MTV’s newest resident sex and relationship guru Dan Savage is trekking across the country to enlighten America's coeds and help them better understand the sexual culture that exists today. But what happens once Dan offers his pearls of wisdom to the eager undergrad? We usually don't get to see the students put his advice into practice, but luckily our own MTV family members can show us all how it's done. This week's advice in action: Own your identity.
After doling out sex advice to undergrads in the Northeast, Midwest and Bible Belt, last week our "Savage U" dream team made their way down the Eastern seaboard for an important college tradition: Spring Break. Sure, Dan and Lauren were still on the clock, but spending time with students at the University Of Central Florida added an element of fun in the sun, and UCF certainly lived up to its party school rep.
In between de-stigmatizing female masturbation and helping young people avoid a wrong hole scenario (all in a day's work), Professor Sav met up with Aleksandra, a girl who had begun to question her sexual identity and feared judgment from her so-called "friends." Aleksandra had identified as a lesbian throughout her college experience, but recently found herself more and more attracted to men. While she didn't see her experimentation as cause for alarm, her peers in the lesbian community weren't approving of this bi-curiosity. During the sit-down, Dan reassured Aleks that she wasn't betraying herself or her community by choosing to test out the opposite sex. Watch the clip:
The LGBTQ community's search for acceptance has long been an uphill battle, and the judgments of these bi-phobic students seem counterproductive to the fight. Hopefully, Aleksandra's friends can step up and support her as she tries to carve out an identity for herself. In our own MTV family, there are many members who have led non-traditional lives: werewolves that play lacrosse, juiceheads that GTL across the globe and teenagers that balance school with motherhood. During the current season of "16 and Pregnant," one young woman decided to combat the negative judgment she received from others with some good ol' fashioned arts 'n' crafts.
As a pregnant high-school student, Briana certainly felt like an outcast at times, but rather than pity herself, she found ways to use the "knocked up teenager" label as a tool of empowerment. She literally wore it by designing a t-shirt that displayed her unborn daughter's name (covered in some very cold blue slushie). The t-shirt exercise was a therapeutic way for her to come to terms with her pregnancy and the judgment she faced every day. Take a look:
Most of the time, it's impossible to fit ourselves neatly into a particular box. One way to combat the criticism of others is to take ownership of our identity, or label. In doing that, we're telling others that we accept ourselves, warts and all, and it's up to them to do the same.
+ Tune in for an all-new episode of "Savage U" tonight at 12/11c.
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