FRANCISCO RUIZ | The Signpost 6 | March 12, 2020 | MyWeberMedia.com S.U.R.F. PROVIDES SAFE SPACE FOR SEX POSITIVITY By FRANCISCO RUIZ Asst. Section Editor As students trickled into the Weber State University Women’s Center — some with looks of trepidation on their faces — members of Students United for Reproductive Freedom, or SURF, offered jokes, smiles, food and naughty name tags to lighten the mood. SURF hosted its “Pillow Talk” event on the evening of Feb. 28 to create a space where students could openly and candidly talk about everything from auto-erotic activities to sex toys. SURF invited two professionals to talk about sex and address questions from the attendees. Kolleen Marchand, a physician assistant from Tanner Clinic, and Jamie Checketts, a sexual health and romance coach, both shared their experiences in helping patients and clients overcome problems with sexual health and wellness. Both Marchand and Checketts used bluntness and humor to spark dialogue. “Laughter helps to confront tough matters,” Checketts said. Checketts also emphasized the need for organizations to create a sex-positive attitude and safe space where young people can seek advice from health and wellness experts. Marchand acknowledged that talking about sex in a predominantly religious and conservative place like Utah can be challenging, but that comprehensive sex education is important for everybody. Marchand embraces a matter-of-fact approach to sex education. “Imagine if we taught driver’s ed like we taught sex ed here in Utah…I would not want to be anywhere near the streets,” Marchand said. “You don’t know what you don’t know.” Checketts asked the attendees to describe their sexual education experience. A few audience members commented about how they learned about sex through church or pornography. Other attendees expressed their frustration about their religion’s teachings regarding pre-marital sex or sexual “purity.” “Parents and religious leaders have good intentions, but they often pass on bad habits or bad information,” Checketts said. Both Checketts and Marchand did not recommend pornography as a healthy sex education tool. While they did not say that adults should avoid porn, they did acknowledge that it can cause unrealistic expectations and feelings about sex in the minds of inexperienced viewers. They also claimed porn can cause negative body image issues in both men and women. Marchand also emphasized that strict religious teachings about sex can also be damaging to a person’s sexual health. “It is normal to have sexual urges,” Marchand said. “Nobody should feel ashamed about it.” Checketts recounted several experiences of having to coach young brides-to-be about their own anatomy and what to ex-