is at the core of the first Sexual Health Awareness Gala (SHAG).

The UBCO event was pieced together in a week following news that Kelowna’s Right to Life Society would be picketing outside the arts building. Counter protesters were on hand with signs opposing the Right to Life Society's message, alongside chants of ‘my body, my choice.’

President of the UBCO Student Union, Tashia Kootenayoo, told Kelowna10, having events like SHAG are important for students on campus.

“They come from different backgrounds, experiences, and it can be awkward to talk about sex, but it’s super important to have sex positivity and be safe and have healthy practices,” she said. “We as a student union advocate for that, and through our resource centre that we established this year, we’re going to be able to provide more services to students.”

Kootenayoo said while there are some resources on campus for students, like sexual health testing, more can be done.

“We’re now just getting a full-time physician for next year, so we are seeing the administration starting to prioritize student wellness and we’re always pushing for more,” she said.

Among the information booths on hand was the UBCO Sex Positive Education and Advocacy Centre, which used the opportunity to create a safe space to ask questions about all things erotic.

Coordinator Samantha Maki said it’s critical when talking about sex to remove the shame and fear of judgement, and to create inclusive conversations.

“Part of the reason why we need to be on campus is because there is so much stigma and people are so scared to talk about it,” she said. “There’s so much shame that builds up around sex that we need to have these conversations openly.”

Just the first rendition of the event, the student union wants to add more booths and community partners in the future.

Published 2022-03-24 by Connor Chan

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