You in Mizzou explores students' views about sex

The monthly series allows students to frankly discuss their views.

By Eva Dou

Published Dec. 5, 2008

Students deconstructed their views about sex in small circle discussions Wednesday evening.

The "Race, Religion and Sex" dialogue was part of You in Mizzou's monthly series on diversity issues.

Three student facilitators started the conversation by asking participants how they felt their race or religion affected their view on sex. Facilitators reminded people to avoid generalizations and to speak from their own experience using first-person statements.

"I didn't expect everyone to be so open about their personal beliefs," freshman Marshall Rader said. "It was interesting to listen to people with many different perspectives."

Although several students said their faith was a big factor in the way they viewed sex, they said living in a pluralistic society makes the decision more complex than simply subscribing to their religion's doctrine about sex.

Stereotypes were another major topic of discussion, whether in relation to race, gender or culture. Some students said they felt the need to defy what they saw as stereotypes of promiscuity.

Freshman Phil Klopfenstein said he was irked by the demeaning way in which women are portrayed in today's culture, and the consequent implications about men.

"If you objectify one half of people, the whole becomes objectified in a sense," Klopfenstein said. "It becomes this image of masculinity that is demeaning toward women."

Graduate student Malaika Gallimore, who organizes the dialogues, said World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 spurred her to choose Wednesday's topic. She said an open discussion about sex seemed to fit with the theme, though it is not directly related to AIDS awareness.

"We wanted to help people break across the barrier to talk about safe sex and why we feel the way we do about sex," Gallimore said.

The three facilitators were student participants who volunteered this fall to lead monthly dialogues.

"I wanted to be more involved in these kinds of open discussions," facilitator Karen Gao said.

Her fellow facilitator Emeka Anyanwu agreed the frank environment is a draw.

"We try to make it a community, so you're not just coming into a room of strangers," Anyanwu said.

This safe atmosphere is important because sensitive or personal topics are often discussed, Anyanwu said.

"We start at the surface and work our way down," he said.

For the facilitators, the goal is to let participants express their viewpoint while listening to differing perspectives.

"We want people to leave saying, 'I never thought about it that way,'" Gallimore said. "Maybe you don't agree with someone else, but you are able to understand why they feel that way."

The You in Mizzou program was implemented in fall 2006 as part of the Chancellor's Diversity Initiative.

Previous You in Mizzou dialogues this year have investigated the relationship between race and politics, the "Heterosexual Privilege" and religious diversity at MU.

Next is a dialogue on "The First Black President" on Feb. 4.