Service Learning 2

During the week of April 2^nd, I had a lot of contact with my community partner, in which I received most of my service learning hours. I tabled with VOX on Wednesday, informing the student body about “Let’s talk about sex, baby.” I then went around to different businesses in the Orlando area, informing them on the upcoming event and asking if they would be willing to make donations. On Thursday, I handed out flyers in the student union, which gave information about the event. Friday was the actual “Let’s talk about sex, baby” event, in which I helped set up, and sold guests raffle tickets. The week overall was very successful. The activism I did this week relates to women on a macro level because I feel that much of the work I did was empowering to women and their sexuality. In the reading Women’s sexuality, it really hits on the point that there is a double standard in our society. Men can be open about their sexual encounters and are frequently praised by their peers, friends, etc. Women, on the other hand face repercussions when being open about their sexual encounters. “This fundamental contradiction between encouraging men’s sexuality and expecting women to be chaste results in the construction of two categories of women: good and bad women, virgins and whores” (Kirk, Okazawa-Rey 151). Women cannot speak as openly as their male counter parts because most women do not want to have a negative label such as “whore” associated with themselves. In the reading “Guadalupe the Sex Goddess,” la Virgen de Guadalupe is very ashamed of her sexual desires and body due to the culture she was raised in. However, as she gets older she comes to terms with herself and finds her sexuality empowering. “I have found her. She is Guadalupe the sex goddess, a goddess who makes me feel good about my sexual power, my sexual energy” (Kirk-Okazawa-Rey 166). Sandra Cisneros discovers her sexuality and comes to terms with her body image. She really embraces her sexuality. “Let’s talk about sex, baby” was similar to Cisneros experience of embracing her sexuality. The event was actually pretty raunchy and made me feel that one’s sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of. Sexuality should be explored in a safe way and what a woman does should not be scorned upon in society. I feel that after all the engagement I had this week, what I personally got from my experiences was that despite ones ethnicity, gender, or race, one’s sexuality is something that should be free to safely explore without having to face negative and hateful judgments by others. One’s sexuality does not entirely define a person; it is a piece of who they are that they should be able to express safely.

Works cited

Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. NY:
McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2010. Print.