Last Wednesday night, September 25, the Women’s Studies Center was packed with Colgate students waiting to welcome Laci Green, an Internet celebrity known for her YouTube Channel titled “Sex+”. She gave a talk called “Best Sex Ever,” which was essentially the holy grail of sexual education classes. It covered everything you ever wanted to know about sex in a way that was funny, informative and entertaining. Green began by discussing the general structure of the male and female genitals and once everyone got over their discomfort at the explicit pictures, she explained that the human body has an immense capacity for pleasure. She told us that no one should feel ashamed or awkward about the topic of sex because it’s a natural act that’s meant to be enjoyed.

Laci set about dispelling many of the myths about sex that our society perpetuates. For instance, the structure in the female body known as the hymen does not need to be “popped” or “broken” when a woman first has vaginal intercourse, it only needs to be stretched; this is an idea created to make women associate fear with the prospect of losing their virginity. She went further in saying that the term “virginity” is nothing but an outdated social construct and that no one should define their level of sexual experience based on whether or not they’ve participated in the most conventional form of sex.

The presentation took a more serious turn when Laci informed us that 50 percent of people contract an STD before the age of 25. She went over the symptoms associated with various common STDs including gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes and HIV/AIDS. Laci reassured the room by explaining that STDs are preventable and often curable as long as one is vigilant and practices safer sex. She went over the various forms of sexual protection, such as the female condom, latex gloves and dental dams to protect during oral sex. She also demonstrated the correct way to put on a condom by pinching the tip first so as to prevent it from breaking. Laci stressed that one should be periodically tested for STDs and that everyone has a right to demand safe sex; no one should ever feel pressured to forgo protection based on their

partner’s preferences.

After a round of “Safer Sex Trivia,” where prizes were given to those that could answer questions about how to protect against different kinds of STDs, Laci progressed to the topic of consent. Consent is not a spectrum, she explained, it is very clear about what is consensual and what is considered rape. A person cannot give consent if they are drunk or unconscious, and one should never

assume that a person gives consent if they’ve given it before. Consent is ongoing and people should feel free to say no to a sexual encounter at any point because everyone has a right to change their mind. In addition to conveying basic information about the biology of sex, the aspects of safer sex and the finer points of consent, Green entertained the attending Colgate students and made them more comfortable with the topic of sex. Ultimately, she taught her audience that the key to the “Best Sex Ever” is to acknowledge the importance of respect, knowledge and communication in any sexual relationship.

Contact Christiane Olivero at [email protected].