Poly Planet GAIA | ecosexual love | arts of loving | global holistic health | eros | dissidence

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

4 of 4: EcoSex @ U Conn - Ryan and Jetha's Sex at Dawn - Student Responses: Rhiann's Take

Dear Earthlings:



The EcoSex course at U Conn is complete.  It was a great experience.  We spent time reading amazing books.  And here we resume posts to be shared with you.  Thinking out of the box and across disciplines.  Students had been sending their responses in, with discussion questions.  In class, we did connected the dots: a holograph of what we've read together, the "required readings."  Multiple perspectives and good synergy.  Here, we offer a glimpse.  Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha's Sex at Dawn was one of two cultural-theory theory books.  We got five responses: from Adam, Michael, Alexandra, and Rhiann. 

Here is Rhiann's take:

Response to Sex at Dawn


The topic I felt most compelled to respond to in the text, Sex at Dawn, was the section titled, “The Famously Flaccid Female Libido.” The section starts with a quote by Charles Darwin. 
It states, "the female... with the rarest exception, is less eager than the male...” The authors go on to say that, “hundreds, if not thousands, of studies have claimed to confirm the flaccidity of the female libido” (Ryan 52). A 1989 study done in Florida State University was explained to illustrate where the assumption that women are sexually flaccid derives from. In the study, an attractive college student would walk up to members of the opposite sex and offer a compliment and ask them to go to bed with them that evening. About 75% of males said yes and many who said no suggested a different night. On the other hand, not one female said yes to the same proposal. This study supposedly concludes that women are not interested in casual sex and do not have a sex drive. The text also suggests that these results are conducive to theories that woman “instinctively barter sex to get things from men” and in order to maintain said value of intercourse they abstain from casual sex (Ryan 52).

            My reaction to this passage was negative. I believe the authors would side with me and wrote this passage to shed light upon this assumption. I felt smothered as I read the quotes of these great thinkers. As I read this section, I realized that my personal struggles with my sexuality can be considered a product of these assumptions. The theory that women do not have a strong libido that has been proven by men and weak studies has shaped culture so much that it’s effects are reverberating through my life today. I personally, feel the need to make sure that my “number” of sexual partners is very low because I do not want to be perceived as promiscuous. On the other hand, I struggle with cognitive dissonance. Part of me wants to keep the amount of people I engage in intercourse with low and part of me wants to explore my sexuality. I find myself to a have a sexually open personality but have yet to attempt to explore this because I feel as if there is a societal demand to keep my “number” particularly low. I struggle with these two opposing thoughts all the time. After reading this section, I now realize how deep and old this assumption is that has affected how I perceive myself and monitor my own sexuality. To me, this is unfair to myself and all women. I can only hope that through this class I will start to let go of the societal demands I and other women succumb to on a daily basis.

Rhiann Peterson
Published with permission

WGSS 3998 - Ecosexuality and the Ecology of Love
Prof. Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio
U Conn, Storrs, Spring 2013

Dear Earthlings:
Let "nature" be your teacher in the arts of love.  Education is the heart of democracy, education to love.  Come back for more wonders: Students Responses have resumed, to appear now every Tuesday.  More Book Reports to be scheduled soon, every other Thursday.  

Namaste,
 
Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio, PhD
Gilf Gaia Extraordinaire
Author of Gaia, Eros, and many other books about love Professor of Humanities
University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
Join Our Mailing List
   
Follow us in the social media
Poly Planet GAIA Blog: 
http://polyplanet.blogspot.com/ 

Be Appraised of Ecosex Community Project PostaHouse  Become a Fan: www.facebook.com/GaiaBlessings 
Author's Page/Lists all books: 
YouTube Uploaded Videos: http://www.youtube.com/SerenaAnderlini
 

Find us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterView our profile on LinkedInView our videos on YouTubeVisit our blog 

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

3 of 4: EcoSex @ U Conn - Ryan and Jetha's Sex at Dawn - Student Responses: Alexandra's Take

Dear Earthlings:



The EcoSex course at U Conn is complete.  It was a great experience.  We spent time reading amazing books.  And here we resume posts to be shared with you.  Thinking out of the box and across disciplines.  Students had been sending their responses in, with discussion questions.  In class, we did connected the dots: a holograph of what we've read together, the "required readings."  Multiple perspectives and good synergy.  Here, we offer a glimpse.  Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha's Sex at Dawn was one of two cultural-theory theory books.  We got four responses: from Adam, Michael, Alexandra, and Rhiann. 

Here is Alexandra's take:

Response to Sex at Dawn

          
The following is a response to The Pervert’s Lament. The idea that testosterone increases libido is valid. That being said, estrogen, also increases libido. Thus, claiming
that men have a higher sex drive than women based on their hormones, which is implied by the man’s statement, “The most overwhelming feeling was the incredible increase in libido and change in the way I perceived women... Everything I looked at, everything I touched turned into sex... I felt like a monster... It made me understand men.” I do not deny that the man, recently undergone a sex change, felt this way. I argue that he either was experiencing the placebo effect, or had higher testosterone levels as a man relative to the testosterone levels he had as a woman. Men are not inherently “monsters” due to their biology, nor are men more sexually inclined than females. Thinking this increases a belief in a destructive social more that is often cited as the cause of rape culture. “Boys just can’t control themselves,” people say. This then excuses men from acts of rape and also demonizes them as the monsters who would partake in such acts. This is a self fulfilling prophecy. If we raise men to believe that they are inherently more sexual than women, they will act more sexual than women.
 While I agree that sexual oppression sparks many suicides I would argue that men commit more suicides than women not because they are more sexual than women, but because social standards for masculine gender are much more rigid than social standards for feminine. In a recent poll men and women were asked what they most feared. The majority of men said humiliation, while the majority of women said rape or murder. This reflects the intense pressure placed on men to fulfil a specific role in society. Humiliation stems from failure in business or in bed, and thus reflect failure of showcasing oneself as a man. This makes men more susceptible to small irritants and lower self esteem and happiness levels. Furthermore, men are not “allowed” to fear rapes or murders because it would reflect a certain unmanliness. “If you are strong, as legitimate men are, then you will be able to easily fend off assaults,” states society. I believe that such rigorous social constructs for the male gender create engendered rage. Men, feel trapped in a stagnant identity. If they try and escape said identity they are ridiculed not by females, but by other men. Men hate “feminine” characteristics in other men because they fear the “feminine” characteristics that rest in their own souls. This explains the high rates of homophobia in men. Thus, men both control and are slaves to societal norms. The only way out? Suicide.



Questions: Which do you think are more intense- gender norms for men or females?

Do you believe in inherent personality differences between men and women based on “sex” (biological aspects)?

Alexandra Mayer
Published with permission

WGSS 3998 - Ecosexuality and the Ecology of Love
Prof. Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio
U Conn, Storrs, Spring 2013

Dear Earthlings:
Let "nature" be your teacher in the arts of love.  Education is the heart of democracy, education to love.  Come back for more wonders: Students Responses have resumed, to appear now every Tuesday.  More Book Reports to be scheduled soon, every other Thursday.  

Namaste,
 
Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio, PhD
Gilf Gaia Extraordinaire
Author of Gaia, Eros, and many other books about love Professor of Humanities
University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
Join Our Mailing List
   
Follow us in the social media
Poly Planet GAIA Blog: 
http://polyplanet.blogspot.com/ 

Be Appraised of Ecosex Community Project PostaHouse  Become a Fan: www.facebook.com/GaiaBlessings 
Author's Page/Lists all books: 
YouTube Uploaded Videos: http://www.youtube.com/SerenaAnderlini
 

Find us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterView our profile on LinkedInView our videos on YouTubeVisit our blog 

MANIFESTING FUNDS for HEARTS ON FIRE / TE AMO PLAYA AZUL I LOVE YOU


OUR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN IS OPEN FOR HEARTS ON FIRE
TE AMO PLAYA AZUL I LOVE YOU 

Manifesting funds for Hearts on Fire. Our campaign is open w/ wonderful opportunities: Become an Azure Spouse w/ invite to the Caribbean. "Love the Earth? Marry an ecosystem!" Donate now and win Playa Azul's unconditional love.  
I hear the beach whispering "thank you!"



YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.  
WE ARE NOW FUNDING THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR'S AIRFARE FROM INDIA


CLAIM YOUR PERK IMMEDIATELY.  
BECOME AN AZURE SPOUSE BLESSED WITH 
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FROM PLAYA AZUL
THANK YOU!
 Where: Playa Azul
When: January 25, 2014, all day

SerenaGaia, Shaison Ouseph, and many others involved in this imaginative 
project send blessings and waves of ecosexual love to you!



Thursday, October 24, 2013

Te Amo Playa Azul I Love You - How to Join, Donate Time, Talent, Arts: Jan 25th, 2014

Dear Earthlings:

yes, we hear you: you want to donate time, talent, arts, skills to Te Amo Playa Azul I Love You!  You love the Earth and want to marry one of its beautiful ecosystems.  Plus, you're a very imaginative artist of love and wish to bring you creativity to the day's joyful celebrations.  That's a wonderful thing and there are many ways to do it.

Here's what to do:

Save the date of January 25th, 2014.  If you are NOT in Puerto Rico already, save the whole extended weekend period.  Go to KAYAK and book a round trip ticket to Aguadilla-BQN.  You will be a short 40-minute drive from your bride, Playa Azul. Puerto Rico is a US territory: no passport needed if you are a US citizen.

We plan an all-day celebration with workshops, performances, rituals, magic, ablutions, facilitation, ceremonies, refreshments, hospitality, foods.  We want to get to a place where we all feel vibrant, connected, and energized to really celebrate our love for the beach.  We welcome facilitators, performers, teachers of ecosexual love.  The day will culminate with the actual wedding to/on/with Playa Azul the beach.  It will be a sacralization of this beautiful ecosystem.  We welcome shamans, priestesses, witches, magicians to officiate the sacred unions.  Third planet Gaia is a very generous lover to us: she hosts all the love that's ever been and ever will be, she's the most compersive partner we'll ever experience, and she offers beautiful gifts, like our bride for the day, Playa Azul, or "blue beach."

We welcome all participants.  The beach is open to the public and usually frequented by very respectful people who appreciate the good care of those who live in the nearby condominums.  It's a magical balance we've created over the years: we love the beach, the beach loves us back: we have joy, harmony, and peace.  Bring towels, water, swim gear, and what makes you comfortable for a day at the beach.  

You can simply show up and participate in ongoing programs and activities.  There is excellent swimming and snorkeling in the nearby reef.  Please bring your own gear.  A beautiful walk on the sandy shore is available too.  There is natural shade under the beautiful beach vine trees, called "uva playera." 

You can also relax and observe from a distance. Voyeurism is participation, right?  We have not forgotten our LGBiTransQueerPoly wisdom!

Finally, you can facilitate a workshop, lead a ritual, perform a favorite piece, dance to the waves of the sea, read a poem, do your magic, play a skit, sing a song with music, play the drums, lead an aquatic activity.  Playa Azul is a very simple, but not clothing-optional beach.  The temperature is estimated at an ideal 85 F for the season.  Shed your warm clothes and wear cotton, hemp, silk.  Veils, scarves, shawls, pareos will do.  Bikinis and briefs are welcome for those who prefer swim wear.  Be imaginative and fun with your costumes.  Wear pink, white, and gold to enhance the colors of the ecosystem. 

Here we offer some pictures of Playa Azul.  Isn't the bride beautiful?  A perfect place to encounter diversity in sacred union.  And Te Amo Playa Azul I Love You will be an encounter across languages and cultures.  Isn't the bride beautiful?  We welcome spontaneous ways of being together that enhance the role of the hosting ecosystem.  We will facilitate translations and transitions.  Bring your imaginativeness and experience.  Let this blessed ecosystem inspire you.  Our program is open and we invite ideas, proposals, possibilities.  

We will offer healthy beverages and foods for the wedding day.  You are welcome to camp on the beach with your own equipment: free access to bathroom, pool, and shower.  There are rooms at nearby Hotel Parador Joyuda Beach.  The Parador, or "place to stop," is a local hospitality place and is literally a two-minute walk from Playa Azul.  It's not the best but it's nearby.  You can go ahead and reserve your room (now at $ 95/night for a double). We may have donated apartments available on Playa Azul and other areas.  Please ask.  We will prioritize hospitality for those who offer skills and let us know soon.  You will need transportation from the BQN-Aguadilla airport to Playa Azul and back.  Rental cars are available at the airport: Enterprise has a special deal. And my favorite driver, Ariel, is available too: book him at 787 644 3001. We may be able to pick you up: give us notice of your arrival time.   

We hope this inspires you to offer yourself this exciting opportunity.  It will be a gift to remember.  In creating these cherished memories for you, we follow the inspiration of supreme EcoSexual artists of love Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens.  Visit their LoveArtLab for inspiration about how much fun an EcoSexual Wedding can be.  Invite your loved ones to join you in the journey.  The practice of ecosexual love expands every day.  We wish to create a space of positive visibility for you and a model of Earth love and stewardship.

Choose Te Amo Playa Azul I Love You.  We value your time and will do our best to make this happen for you.  Let us know what what you'd like to offer and what you need.  

Much of the videography will be on site.  The choice of being in the video is entirely up to you.  Your energy, talent, and  participation are appreciated regardless and will be great contributions to the event.   

Please get in touch with Serena and Shaison: 
at serena.anderlini@gmail.com, and shaisonp@gmail.com.  Tell us, in a few words, why you'd like to come, who shares the trip with you, and what you'd like to do.  Send us a write up with some images.  We will consider and get back with you.  We look forward to further working with you.  Thank you! 

Dear Earthlings:

It's such a pleasure to announce new projects to you.  Te Amo Playa Azul I Love You is template for Hearts on Fire: Together in Ecosexual Love.  Click here for the whole picture.  It's really exciting to be in it.  We look forward to your participation and input.  Comments?  Questions?  Don't hesitate to leave them here.  Thank you!
Can't wait to go donate funds to the project?  Click for Indiegogo Campaign and let the system guide you.  Wonderful perks awaiting for you!
Let "nature" be your teacher in the arts of love.  Education is the heart of democracy: education to love.  Come back for more wonders: from EcoSex @ U Conn, Students Responses have resumed, to appear now every Tuesday.  More Book Reports to be scheduled soon, every other Thursday.  
All good wishes and Namaste,



Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio, PhD

Gilf Gaia Extraordinaire
Author of Gaia, Eros, and many other books about love  

Professor of Humanities
University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez


Join Our Mailing List


Follow us in the social media
 

Poly Planet GAIA Blog:  http://polyplanet.blogspot.com/ 
Website: www.serenagaia.com 

Be Appraised of Ecosex Community Project PostaHouse   
Author's Page/Lists all books: 
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JS1VKA 
YouTube Uploaded Videos: http://www.youtube.com/SerenaAnderlini
 


Find us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterView our profile on LinkedInView our videos on YouTubeVisit our blog