Sex Week 2012

 Press Release - March 26, 2012

“A man called me the slut from East Toledo. [and], I thought …
I’m putting it on my tombstone – here lies a slut from East Toledo.
You can take the sting out of the words.”
- Gloria Steinem

We are all Sandra Fluke. We are all women who have been called names by people like Rush Limbaugh – names that have been intended to pass judgment on our life choices, sexual decisions, appearance, and reproductive health.

We do not speak for all feminists or women’s rights supporters. However, in our opinion, Sandra Fluke was called a slut because Rush Limbaugh decided that she was having sex. If the definition of the word “slut” is “a woman who has sex,” then a very large percentage of women could be called this word.

Some women feel that the word “slut” should be taken back by females, and not used as an insult, but rather redefined to mean a woman who is in charge of her sexual and reproductive decisions.

Other women believe that even used in a positive light, the word “slut” hurts women and should be erased from our vocabulary.

All of these opinions are valid and appropriate and further the cause of establishing that people like Rush Limbaugh who use the word in a negative light should be held accountable for a judgment that is not theirs to make.

No matter what a person’s belief regarding the term “slut” and how it should be used or not used by women, one issue is certain – as women, we need to combat the ugly stereotypes that women face regarding their sexual and reproductive choices.

Moreover, as an organization focused on reproductive justice, we believe that all women have the right to the best reproductive health option available to them, and every woman should be able to make her own decisions about her sexuality and her reproductive health.

Whether or not a woman chooses to have sex, she should be able to access reproductive health services unconditionally, without her choices being called into question.

Our feeling is, how dare a man like Rush Limbaugh be able to label a contentious, politically-active, modern woman like Sandra Fluke with a term that he believed, based on his extensive surrounding commentary, to be derogatory?

If we can use the word “slut” in a way that, as Gloria Steinem said, “take[s] the sting out,” and creates a space where some woman feel more able to make their own choices about sexual and reproductive preferences, then we feel it is an appropriate use of the word, especially in the context of a sex-positive event.

Consensual sex is not something to be ashamed or embarrassed about – I would venture to guess that many people who are commenting on the inappropriateness of this event at a law school have also had sex or sexual experiences. And those who have never had a sexual experience should not be allowed to pass judgment on those who have.

Law school is part of the real world – it is not an insular place where people live in libraries and only talk about the Supreme Court. We are people who are going to take our places in the larger world at the end of our time here, and as such we, just like everyone else, should be constantly furthering our knowledge and understanding of the world we live in.

The word “slut” has been used in the recent news as an insult against a partner of ours, Sandra Fluke, who is also a member of LSRJ, which is the national Law Students’ organization for Reproductive Justice.

Amidst all of the negative attention that Mr. Limbaugh focused on the sexual choices of people other than himself, the word has sparked a national dialogue among American women who feel that they should be allowed to make their own reproductive health choices.

If our decision to represent the term in a positive light for students who would like to discuss the implications of the word in a larger reproductive health context offends some women, we are truly sorry, and we recognize and respect the choice of those women to determine that the word should never be used at all, even in a positive way.

What we do not allow is for people to form a negatively reductionist opinion of our event and our organization based on the word “slut.” Women’s feelings regarding that word cannot be reduced to a sound bite or a bumper sticker. This is a discussion that women from all over the country want to engage in – and we sincerely hope that anyone choosing to cover this event will give it the positive attention that it deserves.

We want reproductive justice for all women – and we believe that this event, like many we hold every year at Harvard Law School, including during our annual Sex Week, furthers that cause.

HLS students:

5% have never had an orgasm

4% aren’t sure if they’ve had an orgasm

Of those who have had an orgasm…

11% have an orgasm multiple times a day

15% have an orgasm once a day

50% have an orgasm a few times a week

11% have an orgasm once a week

11% have an orgasm a few times a month

1% have an orgasm once a month

1% say they never have an orgasm any more

46% are in a relationship

38% are single

8% say it’s complicated

5% are married

3% are “other”

Of single HLS students…

37% say being at HLS hasn’t changed his/her ability to find a sexual partner

21% say being at HLS has negatively effected their ability to find a sexual partner

15% say being at HLS has positively effected their ability to find a sexual partner

28% aren’t sure

Monday, March 26, 12-1 pm:

Sex-Positivity and Slut-Pride: Sex Tips for a Modern World from Good Vibrations: Join HLSRJ and Good Vibrations for a short discussion of sex-positivity, a demo of lube and some popular sex toys, then Q&A. Free Food!

Tuesday, March 27, 6-8 pm, Griswold 110:

Affirmative Consent and the Law: Judge Nancy Gertner will discuss affirmative consent and criminal law in the US - how the concept does or doesn’t fit into the criminal law today, and where we could go from here. Cohosted by the Women’s Law Association and Journal of Law and Gender. Non-pizza dinner provided.

Thursday, March 29, 12-1 pm, Griswold 110:

Professor Diane Rosenfeld will discuss sexual assault and the promise of female solidarity in healing and fighting back. Brown-bag lunch.

Thursday, March 29, 8-10pm at Hong Kong:

Sex Trivia! Join HLSRJ and HL Central for drinks and sex-themed trivia leading into Bar Review. Fun prizes and drink tickets!

All Week:

Stop by our table everyday from 12-1 pm to learn more about sexual health, sexual and reproductive justice, HLSRJ, and to ask anonymous questions about sex to be answered on our tumblr!

Check out Harvard College’s sex week activities at /hsexweek.org/