Women's Alternative Sexual Health
Submissions
E-mail: w_a_s_h_@hotmail.com
*Please indicate if you want your name to be published with your entry. If you want to be completely anonymous please feel free to access the following email account to contact us from here:
id: washanonymous@hotmail.com
password: secret
Monday, January 18, 2010
Horror of Horrors
Unfortunately, we live in a world that a. equates beauty with whiteness (and operates on heavily Eurocentric discourse) and b. supports economic systems that rely heavily on commodification. Not surprisingly, then, there are countless products and services that exist at the crux of these facts: skin lightening creams and eyelid surgery are two perfect examples. None of this surprises me anymore (though it does make me shudder).
Today, I received a link that did surprise me. My New Pink Button: a "Simple to use Genital Cosmetic Colorant that restores the 'Pink' back to a Woman's Genitals". For the price of approximately $30USD you can purchase your choice of "Bettie", "Ginger", "Aubry" or "Marilyn" and enjoy a pink-tinted vulva for 48-72 hours.
Honestly? Seriously? Is this for real? VULVA DYE?
Obviously this product and its entire marketing campaign is founded upon horrendously racist, ageist (etc. etc. etc.!!!!! !! !!!) discourse and assumptions. I need to state my disgust at their use of the term "restoration" -- the marketing of a return to better, pinker times (eyeroll). Establishing The Pink not only as something to aspire to but as something that we all once had and should strive to re-attain. Vulvas come in all shapes, sizes and colours. Pink is not the "natural" pigment. Some are never pink. Some are. Some are, then aren't. Most vulvas change with time. This is not a bad thing.
I could go on, but I'll let you check it all out for yourselves.
A relevant video can be found here
- Vivian
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Tammy Rae Carland
I discovered Tammy Rae Cartland today, coming upon her Lesbian Beds photo project and loving it for so many reasons. It inspired a curiosity in me that was repeated and multiplied as I browsed her various projects. Her work is at once intimate, aggressive, endearing and powerful.
Check her out...
http://tammyraecarland.com/
- Vivian
2010 Student Research Symposium
The Centre for Urban Health Initiatives (CUHI), along with the Native Youth Sexual Health Network, Planned Parenthood Toronto, Gendering Adolescent AIDS Prevention (GAAP), Ontario HIV Treatment Network, Centre for REACH “Universities without walls training initiative”, Toronto Public Health, Indigenous Education Network, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education’s Adult Education & Community Development Graduate Program and others invite you to join us for the...
2010 “URBAN YOUTH AND THE DETERMINANTS OF SEXUAL HEALTH”
STUDENT RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
This is a FREE symposium that will be held on THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2010
Submissions are welcomed from Students interested in youth sexual health across Canada.
The goal of the symposium is to bring together university students to share their research and artistic pieces on youth sexual health and to engage and network with other students, academics, policy makers, and community members interested in Urban Youth and the Determinants of Sexual Health.
**DEADLINE FOR ALL ABSTRACTS IS FEBRUARY 3, 2010!**
WE ARE CALLING FOR SUBMISSIONS--research-focused or artistically-focused
(ie. film, photography, theatre, music, spoken word, etc.) on any of the following areas:
• Aboriginal sexual health and/or Indigenous methodologies and cultural
relevancies to sex education
• HIV/AIDS prevention, sexual health and harm reduction
• Intersectional approaches to equity and the social determinants of
adolescent sexual health
• Exploring the impact of sexual diversity on health
• Improving youth access to sexual health services and education
• Participatory methodologies that promote youth involvement,
leadership and community development
• Leveraging youth media for sexual health promotion
Three awards will be granted to students in categories of oral, poster, and artistic presentation.
The final deadline for abstract submissions is WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 03, 2010
For more information please find attached a detailed description of the Symposium, and a registration form or contact cuhi.admin@utoronto.ca
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Underground Garage Sale
2800 Erin Centre Blvd, Erin Meadows Community Centre, Mississauga, ON |
Come and say hi!
Facebook event here.
- Evy
Friday, January 8, 2010
Happy new year!
Here's some helpful information on how a menstrual cycle works. I found it here http://iheartguts.com/uterus
Happy menstruation everyone!
- Alice
Monday, December 28, 2009
Help Save the Toronto Women's Bookstore!
You can follow their fund raising events here, http://www.facebook.com/#/event.php?eid=224659239047&index=1
Thanks so much. Happy new year!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Nobody warned me about the noises
WASH is in the process of putting together a new zine issue! (Currently we have
two issues out which you can get more information about here)
We want this issue to be filled by experience-based pieces about the funny/awkward/odd parts of sex that nobody talks about (and by sex, of course, we are referring to any and all of its gazillion variations and definitions). Among other things, this was inspired by something a mortified friend said to one of us shortly after she began having sex with a partner: "NOBODY WARNED ME ABOUT THE NOISES!!!!"
I think that sums up a lot about what we want to do with this.
Anyway, basically we want to discuss all the cringing and sloppiness and flopping and awkwardness that really plays a part of any kind of sex. As we mentioned, this zine is going to be largely based on personal/experience pieces and so, we are looking for you to submit stories, poetry, art, anything that you feel is relevant and you feel comfortable sharing. We welcome anonymous entries - please specify whether you want your name/information disclosed with your submission.
Please send submissions, inquiries, anything to:
w_a_s_h_@hotmail.com
If you don't feel comfortable using your own e-mail address, feel free to access our anonymous e-mail account and send your submission through there:
id: washanonymous@hotmail.com
password: secret
*Please type "Submission: nobody warned me" in the subject field.
- Vivian
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Sexsomnia, not a threat?!?!
I don't think I will ever understand the massive lack in systems of accountability when it comes to cases of sexual assault.
- Vivian
Saturday, November 7, 2009
On priorities
- Vivian
Thursday, November 5, 2009
This is not Okay
Heteronormativity Epitomized
This link was submitted to us with the following comment:
"A high school voted that the title of cutest couple in their yearbook should be given to two lesbian teens. I think this is personally awesome, but watch what Fox News had to say about this, and lesbian sexuality. Pretty sure somebody needs to wash their mouths with soap after saying the things the host of Fox News said (among them being that the kids voted for them in order to cause mischief aka the vote wasn't "sincere"). It's horrible to think people have on strict view of what is "proper" sexuality still." - Natalie
I can't move past the nature of the discourse used in this discussion as one that is utterly homophobic, heteronormative, and ultimately oppressive beyond belief. I am also disturbed at O'Reilly's shameless interruptions and condescending manner of speaking. One can always count on FOX for this type of garbage! Definitely disheartening.
- Vivian
That's Gay
I love you Bryan Safi!
- Vivian