[Winona Online Democracy]
I first heard about this recent issue from my social work seniors. We'd recently had one of the most valuable and poignant discussions of the semester. It was about female sexuality--the book by Mary Pipher, _Reviving Ophelia_ was the springboard. The book discusses research about the ways that girls suffer and change in so many negative and harmful ways once they go through puberty.
These young women (my students) were appalled to discover that the WSH students' concrete expression of valuing their gender and sexuality was seen only as an issue of the "right" to speak a word that others define as "dirty."
I'm with Ed. _The Vagina Monologues_ is a powerful piece of work that's message resonated with these young women. I see that they are trying to create social change. We can teach them all that good stuff in the Health curriculum, but it is constantly overpowered by those social mores that tell us anything to do with sexuality is "dirty."
To the WHS Administration, I'd ask what exactly the dress code says. If it bans profanity, I don't think these buttons fit the definition. I agree with Joliene's judgement that students' dress should not promote sex. These buttons don't say "I love coitus," or I love cunnilingus." The message is "I'm working to love a part of my body that society tells me is dirty."
To me the issue is this:
If the schools are here to teach our kids to value their health and their bodies, but the policy says it's not OK to publicly express this--it is a mixed message. Maybe Ed or others can comment on what statistics there are regarding the percentages of kids who actually receive health and sexuality education at home. From my personal experience talking to parents (my peers) and young people (my students) the number of parents who never have "the talk" or have it much to late is staggering!!!!! We need the schools to be able to provide sexual health education and it only seems right that the rest of the school policies support the message of the curriculum--to value all aspects of yourself and your body.
Kathy Seifert
----- Original Message ----- From: "Ed Thompson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2005 3:02 PM
Subject: [Winona] Re: students' freedom of speech _______________________________________________
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