Venus

November 1, 2007

 A group of young women in Kensington Market in Toronto define Venus as an activity of the Youth Arcade at St. Stephen’s Community House.  The young women involved in this group hold weekly meetings where they discuss different issues that impact their lives on a daily basis, common, teen issues, like lesbian sex, homophobic parents, violence against women, abortion and “How to use a Dental Dam”.

This program has been running at the Community House for 11 years now, and in that time span this group of young women have put together a successful magazine, created and developed a web site, written and published “The Little Black Book for Girls- a Sexuality Handbook”, and partnered with the Canadian Film Centre to launch “Venus on Film”, next…they will put “Venus on Stage.”  This is a program that is focused and diligent in preparing these young women to function within the media, ensuring that they are equipped to influence the culture through magazines, books, films and the arts.  It’s unfortunate that the message they are conveying through these mediums is so tainted.

“The Little Black Book….” Was created and developed in 1999 and released in September, 2000.  It was a book written almost exclusively by 14 to 18 year old girls about their sexual questions and experiences.  Adults were responsible for editing it, and ensuring that the facts were straight, but the bones of the book maintained an unpolished feel.  The book was funded through Toronto Public Health, three levels of government and was embraced by the media almost immediately after it was launched…in September of 2000!

Sharlene Azam of the Toronto Star wrote that “Every girl should have a copy of The Little Black Book because for each tough issue it deals with, such as assault or sexually transmitted infections, the authors also present humourous ways of dealing with expectations, fears and feelings around sex.”  Maybe Ms. Azam was referring to this line… “if you need someone to represent God the Holiness, then for me, it’s a fat black dyke.”  Now that is humourous.  The girls became instant celebrities…they were featured on Canada A.M., Citytv’s “Breakfast Television”; CBC TV’s “Jonovision”; TVO’s “Vox”, as well as in Macleans, and NOW magazine.  All this attention within six months of their launch, they had tapped into a market that was lacking this kind of information: by young women and for young women.   No one seemed to care that the attitude was risky at best and misinformed at worst, the book was raunchy and full of swear words, written with no nosy adults,  so it must be honest.

Jump to September 2006, the “The Little Black Book” has been in circulation for six years to the day, it has been most recently published by Annick Press, and Industry Canada has helped them to develop a site that puts the book in its entirety on the internet (this site disappeared after groups like The Institute for Canadian Values brought attention to its content).  The book is listed as one of the top sellers on health issues for teen girls at Amazon.ca and Annick Press has included it in their fall catalogue of resources for schools and libraries across Canada. “The Little Black Book for Girls- a Sexuality Handbook”, has been an uncontested hit for six years now, let’s do something about that.

Please see www.canadianvalues.ca/ and follow the prompts to add your name to their online petition.  Get in touch with your Member of Parliament and let your voice be heard on this issue.