Name: Meagan Sarratt
Age: 22
Neighborhood: Bridgeport/Bronzeville
How do you promote sex positivity in Chicago?
I started my school's (Illinois Tech, right next to Sox stadium) first ever feminist group last year - Feminists United! The majority of my group's activities relate to sex, and making it a fun, easy to talk about thing on a campus that normally refuses to do just that. Last semester we hosted my school's first Take Back the Night march/rally, with a speaker from Porchlight Counseling Services (a non-profit that provides free counseling to college-aged survivors of sexual assault). We then put on a production of "Vagina Monologues" this February that allowed us to donate over $700 to this same organization. Our crowning achievement was my school's first Sex Week, however. It was amazing - I've never heard people talk about sex that freely on my campus, and I'm always a fan of getting to ask people if they want free condoms. ;)
On a more personal note, I've been working with my school's Dean of Students and Women's Services offices to create a sexual assault awareness segment in my school's freshman orientation schedule. The more people know and talk about sex, the better it is for everyone! I also revamped my school's Sex Tech newspaper column from a joke into a place where people could ask legitimate questions about sex that that they might not feel comfortable asking otherwise.
So... pretty much, I love sex, and I want other people to as well!
What sort of changes would you like to see in Chicago in regards to sex positivity?
I honestly think that we're super lucky to live in Chicago - an oasis of liberal politics within a sea of anti-sex, anti-choice politics and culture - and I think we're at a place where our next big step needs to be to work at bringing our thinking and groups to the people in the rest of Illinois and the Midwest. Although, that obviously doesn't mean we can be lax about our town; when groups think it's okay to put anti-choice, racist billboards in our South Side neighborhoods, it just reminds you that you can never stop fighting for pro-sex policies.
Why do you support SlutWalk Chicago?
I think it's an amazing way to raise awareness about an issue that never really gets talked about outside of feminist circles - slut shaming, in a way that forces people to listen, but doesn't allow them to criticize us in the normal way, with cries of our lack of humor and prudishness. I'm so excited that SlutWalk is coming to Chicago, and I'm excited for all the controversy it's sure to stir up!
Meagan's Links
-"My awesome friend Mohini's awesomely sex-positive Tumblr."
-"A very cool feminist blog written by the wonderful Elizabeth."
-"My group, FU's, lovely Facebook page."
Do you want to be SlutWalk Chicago's next Sex Positive Chicagoan? Send us a picture and your answers to these questions!
Age: 22
Neighborhood: Bridgeport/Bronzeville
How do you promote sex positivity in Chicago?
I started my school's (Illinois Tech, right next to Sox stadium) first ever feminist group last year - Feminists United! The majority of my group's activities relate to sex, and making it a fun, easy to talk about thing on a campus that normally refuses to do just that. Last semester we hosted my school's first Take Back the Night march/rally, with a speaker from Porchlight Counseling Services (a non-profit that provides free counseling to college-aged survivors of sexual assault). We then put on a production of "Vagina Monologues" this February that allowed us to donate over $700 to this same organization. Our crowning achievement was my school's first Sex Week, however. It was amazing - I've never heard people talk about sex that freely on my campus, and I'm always a fan of getting to ask people if they want free condoms. ;)
On a more personal note, I've been working with my school's Dean of Students and Women's Services offices to create a sexual assault awareness segment in my school's freshman orientation schedule. The more people know and talk about sex, the better it is for everyone! I also revamped my school's Sex Tech newspaper column from a joke into a place where people could ask legitimate questions about sex that that they might not feel comfortable asking otherwise.
So... pretty much, I love sex, and I want other people to as well!
What sort of changes would you like to see in Chicago in regards to sex positivity?
I honestly think that we're super lucky to live in Chicago - an oasis of liberal politics within a sea of anti-sex, anti-choice politics and culture - and I think we're at a place where our next big step needs to be to work at bringing our thinking and groups to the people in the rest of Illinois and the Midwest. Although, that obviously doesn't mean we can be lax about our town; when groups think it's okay to put anti-choice, racist billboards in our South Side neighborhoods, it just reminds you that you can never stop fighting for pro-sex policies.
Why do you support SlutWalk Chicago?
I think it's an amazing way to raise awareness about an issue that never really gets talked about outside of feminist circles - slut shaming, in a way that forces people to listen, but doesn't allow them to criticize us in the normal way, with cries of our lack of humor and prudishness. I'm so excited that SlutWalk is coming to Chicago, and I'm excited for all the controversy it's sure to stir up!
Meagan's Links
-"My awesome friend Mohini's awesomely sex-positive Tumblr."
-"A very cool feminist blog written by the wonderful Elizabeth."
-"My group, FU's, lovely Facebook page."
Do you want to be SlutWalk Chicago's next Sex Positive Chicagoan? Send us a picture and your answers to these questions!
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