ProGenY: Sexperts!

ProGenY is fast approaching! Come Saturday, Feb 15th, ACON will deliver a night like no other with performers, DJs and drag queens coming out to play… but that’s not all! We’re getting out the inflatable mattress; we’re blowing it up and laying it out on the third floor of The Gay Bar. Why? Because we’ve got a few extra visitors coming! ACON’s very own “Sexperts” will be chilling out upstairs and we invite you to come and ask them all the things you ever wanted to know about having good sex and how to have it safely!

Our sexperts are friendly folks and we promise that they will make your stay on our ProGenY mattress very comfortable! Typically an ACON sexpert can be spotted at gay parties and sex on premises venues. As bastions of safe sex they’re equipped with an impressive knowledge about HIV and other STI’s, but that’s not all they’ve got to offer… A sexpert never leaves home without a very special box of tricks! Our sexperts are armed with a handy set of condoms, dildos, anal beads, and flyers; their t-shirts read “ask me anything” and of course it’s absolutely appropriate to ask them anything about gay sex you like!

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We had a chat to a certified sexpert, Anthony Castiglione, about all the sorts of questions one might expect to hear throughout a typical sexpert shift. Anthony said, “Often people are confused by changing circumstances (and even language) – they will ask me things like, “is it safe to have unprotected sex with someone who has an undetectable viral load?” On one occasion I spoke to a “first-timer” who was nervous and really unaware about the risks; I’m sure that it helped him to have someone to talk to!”

As the methods that we use to treat and prevent HIV are rapidly changing, it’s important for our community to stay abreast of these changes; our sexperts play a strategic role in informing gay guys about what is currently available. Anthony thinks that, “sexperts are an invaluable resource to the community because they provide a confidential and sympathetic ear to people that may not have the networks or resources to inform themselves about sex, sexuality and risk. It is rewarding to know that in just a short conversation you can make a huge impact on somebody’s knowledge level and behaviour –by spreading the message about wearing protection for casual sex encounters, and the risks involved in having sex without condoms if you chose to. ”

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Our sexperts come from all corners of our community and they will be doing their thing at ProGenY on Saturday night, so if you’re interested in what they do why not head along and discover what it’s all about? ProGenY is a performance and a dance party for gay men aged 18-29. Kicking off from 730pm, get in early for your chance to win tickets to the Mardi Gras Party and other great events!

Go to the ProGenY event page on Facebook by clicking here to let us know you’re going.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jack Freestone is an editor, student, DJ, and volunteer at The Young Gay Men’s Project, where he facilitates peer-led Fun & Esteem workshops for young Gay men.