On Monday October 8th, Pride Alliance hosted “Getting A Grip: Mastering Your Sexuality” with clinical sexologist and sex educator, Megan Andelloux. Andelloux walked into the room full of students warmly welcoming her with cheer and applause. Andelloux arrived an hour late and responded by apologizing for her tardiness and seemed to express her appreciation of the crowd by smothering a table with condoms and lubricants for students to fondle and enjoy.
Throughout her presentation, Andelloux repeatedly encouraged the audience members, frequently telling them she wanted everyone to feel comfortable asking questions about sexuality and pleasure while also emphasizing the importance of sexual health.
“You can talk about sexuality and you will not die in the process,” Andelloux said during the question and answer session.
Andelloux buried the idea of the elephant in the room.
“We don’t ask questions about sexuality because we have been shamed [into not] asking.” Andellous said. She praised those expressing bold comments and asking spirited questions that fall outside of normal comfort zones. “How can I prevent myself from queefing?” asked one audience member. Andelloux gave accolade and prizes to the brazen, anal beads and butt plugs to name a few.
Andelloux first visited Oswego 11 years ago but has returned several times for her talks, that some might deem controversial.
“I remember at her previous talks there’s so much she talks about its really worthwhile to go again because there’s so much to take in,” William Taylor, a junior studying adolescence education said. “There is so many misconceptions about sex and what it is and all about all of the stuff that’s related to it that we really need to hear from someone that knows what they’re talking about.”
Prior to the commencement of the talk, Oswego State senior studying anthropology, Mary Rodriguez gave her expectations for the event.
“I’m really looking forward to hearing her openness about sex you don’t get much of that from anywhere,” Rodriguez said. “I mean [aside from] most of the mainstream media but its hetero normative. And she likes to bring every sex into it its not just man woman having sex it’s everyone that’s having sex. I think it’s really important [to educate college students about sex] because of the dynamic that college students are going into. They have so much freedom so it’s really important that we educate them. You don’t always have to be with a partner to have sex.”
During the talk, Andelloux demonstrated how to put a condom on with your mouth. She also talked about the best types of lubrications and sent a bottle of Sliquid Swirl Green Apple Lubricant around the audience to taste and swatch.
Heather Negron a sophomore studying marketing explained that the most important thing Andelloux taught was the importance of communication.
“To have a good relationship the most important thing to do is talk. If you don’t talk, how is your partner supposed to know what you want? You can also fulfill fantasies by just talking,” Negron said.
Andelloux explained that the basics of sex education should be taught at an early age. Andelloux stressed the importance of sex education, and said “People were asking the same questions and we weren’t talking about them openly. If this many people are asking the same damn question it means everybody is thinking them, mostly. So we should just start talking about it. The importance of sex education is simple. If people are sex educated, then the world can have safer, communicative and fulfilling sex.
