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Reach out and touch yourself
The ladies of FSC had the great fortune to get intimate this past Wednesday night in the Fireplace Lounge – intimate with themselves that is. Karin Webb of the female-oriented sex boutique Grand Opening in Brookline, Massachusetts gave an informative and engaging presentation on female masturbation. Webb has worked at Grand Opening for the past six years, a boutique owned and operated by women to “create a comfortable place for women to” shop. Grand Opening was awarded the Best of Boston award from Boston Magazine five years in a row for Best Sex Boutique. The boutique sells literature, toys, lubricants, videos and how-to guides for every sexual orientation and interest. The women of FSC had the opportunity to view many of Grand Opening’s products while Webb spoke about the shop’s products and how to use them by oneself and with a partner. Webb opened her presentation by discussing safe sex between partners and barrier methods such as the condom, the female condom, and the dental dam. The heart of the presentation, though, was focused on female masturbation and pointers for enhanced sexual enjoyment. Needless to say, no one left unsatisfied. Webb presented a detailed, hour-and-a-half long crash course on masturbation, be it solo or with a partner. One of the highlights of the evening was when the audience had a chance to get a little slippery by sampling the textures of the many bottles of lubricant she passed around the crowd (after arming them with tissues for cleanup of course!). After lubing up the audience, Webb presented her many toys for the audience to see and hold. One of the many “climaxes” of the vibrator collection included one designed to look like a tube of lipstick. She also spoke about orgasms and the G-spot. Oh yes! When asked about what she loves most about her job as a speaker and as a boutique associate, Webb said candidly, “I love informing women about things that people are scared to talk about.” Webb did extremely well educating her audience, making the Fireplace Lounge a comfortable environment for the female-only audience to listen and ask questions about the many pleasures Grand Opening proudly advocates. Having a “vaginas only,” policy as one of the advertisements for the event blatantly stated, allowed for a lessening of the self-consciousness and discomfort that can accompany the sensitive topic of female masturbation – a topic still considered taboo by many. The Office of Residence Life and Housing made the all-female policy of the event possible, fully sponsoring the program and supporting the policy. The females-only policy was felt to be more appropriate with regard to the subject matter of the program. Caroline Walsh, a junior said of the program, “She [Webb] provided a safe, comfortable forum for talking about it [female masturbation].” At the start of the program, Walsh was able to advertise for FSC’s upcoming production of “The Vagina Monologues.” Last Spring, Framingham State students gave a stellar performance of the series of monologues that deal with female sexuality. All money raised was donated to Voices Against Violence, an organization devoted to educating men and women about domestic violence and sexual abuse. Voices Against Violence also provides victims of violence and sexual abuse with shelter and counseling services. Anyone interested in getting involved with this year’s production of “The Vagina Monologues” is encouraged to attend an informational meeting on December 10, 2003 at 1:30 p.m. in May Hall, room 215. Events such as Karin Webb’s presentation on female masturbation and The Vagina Monologues are helping to bring female sexuality and women’s issues out into the open. “In our culture,” said Webb, “women aren’t really empowered to explore their sexuality. I think it’s important to create a space to nurture women and their sexuality.” Today, we are a society in the process of shedding our inhibitions regarding sex and the discussion which surrounds it; it is no longer the taboo topic that nobody is supposed to talk about. We are coming into an age where people are more comfortable talking about, and asking questions about sex. The aforementioned programs are empowering women sexually and otherwise. Colleen Connors, Resident Assistant and organizer of the female masturbation program said afterward, “I think the vagina lady rocked! Everybody’s body language was very open, very relaxed. A lot of people came.” The female masturbation program was enthusiastically received by the women of FSC. And why wouldn’t it be? It’s good to love yourself! For more information on Grand Opening, visit them on the web at www.grand opening.com or at their Brookline location on 318 Harvard Street, Suite 32, Arcade Building, Coolidge Corner. For more information about Voices Against Violence, you can call their 24-hour hotline, 1-508-8686. |