The CSPH Celebrates Five Years

As we entered the dark Fete Music Hall to check in, my favorite college sex educator and I were welcomed to An Affair to Remember, the gala 5^th anniversary fundraiser for Rhode Island’s own Center for Sexual Pleasure & Health. The Center’s mission, as told to me by their Interim Executive Director, Kira Manser, is to reduce sexual shame, challenge misinformation and provide sex education by coordinating professional trainings, educational initiatives and community events. They focus on professional and personal development.

We checked in and the staff informed us about the auction and our free drink ticket, and told us if we kept our program we’d get a gift bag on our way out. I whispered to my friend, “Someone’s going home with a new vibrator!”

The table at the entrance was laden with sex toys and aids of all kinds. I looked at my friend and said, “Let’s start with a drink.”  Minor Swing flooded the hall with swing music. To our left was a table of appetizers and desserts from caterer and food truck Noble Knots. After a few sips of the signature drink “The Sex Ed Warrior Queen,” we perused the evening’s special treat, A Place at the Table, an art installation/auction inspired by Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party. Fifteen plates were set on a long table, all designed by local artists. Plates were placed under the themes of anatomy, obscenity laws, sexuality & disability, consent, love & relationships, gender diversity, sexuality & aging, sexuality & people of color, kink & BDSM, sexual health, sexuality & spirituality, sexual response, safer sex, reproductive justice and sex positivity. The last plate was dedicated to founder of CSPH, Megan Andelloux. Each of the plates was included in the auction along with many other items, from a gift basket from Good Vibrations to a weekend in the Berkshires.

Founder Megan Andelloux spoke about her passion for CSPH and its controversial beginning, and told stories of people they have helped in both their professional and personal development work. CSPH offers local events to the public like Providence Sex Trivia Night every 4th Thursday of the month, February through October at the Salon on Eddy Street. Sticky Stories is their sexy version of The Moth, which takes place at AS220 in February. Queen Porn night is selections of queer porn (made by and for queer people) to expand the media representation of pornography. For more information go to thecsph.org/events/. They offer over 14 different workshops for colleges from Being Brilliant in Bed to Get Wet:  Exploring the Connections Between Sexual Pleasure, Health and Advocacy.

When we left, we showed our programs and received our free goody-bags. And I was wrong; we didn’t go home with just one new vibrator, but two!

Their event raised raised $16,485.00 of their $20,000 goal. They will continue to fundraise through this week. To support this educational and important organization, go to https://bitly.com/AATRtix