No wrong questions about sex
Audience participation was encouraged during a frank presentation by Tristan Taormino Thursdayby Nicole Smith
Issue date: 11/4/08
Section: Campus News
When most people encounter Tristan Taormino, they want to know one question about her job. Why sex?
Taormino, an award-winning author, columnist and editor, constructed a list of things people do when they have sex during her presentation at Minnesota State Thursday.
The list encompassed nearly 50 verbs; including grow, explore, play, teach, learn, connect, imagine, relax, exercise, give, take, fantasize, commit, worship, nurture and feel alive.
"Looking at that list, what strikes me is, there really are few activities that we do as human beings, where we can accomplish all of this and more," Taormino said.
She said that is why she chose to write about sex and pursue sex education professionally.
Taormino provided a world of information about sex, sexual satisfaction tips and tricks and more to a packed audience in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom.
"You've probably seen a bunch of diagrams and heard about STDs, but that's really the basis of sex education in our culture," she said. Her presentation, aimed at being the sex class everyone always wanted but never got the chance to have, was tailored around what people in the audience wanted to know but aren't typically given.
Taormino strayed from using the technical terms for sex and genitals, instead using the names people use in bed.
She presented non-traditional diagrams of female and male anatomy, and interacted with guests in the audience by bringing them on stage to name the various body parts during her "refresher course on anatomy." Participants received free pornography and sex education videos Taormino directed through Vivid Entertainment.
The underlying themes of her talk were her keys to sexual satisfaction: knowledge, permission, masturbation, protection, communication, and authenticity.
According to Taormino, there is a lot of emphasis on people making a better life for themselves, be it professional, family, spiritual or another aspect of life, and people work hard to achieve it.
"However, no one ever said, why don't you put that much energy into sex?" she said. "Sex is just as much a fundamental part of us as all of those things, but I don't think it's valued in our culture in the same way."
Taormino said a good sex life doesn't have to be just "the icing on the cake."
"Sex can be important, sex can be a priority and sex can be about pleasure for pleasure's sake and that's okay," she said.
Taormino said individuals are their own key to sexual pleasure, so masturbation is important. If people don't know what gets them off, makes them feel good or bad or what they like or don't like, she added, it's too tall of an order to ask someone else to give you all of that.
An extensive question and answer period followed her presentation and the audience was allowed to ask questions about anything.
After being assured there was no such thing as a stupid, bad or inappropriate question, audience members wrote down questions on paper to hand in anonymously.
Taormino than spent the remainder of her time answering more than fifty questions spanning the spectrum of sex, including types of lubricant, biting and domination, various sex positions and tips to spice up a dull sex life.
Nicole Smith is a Reporter staff writer
Taormino, an award-winning author, columnist and editor, constructed a list of things people do when they have sex during her presentation at Minnesota State Thursday.
The list encompassed nearly 50 verbs; including grow, explore, play, teach, learn, connect, imagine, relax, exercise, give, take, fantasize, commit, worship, nurture and feel alive.
"Looking at that list, what strikes me is, there really are few activities that we do as human beings, where we can accomplish all of this and more," Taormino said.
She said that is why she chose to write about sex and pursue sex education professionally.
Taormino provided a world of information about sex, sexual satisfaction tips and tricks and more to a packed audience in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom.
"You've probably seen a bunch of diagrams and heard about STDs, but that's really the basis of sex education in our culture," she said. Her presentation, aimed at being the sex class everyone always wanted but never got the chance to have, was tailored around what people in the audience wanted to know but aren't typically given.
Taormino strayed from using the technical terms for sex and genitals, instead using the names people use in bed.
She presented non-traditional diagrams of female and male anatomy, and interacted with guests in the audience by bringing them on stage to name the various body parts during her "refresher course on anatomy." Participants received free pornography and sex education videos Taormino directed through Vivid Entertainment.
The underlying themes of her talk were her keys to sexual satisfaction: knowledge, permission, masturbation, protection, communication, and authenticity.
According to Taormino, there is a lot of emphasis on people making a better life for themselves, be it professional, family, spiritual or another aspect of life, and people work hard to achieve it.
"However, no one ever said, why don't you put that much energy into sex?" she said. "Sex is just as much a fundamental part of us as all of those things, but I don't think it's valued in our culture in the same way."
Taormino said a good sex life doesn't have to be just "the icing on the cake."
"Sex can be important, sex can be a priority and sex can be about pleasure for pleasure's sake and that's okay," she said.
Taormino said individuals are their own key to sexual pleasure, so masturbation is important. If people don't know what gets them off, makes them feel good or bad or what they like or don't like, she added, it's too tall of an order to ask someone else to give you all of that.
An extensive question and answer period followed her presentation and the audience was allowed to ask questions about anything.
After being assured there was no such thing as a stupid, bad or inappropriate question, audience members wrote down questions on paper to hand in anonymously.
Taormino than spent the remainder of her time answering more than fifty questions spanning the spectrum of sex, including types of lubricant, biting and domination, various sex positions and tips to spice up a dull sex life.
Nicole Smith is a Reporter staff writer
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