FIU SHARP promotes sexual positivity

Anamaria Soler/Staff Writer

Sexuality can sometimes be a controversial topic in society, but FIU’S Sexual Health Alliance Revolutionizing Positivity wants to change the stigma.

The honors college organization mission is to promote sexual health while breaking down the social and cultural taboos associated with sexuality, according Jocelyn Briones, president of FIU SHARP. Inclusion, empowerment and awareness are the main goals of the club.

“We strive to create a loving community by promoting sexual health, self-care and inclusivity,” said Briones.

The club feel like all the students who are a part of this organization and lead/inspire it have 1 thing in common: “the belief that everyone has an equal right to love and sexual exploration, free of stigma and fear.” This club does this by creating their own sex-ed curriculum since they noticed that Sex Education is something “severely limited in Florida and the United States as a whole.”

The club organize activities that include panels/workshops with sexual health professionals, volunteer opportunities, and socials where they discuss sexual stigmas. For FIU SHARP, their favorite panels thus far have been it’s Pretty in Kink and their Trans Health panels. For Pretty in Kink, they invited three bondage, dominance, sadism and masochism and kink professionals to talk about their experiences within the BDSM community, dispel some of the harmful myths and talk about how to practice “safe, sane and consensual.”

The hope for the organization is for whenever a student leaves one of their events, they feel accepted for who they are, who they love, and the kinds of pleasure they like to experience.

“Although everyone is different, most of our E-board has dealt with some form of shame and insecurity surrounding their sexual expression and understands the struggles in finding pleasure and connection,” said Brionnes. “That’s why we’re so passionate about what we’re doing and hope to inspire curiosity and excitement around sex in others, regardless of what their definition of ‘sex’ might be.”

Briones began this organization because of something very personal for her. The junior grew up in a conservative household and was not able to openly express her own sexuality. Through SHARP, Briones said, she was able to reclaim her sexuality.

“Pleasure was something you’d be ashamed of so you would hide it. Sexual attractions you would have for people wasn’t something you were allowed to share with others,” said Briones. “I feel like through Sharp, I’ve been able to be more comfortable with myself, owning my pleasure, and be more open about it. I just feel like it has helped me in different aspects of my life.”

Her goal for the organization is to “build a community of pleasure positive folks who can become confident in themselves and love themselves freely.”

Brionnes says the job helps her with her career as a future physician.

“I feel like SHARP has made me grow a lot as a person,” said Briones. “SHARP has also made a better person. It has taught me to address my biases and to empower myself and others.”

 

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