The Student Support and Advocacy Center at George Mason
University hosted a “Consent
Carnival” recently in which students could choose from a range of
educational activities, including lubricant taste tests, a vagina bean bag toss
and a penis ring-toss game. Lubricant flavors included such classics as
watermelon, cupcake and green apple. The bean bag toss consisted of giant
inflatable lips that mimicked vaginas, into which students attempted to throw
large pink bean bags. The site touted the fact that the vagina is
self-cleaning. (“Is there a bun in your self-cleaning oven?”). Flyers at the
site also informed students that “not all people with vaginas are women.” Much
as not all large gray mammals with tusks and a long, prehensile trunk are
elephants. Just as the fact that an animal has a backbone doesn’t mean it is a
vertebrate. (People willing to be coerced into calling a woman a man, for
example, are, in fact, spineless). The display also noted, “Genitalia is
not an indicator of gender and it can be harmful to assume so.” This is like
saying “hue is not an indicator of color” or “wetness is not an indicator of
liquid.” Genitalia and gender both stem from the Latin word
genus, meaning “kind, type or sort.”
Perhaps
insanity is not an indicator of mental illness.
The
penis ring-toss featured three-foot-high inflatable phalluses, surrounded by
signs educating the young scholars in how to correctly don and use a condom. (And
speaking of inflatables, a number of students were observed walking around
holding giant, flesh-colored penis-shaped balloons). This must’ve been a
depressing station for actual male members of the campus. So to speak. How do
you measure up, lads? (But, remember, a penis is not an indicator of
maleness)!
Other
stations at the educational extravaganza included an “affirmative consent
kissing booth,” a “don’t touch my hair” booth, a condom balloon pop, a “you
mustache for consent” table,” face painter, sno-cone machine, and “gender
unicorn” booth. The gender unicorn booth sought to instruct students how to
properly react to friends coming out as LGBTQ, while the “you mustache for
consent” (get it?) table strove to teach students how to get consent before and
during any sexual activity. (“May I place my hand on your shoulder? Thank you.
Can I kiss your lips? I can? Then kindly just sign—and date-- this consent
form, where indicated, in indelible blue or black ink. The top form is mine,
the canary is for my lawyer, and the pink one is yours to keep for your
records”).
The
College Fix reported that the face paint and sno-cone booths seemed to be the
event’s most attended venues. I don’t know if that is a ray of hope or the
saddest part of it all. Today’s students have been rendered mostly—unavoidably--
numb to everything pertaining to what should be the most private, intimate, and
reverential act in which humans can participate.
Sex
carnivals are all the rage on college campuses these days. It is not publicly
known who funded this one.
George
Mason was born very near where the university that bears his name stands today.
He was a founder and patriot who helped draft the Bill of Rights.
Perhaps
he is even now looking down on the bastion of higher education that
appropriated his name.
I’m sure he is very proud.
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