UT
NIVERSITY IMES
Feb. 9, 2015
INSIDE:
www.csulauniversitytimes.com
C A L I F O R N I A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y, L O S A N G E L E S
Sex Toys "R" Us is a No Go it to be important.
LA ONDA:
Former GSRC Program Coordinator Lysander Valenzuela, who is familiar with events created by the CCC, explained that the “Sex Toys ‘R’ Us” event fulfilled several learning objectives that the Centers have to abide by when it comes to planning them. Some of their learning objectives include “acquiring language that will help with their relationships with friends, family, and significant others,” and “identifying or acquiring a skill that will help with their Cal State L.A. experience or life after Cal State L.A.”
INCINERAN A PILOTO MILITAR JORDANO
PG 6
CAMPUS GATHERS TO REMEMBER MEXICANAMERICAN JOURNALIST RUBEN SALAZAR
Valenzuela defended that the February 11th event abided by those learning objectives and described, “There always has to be a reason for the event. How is this going to affect students? How is this going to promote their education?”
PG 3
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50 SHADES OF RED READY FOR VALENTINE'S DAY
Frustration boils over a cancelled sex toy workshop for students.
PG 4
Angeline Bernabe
DESIGNER OF THE WEEK: CANDI CORONA PG 7
Staff Reporter Many students were devastated last week when administrators pulled the plug on a “Sex Toys ‘R’ Us” event that was scheduled to happen on Wednesday, February 11th.
PG 2
The event, which was supposed to promote sex positivity and create awareness about safe and inclusive sex education through the use of sex toys, was deemed inappropriate after a mother of an 18-year-old Cal State L.A. student complained to CBS News.
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Once word about the nature of the event got to administrators by the CBS Los Angeles local news station, they were quick to respond and eliminated the student-organized event completely.
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PG 5
Issue 208.6
In
an
official
statement,
Robert Lopez, the Director of Communications at the Office of Communications and Public Affairs, stated, “When made fully aware of the details about how the event was to be run, however, the university determined it was not appropriate and immediately cancelled it.” Along with the event being ‘inappropriate’, it would have also been an area of conflict because there are minors that attend Cal State L.A. He adds, “Students are part of a global community that includes minors. We have a responsibility to ensure that these minors do not have access to events or information designed for adults.” The “Sex Toys ‘R’ Us” event was created by the Cross Cultural Centers’ (CCC) Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (GSRC), a space on campus that dedicates itself to challenging societal norms and constructing a safe environment for students to learn about topics such as sex and gender. Students have expressed mixed feelings about a sex toy workshop on campus but a large number of students found
Two years ago, when Valenzeula was the GSRC’s Program Coordinator, he held a BDSM 101 introductory event similar to what the “Sex Toys ‘R’ Us” event was supposed to be like. Even though people found the topic to be taboo to talk about with this year’s event, he mentions that there was (and still is) a desire to learn about practicing sex through the use of toys at his event two years ago. He says, “The event was packed, and I ended up having to turn people away.” Former Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA) Fundraising Chair, Bree Lacey, who spends most of her time at the GSRC found that the cancellation of the event was an attack on campus’ tight-knit LGBTQ community of students and activists. She responded to the CBS report by saying, “The political implications set in with us and we were like wait, this is actually sexually repressive. It’s oppressive, and it’s breeding this culture of shame surrounding sexuality that has no place at a college campus.” Lacey went on by asserting that the cancellation of the event “perpetuates a prohibition on female women sexuality.” While students found the
cancellation of the event as a sign of eliminating talk about sex on campus, another main concern included the administration’s action against the freedom of speech. When Hayden Barnes, a lawyer from Baltimore, Maryland heard the media reports surrounding this sex education event, he expressed his concerns in an e-mail that he addressed to President Covino, which was also forwarded to the University Times. He states, “This action is a blatant unconstitutional violation of the free speech rights of the organizers and potential attendees, constituting viewpoint-based speech discrimination.” Barnes went on by mentioning that the act of falling into pressure from parents “shows a lack of commitment to free speech and a lack of fortitude” by administration at Cal State L.A. Since administrators had no idea of the details of the event until news reports surfaced, it brings a question about the communication on campus. Should administration be more involved in the kinds of events that occur on campus? Should there be a stricter system placed on the events that are created by clubs or organizations on campus? Roberto Herrera, who is minoring in Women Gender and Sexuality Studies noted, “The university had no power to unilaterally decide that we cannot have this event. The university just decided for everyone, there was no interest in the students.” With the news reports of the cancelled event being just the tip of the iceberg, students are coming together on Wednesday, February 11th for a rally in the Free Speech Zone located in front of the bookstore. Similarly, in response to the frustration among students, the Office of Communications and Public Affairs welcomes discussion about the topic, and encourages students to reschedule the event with specific consideration for minors on campus and the nature of the event’s appropriateness, in mind.