Women’s center to screen sexual assault documentary “Audrie & Daisy”

Written by: Barbara Andrade /Staff Writer

Maria Falzone, comedian and one of the most sought-after college speakers, wants to teach students about sex and as part of sexual assault awareness month, the Women’s Center is bringing her to the University.

On April 13, Falzone will host a speaker series called “Sex Rules! Laugh and Learn the Rules to Greater and Safer Sex.”

According to Meredith Morgan, coordinator of the Women’s Center at BBC, “Sex Rules” is a comedy show about how to have great sex that is safe and consensual, while building in topics such as self-esteem, sexual transmitted infections and relationships. Her message is inclusive of and relevant to all genders, sexualities, and races.

Morgan also explained that they chose Maria Falzone because talking about consent is often a dreaded topic for students. The topic is often approached with a tone that everyone is a potential perpetrator of sexual violence, and this approach doesn’t empower people to be active bystanders and practice consent. Falzone uses humor and entertainment, Morgan says, to show how fun consensual sex is, what the rules are, and how to love and enjoy your sex life in a safe way for you and your partners.

As part of a larger initiative to increase awareness of sexual assault, the Women’s Center at the Biscayne Bay Campus also screened “Audrie & Daisy,” a Netflix documentary exploring rape, trauma, power, and coming of age in the world of social media on April 5.

“… We live in a society where sex sells, but we’re often told not to have it outside of a heterosexual marriage, so we don’t get sex advice, detailed education on consent, and how to prevent STIs apart from abstinence,” Morgan said.

Morgan thinks that students will be empowered to create the safe sex life they want for themselves — including abstinence, if that’s what they choose. They will learn how to communicate with potential sexual partners so that their sex is safe, fun, and consensual.

The documentary highlights the re-traumatization of victims after sexual assaults, according to Morgan. “Audrie & Daisy” show the story of two girls who were sexually assaulted at parties at the ages of 14 and 15. After the assaults, the girls were bullied and harassed.

“It’s important that students watch this film because many people don’t think about the aftermath of sexual assault – they only think about the assault itself,” Morgan said.

Daisy was taunted in school and social media, and was shunned from her community. Pictures of Audrie’s rape were shared among her classmates. One week after Audrie’s assault, she committed suicide, and Daisy attempted suicide three times.

Morgan explained that victims are often blamed for their assault, and if they speak out about it, they are stigmatized and harassed. This can lead to dropping out of school, inability to work, and even suicide.

“It’s important that we not only work to prevent sexual assault by creating a culture of consent, but that we also work to prevent bullying – including cyberbullying – in order to properly care for victims and prevent retraumatization,” said Morgan.

The “Sex Rules” event will be held at the BBC on April 13 in Wolfe University Center ballrooms from 5 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. and MMC on April 14 in the Graham Center Ballrooms from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. This and other upcoming events can be found on their social media accounts: Facebook: Women’s Center FIU and Instagram: @womenscenterfiu.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons