The University of Rhode Island (URI) has plans to host two “SexFest” events as part of its annual roster of activities organized by the college’s Gender and Sexuality Center.
According to the 2023-2024 event calendar for the URI Gender and Sexuality Center obtained by Turning Point USA, the college will be hosting a series of “sex-positive events” during its two “SexFest” events that take place in both October and April. These activities include a “sexual pleasure safe zone,” “sex toy bingo,” and a “drag ball.”
Last year, URI hosted a similar “SexFest,” and according to its website, the event aimed to allow students to “celebrate body positivity, sex positivity, and safer sex education.”
While it is unclear from the event calendar what exactly takes place in a sexual pleasure safe zone, URI’s website may provide some insight into URI’s Gender and Sexuality Center’s self-proclaimed “Safe Zone Project.”
According to its website, URI hosts a number of safe zone workshops in response to “issues and needs” of the college’s LGBTQ community. One of these is the “Sexual Pleasure workshop,” hosted by “Sexual Pleasure Facilitator” Dr. Annie Russell. The workshop is a two-hour event that “explores an in-depth understanding of sexuality, sensuality, orgasm, sexual safety and STI prevention, the nature of consent, and kink.”
The event calendar lists several other annual events, including the “Trans Day of Awareness,” designed to “honor the trans community,” and the “QTPOC Black History Month Gala,” a black-tie dinner dedicated to celebrating “black experiences.”
