Considering my topic, creating a poster to represent my research will likely prove challenging. With there being few tasteful imagery online to suit my piece, I will be using the next month or so to illustrate my own graphics. Still, the process of parsing out what sort of imagery may be acceptable presents its own obstacles. With my project’s title, I feel as though I might already be battling preconceived notions of the sort of women who openly discuss sexuality in an academic setting.
Earlier in my undergrad, the prospect of publically presenting an exploration of kink would have been unnerving enough to dissuade me from applying for a grant at all. Even now, in a culture that’s taken great strides in becoming more sex-positive, seldom are discussions of kink received entirely respectfully. While my project doesn’t aim to revolutionize this discourse, it does hope to place a spotlight on a piece that regards kink as something part of a normal sexual routine.
I am fortunate for the fact that this won’t be my first time presenting material that some may find uncomfortable. In my last Spring semester, I had the opportunity to present my UROP mentor Dr. McKiernan’s dissertation project as one of her research assistants. Her project dealt extensively with the testimonies of adult survivors of child sexual abuse. As a Marriage and Family Therapist herself, my mentor offered me and her other research assistants an environment and vocabulary that allowed us to talk about the content of her study with the integrity it deserved. While we certainly received our fair share of concerned expressions and quick turnarounds on account of the premise of our poster, we knew it was due in no part to our demeanor while presenting.
I will attempt to echo the same attitude this October during my project’s poster presentation. Although I have no personal shame towards my topic, my current priority is to create a “script” that will allow me to articulate my subject in a way that, for lack of a better phrase, won’t scare off potential viewers. It will always be important that I communicate my material with the same candor I’d use for any other topic. Despite my need to treat this particular subject with heightened sensitivity, I hope that my presentation in October will resonate with those curious about how kink can authentically factor into one’s feminist identity.
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