As previously mentioned, I will be on WBAL radio to discuss this story at 12:30 p.m. today.

I made a post earlier this week about a sex toy event on campus at the University of Maryland in College Park. Since then I’ve done a bit more research and found that these events have taken place on other college campuses in the region, including at least one other school that is part of the University System of Maryland.

The previous post excerpted a Diamondback article that mentioned the name of the person conducting the event was Jacq Jones, who owns a sex shop in Baltimore. Further research reveals that the shop is Sugar in Hampden.

On the left sidebar of Sugar’s website is a link called “Sugarware Parties.” Clicking on this link takes you to a page with the header “Sugar’s ‘Private’ Options!”

These options include parties, private classes, one-on-one coaching, and college presentations.

From the section on college presentations:

Jacq has presented at colleges and universites around the country, including George Mason University, Towson University, University of Maryland College Park, George Washington University and St. Olaf College.

She presents on issues relating to safer sex, pleasure centered safer sex messages, GLBTQ issues, the intersections of feminism and sex toys and her personal story.

Presentations include:

Hot Safer Sex

You’ve learned all about safer sex and STIs right? Well not like this! Jacq will walk you through the basics of STIs and HIV and teach you how to practice safer sex in a manner that is fun, pleasure centered, safe and uses sex toys! This presentation has plenty of time for questions, and offers the chance to pass around toys, learn how to use a dental dam and select your favorite condom.

Feminism, Sex Toys and Capitalism

Sex toys are a huge industry. How does a feminist run a capitalist business that sells products made by an industry that doesn’t always follow feminist values. Jacq will talk about how she constructed her business model, what pit falls she’s encountered and why she belives that profit and feminism can be complementary rather than contradictory.

Lesbian Pastor’s Daughter Opens Sex Toy Store

The above was an actual headline in the local paper when Jacq opened Sugar. How did this happen? Follow Jacq on her journey from pastor’s daughter and youth group president to sex store owner and educator. She’ll talk about learning where her values differed from her parents, how she found her passion and why she still thinks that she and her parents are more the same than different. This is one woman who’s using the hell out of her Women’s Studies degree.

Jacq will also be happy to tailor a class to your specifications and needs. Please contact her for more information, to book an event or to enquire about pricing at jacq@sugartheshop.com

Note the part about pricing for the events. This raises a question of how the funds were obtained at both Towson and College Park to pay for these “presentations” that include some of the things mentioned in the previous post.

Granted, the topic of safe sex is mentioned in the Diamondback article, but many other things are mentioned as well.

Bringing Towson into the mix now adds to another recent news item after Carrie Wood resigned as editor of the Towerlight at Towson due to the running of an unsigned column on masturbation.

Tying thing together, I would point to a statement from the editors of the Towerlight after the Wood resignation that I think also applies to the situation with these sex toy events on campuses:

However, many other readers did enjoy the column. And we believe it was not out of context on a campus where the administration delivers free cable pornography to some of its residence halls, celebrates “condom tasting” and “I <3 female orgasm” at public events, and profits from the sale of sexually-oriented magazines and posters at the University Union.

Getting back to Sugar, some of the other classes they offer include:

Blow Him (Fellatio)

Lick Her (Cunnilingus)

Strap It On Hon (Harness Play)

Sex tips for Straight Men

Sex Tips for Straight Women

KeepingYour Relationship Hot

Private coaching includes:

How to find your orgasm (alone or with a partner)

Tune ups for sex in long term relationships

Sex and coming out

Introducing G-Spot or Prostate play to a relationship

Dealing with body barriers and sex (does your knee/back/…. not work the way it used to?)

Hot safer sex

This is also an interesting line from the coaching section:

And, as always, we can’t provide any hands on guidence [sic]. Not because it’s wrong to do so, but because it’s a legal grey area that we can’t afford to mess with.

That same page reveals that Jacq Jones is a former employee of Planned Parenthood.

I’m bringing this up in hopes of fomenting a dialogue about whether these types of events should be held on campuses owned by the state of Maryland. Depending on the funding source, it could even be argued that the buildings themselves were constructed at taxpayer expense and the operating expenses to keep the campuses going come from state coffers.

Do you think anything other than the basics of safe sex should be covered in these events?

Just a reminder about the first line of the Diamondback article on the event in College Park:

Last night, Jacq Jones strapped on a dildo over her kelly green sundress and told students to lube up.

This comes as the University System tries to formulate a policy about pornography on campus.

Jacq Jones is also on Twitter @sugarjacq.