Emily Thiessen (graphic)
Valentine’s Day provokes polarizing reactions from people. Some look forward to it like Christmas, waiting to be showered with gifts, attention, and perhaps something more (sex, in case you were wondering). Others see it as a nuisance, an exercise in consumerism, or just a reminder to snag cheap chocolate the next day. Its tentacles are far reaching, and even we at the Martlet are not immune to its wiles.
I bring this up because our Valentine’s Day issue will hit stands Feb. 4, and we could use submissions. In the past, it has been a funny, irreverent, sex-positive amalgam of how-to’s and colourful stories: stories of awkward dates, moments that have left you gasping for breath, and even a relentless quest to secure a vaginal orgasm with the help of Cosmopolitan’s summary of the Kama Sutra. It challenges the notion of love and sex as unsavoury or unworthy of open discussion. And, let’s face it, it’s pretty fun.
However, it has also been a place to highlight important, overlooked issues surrounding love, body image, sex, and sexism, particularly among queer folks, people of colour, and indigenous people. It’s no coincidence that marches to commemorate missing and murdered women, particularly indigenous women, happen on Valentine’s Day. It’s a moral issue that influences everyone, regardless of your views or identities.
This year, we’ve chosen a unifying theme—attraction—to focus our attention. What draws you to someone else? A smell? A gesture? A gentle curve or sharp stubble? What you do want to hear when you know someone wants you? What do you say when you want someone closer?
If you have stories of romance, of heartbreak, of loss, or of intrigue to those with Valentine’s on their minds, email volunteer@martlet.ca with your pitches.
