Sex Ed for Adults: Consent 101

I wish I’d learned that when I was a kid….
If only they’d taught us that when we were in school!
I’ve never heard even heard that term – what does it mean?
…Am I normal?

Have you ever had one of these thoughts? Have you ever felt confused, guilty, or distressed around the complicated world of sex? In The Birds & The Bees, a new monthly sex education series for adults 18+, Portsmouth Public Library will host speakers on a variety of topics, with a Q&A session after each talk. Learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know, but were afraid to ask!

Free and open to all adults ages 18 and up! Registration is required. Events will be presented in webinar format – no participant audio or video. Questions? Email libraryevents@cityofportsmouth.com.

Join us on May 27 for Consent 101, with Katherine Dillon. Learn how to keep yourself and others safe and comfortable, communicate your boundaries, and challenge your assumptions around the nuances of consent in this interactive presentation. We will answer the questions:

• What is consent?
• Why is it important? Why is it such a hot topic right now?
• Will it ruin the mood? (recognizing internalized phobias around asking, dispelling misconceptions and myths, and how to make consent sexy!)
• What if things are murky and we’re both drunk?
• How do you ask for consent? (consent as an active & ongoing practice)
• How can you recognize lack of consent if someone doesn’t expressly say “no?”
• How do you give consent? (building communication skills)
• How do you practice consent in everyday life?
• How do I talk to my teenager about consent?
• How early should I talk to my kids about consent?

Kat Dillon is the Community Educator & Volunteer Coordinator for the Victim Resource Center of the Finger Lakes, Inc. She works within the Wayne County, NY community and in local schools to provide prevention education and spread awareness about domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking and the V.R.C.’s services and mission.

Kat earned a B.A. in Political Science from S.U.N.Y. Brockport and a B.A. in English from York University. She has a background in Event Management, Fundraising, Community Organizing, & Prevention Education. In 2019, she joined the V.R.C., allowing her to combine her passions for women's rights and victim advocacy with her expertise in community education, sex and relationship education, and non-profit management.

In her spare time Kat bakes pies, makes soap, and invents creative new ways to spoil her best friend's children.