Interview: Leo Mock (Speak About It Show Director)
,What brought you to Speak About It? What Interested You In The Work?
I knew a couple people who worked for SAI and went to a community show with some friends. We COULD NOT STOP talking about it after we left! Even as entire adults we left feeling like we learned so much, especially things we kinda-sorta-knew but didn't really have the language for. And the whole thing was so goofy and chill, which was so unique compared to every educational conversation I'd had about sex growing up, which were stern, nerve-wracking, and centering shame (when they happened at all).
What is a stand-out moment from working with students?
I talk about this moment a lot, but I was talking to a high school classroom when one student raised his hand and asked, "why do guys have to always buy the condoms?". Immediately, a number of other students jumped to tear into him for what they perceived as a rude or offensive joke, but I heard a handful of very real questions in it. Why do we hold gendered assumptions around who prepares for sex, or resources safer sex supplies? How would it feel for those resources to be more available, for there to be less shame in procuring them? Do we know about other barrier options? It turned into a really delightful conversation.
What is something that you’ve learned while working with SAI?
Pleasure is harm reduction! When we're all genuinely interested in helping one another feel good and achieve pleasure, we're asking questions, we're listening, we're not taking rejection or redirection personally, and we're letting our partners know what we need to remain engaged. It's far less likely we'll hurt one another when the goal is everyone feeling good.
What has surprised you about this work?
I've been surprised by how quickly the conversations change and evolve. There are a few evergreen discussions, but often student’s priorities are very in-the-moment with specific topics elevated by national or local news, celebrity attention, tik-tok trends, etc. There are so many directions information is coming from, and so many more people speaking out on these issues, which is awesome, and we can start with, "so what are you already talking about?" And, it means what they're already talking about can be a little unpredictable if we're not plugged into the same outlets
How do you practice self care? (In general, and/or in regards to engaging in work that can often be challenging!)
Intuitive body movement (shaking, dancing, stimming, etc), playing with my cat, reading nice words people I love have sent me, raspberry-filled dark chocolate, and getting into nature. After a challenging work day, I try to laugh as much as possible.
Why do you “speak about it”? :’)
I speak about it because I love digging into non-binary concepts of consent. The topics we cover, pleasure and boundaries and identity and so on, are so personal and subjective, I'm deeply invested in consent pathways that reflect that nuance. Practicing consent can't just be memorizing a script or ticking off a box, and the more opportunities we have to talk about what consent can look like, the more opportunities we have to reflect on our own practices and find ones that resonate with us.
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