When I walked up to Rosse Hall with my friends, we were instantly immersed in the Sex in the Dark experience. Weeks leading up to the event, posters adorned the halls of every building on Kenyon College’s campus, with slogans that made students turn around and take a second glance. What could be this “Sex in the Dark” experience the Sexual Wellness Club was promoting school-wide? As soon as we arrived, we were handed glow sticks and greeted by a table covered by an array of sexual goodies (they literally had goodie bags for us to use). Glow in the dark condoms were being passed out to everyone, in addition to flavored dental dams and pins with slogans such as “consent is sexy.” Right upon entering the building, a positive and fun environment was created for the night. While we waited for the show to begin, the on-stage screen displayed an audience participation poll, asking what are TV shows and movies that could be used to describe someone’s sex life. The audience was full of laughter and chatter even before the speakers came out.
Honestly, before attending “Sex in the Dark,” I was curious as a queer person what lens the event would be presented through. Would I be immersing myself in a heteronormative environment that focussed primarily on “traditional” sex? But the speakers did not disappoint with their inclusive language and discussion topics. To my delight, they had an entire slide dedicated to pleasure between two people with vaginas. They strayed away from language such as “sex between a man and a woman” or “sex between two men,” and instead took the inclusive route by using genitalia labels in order to describe different types of sexual interactions. The event really created an inclusive environment for anyone of any identity to ask questions.
The levels of sexual education students receive around the country differ dramatically; many high school students receive virtually no sex education. I was fortunate enough that my high school had mandatory first year sexual education, but on top of that, had student-run classes that many students opted into taking. I took this class both my sophomore and junior years of high school, and even went on to become one of the teachers my senior year. Leading discussions with students ranging from sexual orientations to masturbation to healthy relationship dynamics exposed me to the positive and fun side of sex education. “Sex in the Dark” fostered a lot of similar values that I felt were present in my time teaching a sexual education course. Anyone can participate in discussions about sex, no matter your identity, experience, or knowledge. No matter your experience, asking questions about sex is so beneficial for further exploring what does and does not work for you. Creating an open dialogue about sex on a campus is essential for healthy relationships and comfortable dynamics. “Sex in the Dark” helped open further open the dialogue about sex and hookup culture at Kenyon. Needless to say, I will be returning to Rosse Hall for the group’s next event: “The Female Orgasm.”