Opinion THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, APRIL 5, 2010
PAGE 7A
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--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
Relationships are a stupid thing to rant about just for the sake of making conversation.
--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
I spent two hours doing extra credit just to make noise while my roommate was sleeping.
--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
I like big butts and I cannot lie.
I typed "how do" in Google and the first suggestion was "how do you get pregnant?" Even Google thinks I should be careful.
--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
Today I saw two guys my roommate has slept with. Weird, I usually see more.
Tip of the day: Don't add your TA on Facebook until after the semester is over.
--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
I'm so drunk my contacts don't work
--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
My life seems to be nothing but a series of existential crises that have left me unable to accomplish any damn thing.
--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
I'm going to run around naked today.
--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
I run around naked every day... in your head.
--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
I just friend-zoned a girl.
--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
Taylor Swift is the best rapa'alive!
You're sending me more mixed signals than a traffic controller with Parkinson's.
--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
I wish I was a KU basketball player so I could lose to UNI and still have a line of jersey chasers waiting for me.
--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
Home for Easter and snuggling with my dog. I love my life
--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
I reserve the right to peel my hard-boiled eggs at my desk.
--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
It's 2010, what happened to cloning ourselves?
Me date you? LOL!
--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
My hamster died Friday. I'm going to rename him Jesus.
I'm so bored! Why did my family have to have Easter brunch here?
--advancements in LGBT movement there is still a lot of work left to be done." Bolt said.
I'm happy I'm an atheist.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Pride Week is a time to learn
Whatever letter of LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, Queer/Questioning,
Intersex, Ally) best represents you,
this week is the time to embrace it.
Pride Week has become a tradition at the University, started by the student group Queens and Allies 20 years ago. It is a chance for the community to come out, join together as a group and celebrate
Sara Thompson, president of Queers and Allies, said it is a week of education and awareness. It is a way of saying "We're here, we're queer, and we're not going away."
This year, the group is starting something that hasn't been done during Pride Week before. At all of this week's events, there will be gender-neutral signs set up in place of men's and women's segregated restrooms.
Kellen Bolt, Pride Week coordinator, said the goal is "to make the people who are transitioning feel more comfortable and more accepted."
The addition of gender neutral bathrooms is a step forward in fighting against gender discrimination, which the city of Lawrence has not been fully supportive of.
Pride Week has contributed to the development of gender equality, but the challenge isn't overcome.
"While we've made huge
Recently, a Mississippi high school prom was canceled because a female student wanted to bring her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo. On Wednesday night Pride Prom will be a safe space to show how wrong this discrimination is.
Students and faculty should be excited to participate, starting today with the kiss-in. This is a way to be visible and raise awareness of the hatred and fear that still exists. Allies to the community should also show support by participating at the kiss-in.
Bolt said all of the events this week are worth going to. But he said that if you had time for one event, make it the Vogue Evolution
performance. This group is the first openly gay team to be on America's Best Dance Crew. They practice a style of dance called voguing, which has been in the LGBT culture since the Harlem Renaissance
Perhaps the most important role this week serves is that it creates an opportunity to ask questions. If something makes you uncomfortable, be open to understanding why that is and work toward acceptance
Tolerance shouldn't be limited to this week; the ideas that inspire Pride Week should be something the community strives for all year.
Starting today, celebrate coming out, celebrate being who you are and celebrate with pride.
Caitlin Thornbrugh for The Kansan Editorial Board
PRIDE WEEK CALENDAR
EDITORIAL CARTOON
Mon. Live Queer Acts/The Kiss-in 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., Stauffer-Flint Lawn
Tues. Sexy Time 2 - 4 p.m.Big 12 Room,
Staceyann Chin 7 - 9 p.m., Hashinger Theatre
Wed. Vogue Evolution 7 - 9 p.m.Kansas Ballroom, Pride Prom 10 p.m. - 2 a.m., Wilde's Chateau 24
Thurs. Gilbert Baker 7 - 9 p.m., Alderson Auditorium
Fri. Brown Bag Drag 12 - 1 p.m., Kansas Union
Sat. Pride Parade 11 am - 12 p.m., Massachusetts Street
MARIAM SAIFAN
SEXUAL HEALTH
Getting that high, but later
I've talked about the orgasm before. The female orgasm was difficult enough, but as a woman, writing about the male orgasm is an even bigger challenge. But it's too important to ignore.
Actually, there's a lot more to male orgasms than most people think. Many men suffer from erectile problems, but too many don't like to talk about it or deal with it. Being unable to please a woman and function properly in bed is still socially unacceptable and may be embarrassing for some. Yet, the Mayo Clinic found that one in three men experience problems with premature ejaculation at some point in their life. This is especially common among younger males.
When I told my friends I was writing about the male orgasm, the first reactions were "You'll be done in one paragraph" and "What is there to talk about? Stick it in and wait for it."
- Intimacy: A 1999 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that men who are in uncommitted relationships reported more erectile problems than those who are in satisfactory, stable relationships. Also, married men have fewer erectile problems than non-married men. No reason to run to the next church, but
Although there are numerous treatment options for premature ejaculation, including surgery and medications, let's not go that far. Most problems have a psychological and behavioral cause. Common options include:
Let's Talk about Sex
Cognitive restructuring: Cognitive restructuring,a popular method in sex therapy,involves changing internal,automatic thoughts that can prevent sexual arousal or orgasms,especially if you are stressed or worried. Since change of habits and reflexes take time,practice makes perfect. Try consulting a professional for the right method for you.
BY CAROLINE BLEDOWSKI
— Techniques: There are many ways to last longer, but again, only frequent practice will work most effectively. Try some of the following techniques: "Squeeze technique." During sex, try squeezing the end of your penis between the head and shaft for a few seconds and let go. Repeat if you need to.
try working on your relationship if you're not happy with it. Your sex life and overall well being will benefit.
Or you could masturbate longer.
Stop before you go and take a quick pause, then resume and try to do that for at least ten minutes. Kegel exercises work to strengthen your muscles. Try by stopping and starting your urine flow. When you've done that a few times, you should
be able to practice this muscle training without urination and during sex. Finally, work to extend foreplay and move slower during sex. But first, try out which techniques work best for you.
— Drugs: Stay away from alcohol, marijuana or other substance abuse. Studies show that men who drink alcohol or smoke weed regularly are much more likely to have sexual arousal or ejaculation problems.
- Sex education and sexual sensitivity: Learn about the basics of the human body and sex. Explore whatever you can. Knowledge won't hurt and you can often benefit from learning more about your body, your partner's body and how to maximize pleasure.
Communication: You've heard it before, I'm sure. Talking honestly with your partner about your wishes, concerns and desires is not only important to keep the relationship alive, but also solves sexual problems and dissatisfaction. Vaughn S. Millner, professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and licensed counselor, links communication among partners directly to more pleasurable sexual experiences. After all, how should your partner know what you like when you don't tell her?
Bledowski is a graduate student from Cracow, Poland, in journalism.
GENDER ISSUES
Women pay price with biased insurance plans
Our neighbors in Colorado just passed a law banning gender rating in health insurance - and, in this case, we should follow their lead.
Those four years are long enough to get a college degree. They are also long enough to go broke paying for unreasonable insurance rates.
Gender rating, which is the practice of charging people different rates based solely on their sex, is still legal in 37 states, including Kansas. The recent health care reform will outlaw this practice nationwide, but the change won't go into full effect until 2014.
Sex and Sensibility
According to the 2009 report "Still Nowhere To Turn," from the non-profit National Women's Law Center, the number of health insurance companies practicing gender rating has increased from 93 percent to 95 percent since 2008. Businesses that employ more women than men can be charged more for their group insurance plans. And, up until April 2009, Arkansas actually allowed insurance companies to use a history of domestic abuse to deny coverage to women.
The problem also falls close to home: All of the best-selling insurance plans in Kansas practice gender rating. Sixty percent of those plans charge non-smoking women a higher coverage rate than smoking men of the same age. The difference in these rates varies from six to 34 percent.
Let's get this straight: A man who has a habit linked to everything from heart disease to lung cancer usually pays less for his health care than a woman who keeps herself healthy. And these plans don't include specialty women's care, which is the only semi-plausible explanation for increased costs between genders. Even then, there are plenty of men-only medical procedures, such as those related to
BY MELISSA LYTTON
prostate issues, which counterbalance that excuse.
This is an even bigger deal for college-age women. At age 25, the difference in charges can be as high as 84 percent in some states, and they still exclude maternity coverage. Some students are lucky enough to be on their parents' insurance plans, and with the health care bill increasing the eligibility age to 26 (if you are unmarried), that may come to be a larger chunk of the student body.
But there are still plenty of students whose parents can't afford the extra dependents. And even if you're over the discrimination peak age of 25, things aren't very pretty. Only 13 percent of plans for 30-year-old women provide maternity coverage.
So why should we have to put up with this for four more years?
We don't have to. Thirteen states have already taken the initiative to ban gender rating. There's no reason Kansas shouldn't be next. The University enrolls more than 30,000. If every one of us wrote a letter to state representatives, the sheer number couldn't be ignored.
But that's not the only way to get involved. Bring the topic up in your women's studies classes, your law classes or even in your bowling classes. Spread the word. Start a petition. I came to the University because Jayhawks make change happen. And right now, we need it more than ever.
Lytton is a senior from Kodiak, Alaska, in creative writing.
Responses to the news of the week on Kansan.com
Chatterbox
“Ever heard of a kidney going bad because you smoked too much weed? Ever heard of going to the hospital over a pot brownie overdose? The only bad thing about weed is that it is illegal, which causes people to get it in not so good ways.”
— "Ajacks88" in response to "Protesters say pot is safe alternative" on April 2.
"If somebody has decided that they are going to do something that violates a law to the degree that murder does, the fact that it is illegal is not going to stop them. People are too fearful of guns and too trusting of authority figures."
—"Mitch_who” in response to "Students respond to concealed weapons bill" on March 31.
"I have tolerance toward atheists. Maybe others should have some tolerance toward people who believe in any sort of religion and think that it's wonderful having something to believe in."
—"OhHappyDay" in response to "Student atheist's video win award" on March 31.
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Stephen Monemaytor, Brahne Phanesteniel, Jennifer Torine, Learn Cunningham, Vicky Lu, Emily McCoy, Kate Larebrer, Stephane Penn, James Castle, Michael Holtz, Gaitlin Thorbrugh and Andrew Hammond.