art by the amazing Miranda Makaroff
TAKE BACK THE SPECULUM
March 9, 2024
10 am - 1 pm PST
ONLINE
Because the sex ed you had probably wasn’t the transformative, agency focused, pleasure centered, gender inclusive initiation into powerful adult embodiment that it should have been.
And because it’s never too late.
TBTS is a 3 hour deep dive into everything you need to know to reclaim your innate powers, connect with your body, take the reins of your destiny, & make sure your gyno knows that they’re working for you.
Class covers:
a feminist, gender inclusive overview of the full spectrum of healthy sexual anatomy (& the destruction of the misogynist, racist bs materials most commonly used to educate us *and* our providers)
an invitation to participate in the Gallery that Destroys All Shame
a demonstration of a cervical self exam
an opportunity for all participants to examine themselves with guidance (and, if desired and permitted, observe others)
Open to & appropriate for all human beings with internal sexual anatomy. This is an explicitly queer and trans-inclusive space. Trans/nb/gnc fam, you are honored here - pls come get the info you need to get the care you deserve.
“I’m forever changed by the experience of TBTS, and dream of the day when teenagers are able to bear witness to a show-and-tell experience so that they never have to endure the decades of self-loathing that so many of us go through.”
Registration for TBTS is a 2 part process:
1) Fill out the registration form below, AND
2) Send your chosen donation - suggested sliding scale $30-60 USD - to Pamela-Samuelson on Venmo or to mercuria69@gmail.com on Paypal.
Please consider your access and ability to pay, and choose the amount that is in integrity for you. By offering the highest amount that is both safe and appropriate for you, you are helping everyone who cannot pay at this time to access this class. Thank you!
No one turned away for lack of $, ever.
Zoom link provided upon registration.
If you live in LA and you need a speculum, you can pick one up! Please email me to arrange this.
If you want to order online, single speculums in all sizes can be ordered here.
Please contact me if you would like to bring this workshop to your community!
Some feedback from participants:
“You delivered on your promise for us to come further into our sovereignty. From the welcoming space, the asking of pronouns, the introductions, the history lessons, the welcoming of all body types, the open nature of sharing or not sharing as we choose, the lessons on consent thereby experienced.
It was a really fantastic and invigorating event. Thank you for teaching us so fearlessly.” - GF, L.A.
“Last night I had the immense pleasure of getting to learn how to do #selfexams. I also learned a lot about my own fears and traumas on a deeply visceral level. I have always had a fear of vaginal pain & it got worse after my very first #papsmear at the age of 17. I had never been penetrated by anything much less something like a speculum. [The doctor] also used the wrong size for me. She was so rough and mean and I left feeling like I couldn't walk properly. I cried on the table and on the way home. Little did I know that even though it grossly common for people to feel this way after exams, IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE. You can have good experiences around your #sexualhealth and #reproductivehealth. Last night, I had a lot of emotional stuff come up for me around sexual violence, experiences of oppression around being #queer and #trans so I wasn't able to get as far as my little brain was telling me I *should* be able to go, but I know eventually it will come. At its own sweet pace. I want to share my deepest love and gratitude to Pamela of @embodyworkla & everyone who held loving and tender space to me as I went through this process in a safe and trans affirming way. ” - D, NYC
“I took very few photos at Burning Man but one of my most proud moments was helping some new friends get to know their own bodies by showing them how to look at their own cervixes. Even within a group of sex positive and body positive people we are still so distant from this important part of our anatomy. Im so grateful we had a space to use that was enclosed and wind free keeping the dust away. I am grateful for the friends who participated and shared with me, and I’m so grateful to @embodyworkla for lighting the spark with her workshop last month and the empowerment I feel that came from it.” - MJ, NYC