By: Maya Jammulapati
This semester I decided to apply to be a Reproductive Justice intern with VAYLA New Orleans. VAYLA works to create a space for the AAPI community, to foster open discourse surrounding reproductive health from all perspectives. I became interested in the Reproductive Justice Movement after going to college. I began to realize that my previous exposure to sex education and uplifting, sex-positive conversations were truly lacking. So far, I have been able to work with a motivated group of people to create a safe space for others to foster the conversations I wished I had.
(Picture: A draft of a blog post I am working on)
I have been creating graphics and promotional information to advertise our upcoming Ginger Roots event. This event is a virtual space to share stories surrounding the theme of the night, in this case, To a Person I’ve Loved Before. I am excited to learn about others’ stories and find aspects everyone has in common. Rajvi, VAYLA’s other reproductive justice intern, and I have also been brainstorming ways we can use this storytelling to reach a wider audience. We are planning on creating a more permanent and anonymous platform for storytelling that everyone can access, despite their comfort level with the information. I strongly believe that the open conversations we can foster as well as safe discourse surrounding sex and sexuality are important when it comes to self-respect! I hope everyone can attend our event and contribute to the conversation.