(VIDEO) Vanessa Del Rio: Goddesses, Sinners, and Saviors

If ya'll remember when I was super excited to see and hear Vanessa Del Rio read from her book in NYC that I advertised, then I hope it comes as no surprise that I'm posting this video of her that evening. My apologies to people who attended the reading and asked for me/looked for me and was told by organizers they didn't know who I was or that I was not there.

An Evening With Vanessa Del Rio

Many of you know how crucial Vanessa Del Rio is/was to my LatiNegra sexual identity and consciousness. I've written about her before here and I've discussed how powerful her presence and influence in my life continues to be. So, I'm incredibly excited to share with you all that I will be too happy to attend the Sex Worker Literati: Goddesses, Sinners, and Saints where Vanessa will be reading!

Details:
Thursday April 1
Happy Ending 302 Broome St (B,D,J,M,Z,F)
FREE 21 & over only though!
Hosted by Audacia Ray & David Henry Sterry

Part of the benefits will go to the Young Women's Empowerment Program

I'm there because Thursday is my late night and I have nothing else planned for Friday! So, if you want to sit with me, have me save you a seat, or just want to hang in an amazing space that will center one of the most important figures in contemporary Latina sexualities, please join me!

**Disclaimer** Those of you following me on Twitter will read about this at LEAST one time a day, but I'm sure you'll get over it!

Latinas & Porn

Here's my Op-Ed in Fridays El Diario/La Prensa just in time for Valentine's Day!

the translations are crackin me up! (English is below)

En defensa de la pornografía

* Bianca Laureano / sexóloga, educadora y activista que tiene el sitio LatinoSexuality.com. |
* 2010-02-12
* | El Diario NY

Me encanta la pornografía. Algunas de mis amigas feministas lo cuestionan porque piensan que la pornografía trata a las mujeres como objetos. Entiendo sus dudas. Sin embargo, género, expresión sexual, imágenes son temas complicados y la pornografía que no se puede definir solo negativamente.

Supe de la pornografía de una manera particular. Soy hija de padres hipis que emigraron a EE.UU. en la década de los 70 y nuestra casa estaba lleno de arte, libros y música. Por los libros en mi casa, desde pequeña vi imágenes eróticas. Las bailes que veía imitaban algunos actos sexuales, o al menos eran expresiones eróticas de deseo y pasión. Mi mamá tenia copias de libros como Our Bodies, Ourselves y The Joy of Sex. Recuerdo haberlos leído y pensar que las personas que aparecían eran como mis padres. Estos libros y el hecho que haberlos podido leer en mi casa muestra la accesibilidad y normalización del sexo al presentarlo como algo normal.

Algunos pueden decir que leer libros como The Joy of Sex era pornografía. Pero la primera vez que vi pornografía fue viendo en acción a Vanessa del Río. La primera latina que vi en pornografía, con un cabello abundante y piel acaramelada. Cuando me enteré que era puertorriqueña como yo, sentí una conexión instante con ella.

Recuerdo que cuando veía las películas de Del Río, pensaba: “Yo quiero entrar a un cuarto como ella y ser tan poderosa como ella, sabiendo que puedo devorar a cualquiera”. Su presencia era tan sustanciosa y atractiva. Nunca había visto a una mujer entrar un lugar y tener tanto poder, solamente con su presencia. Hasta hoy, después que ha publicado su libro 50 Years of Slightly Slutty Behavior, todavía es poderosa. Del Río está en control de cómo presenta su cuerpo, poder, imagen y sexualidad. ¿Cuantas de nosotras podemos decir lo mismo sobre nuestras imagen y sexualidad?

Muchas veces, las personas desarrollan sus impresiones de la pornografía por la manera en que fueron expuestas a ella. Muchas de mis amigas me preguntan si hay posibilidad de tener pornografía feminista. Para mí, esto vas más allá de determinar si se puede aplicar una etiqueta feminista a la pornografía. Cómo disfruta del sexo alguien, es algo personal. Y cuando dos adultos se dan y reciben placer con permiso, ¿quienes somos para juzgarlos? En lugar de eso, invito a todos a examinar qué les da placer e identificar por qué.

La manera en que conocí la sexualidad y la pornografía fue de una forma saludable y eso lo sigo cultivando. He tenido la oportunidad de descubrir qué tipo de pornografía me gusta y cual no. Eso es un regalo que me doy a mi misma.

¿Qué te vas a regalar? ¿Te darás permiso para explorar tu cuerpo, deseos y reconocer el poder que tienes?

______________________________
ENGLISH

I enjoy pornography. Many of my “feminist” friends question this because they think pornography objectifies women. I can understand where they are coming from. But gender, sexual expression, imagery, and pornography are complex, and more than negative objectification. I was introduced to pornography in a very different way.

As the child of [im]migrant “hippie” parents who arrived in the continental United States in the ’70s, my parents surrounded me with art, books, and music. Through the texts in our home, I was exposed to erotic images. The dances I saw reenacted some sexual activities, at the very least an erotic expression of desire and passion. My mother had copies of Our Bodies, Ourselves and The Joy of Sex. I remember reading them and thinking the people looked like my parents. These books speak to accessibility and normalization about sex my parents offered.

Some may argue that reading books, as The Joy Of Sex is pornography. But my first exposure to pornography was when I saw Vanessa del Rio in action! She was the first Latina I ever saw in pornography with big hair, brown skin, and when I discovered she was Puerto Rican like me, I instantly connected to her.

I remember watching Vanessa del Rio in films and thinking “I want to be able to walk in a room and be just as powerful and know I can devour anyone there.” There was something substantial and compelling about her presence. I’d never seen a woman enter a room and have power in just existing. Even today, after she’s published her book 50 Years of Slightly Slutty Behavior, she remains powerful. She’s in control of how she represents herself, her body, power, image, and sexuality. How many of us can say that about our image and sexuality?

Depending on how someone was exposed to pornography may influence her impressions. Many friends ask if there can be “feminist pornography.” For me, this issue goes beyond whether a feminist banner can be applied. Pleasure is subjective. And when consent is given and received between adults, who are we to say it’s wrong? Instead, I encourage people to examine what gives them pleasure and identify why that is.

My exposure to sexuality and pornography was healthy, and I have nurtured that. I’ve had the opportunity to discover what pornography I do and don’t enjoy. This opportunity is a gift I give myself.

What will you give to yourself today? Will you grant yourself permission to explore your body, pleasure and recognize the power you have?

foto credit: shibuya86

Sex Positive, Pornography, & Puerto Ricans!

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