Sextember at Macquarie
Sextember is Macquarie's annual sex-positive festival that embraces and educates our community on safe, healthy and respectful relationships with themselves and others.
This Sextember we’re focused on healthy relationships – whether that’s your relationship with yourself, your romantic and sexual partners, or your friends – with:
- Drag Trivia at Ubar
- sex and relationship workshops with organisations like ACON, Consent Labs, and somatic sexologist Alice Child
- queer-friendly information and resources regarding sexual health, including STIs, healthy relationships, and safer sex.
And much more! See the full program and registration details below.
Sextember is a safe space to learn about all kinds of relationships, consent, and sexual health and wellness. It is open to all people of all identities – even if you aren't practicing sex.
Sextember schedule
Tuesday 9 September | Wednesday 10 September | Thursday 11 September |
|---|---|---|
Social event 12–1pm English Conversation Club: Friendship and dating 10HA Café area | Social Event 12–2pm Paint a buddy Jannawi Pavillion | Social 11–2pm R U OK? Day Student BBQ 10HA Outdoor area |
Workshop 2–3pm Breaking Stereotypes workshop with Consent Labs 16WW Senate Room | Workshop 1–2pm Sexy Sex Ed: Essential Sex and Pleasure Workshop with Alice Child 16WW 124 | Workshop 1–3pm ACON Presents: Queer Sexual Health Starter 16WW Senate Room |
Workshop 3–4pm Healthy Relationships workshop with Consent Labs 16WW Senate Room | Workshop 3–4pm Sexual Health: What You Need to Know Online | Social 4–6pm Drag Trivia at UBar UBar |
Workshop 5–6pm Can't Ask That: Sex & Pleasure Q&A with sexologist Alice Child 16WW 124 and online | Social 5.30pm – 7.30pm Aussie Food and Film with MQ Buddies 1CC Function Room B218 |
Detailed program information
English Conversation Club: Friendships and Dating
12–1pm
MQ Buddies will be hosting their weekly English Conversation Club with a focus on friendship, sex, sexuality, and dating. Brush up on your dating lingo, learn how to approach new friends, and get information on LGBTQI+ (that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and more, by the way!) friendly language. P.s, there's pizza!
Breaking Stereotypes with Consent Labs
2–3pm
This workshop helps students understand what gender stereotypes are, where they come from and what they mean for them personally. We look at how harmful and sexist gender stereotypes are linked to gender inequality, allowing students to see how these stereotypes can lead to issues with consent, giving students the tools to challenge situations that allow or encourage sexual violence.
Healthy Relationships workshop with Consent Labs
3–4pm
Join Consent Labs for an interactive workshop exploring the idea of healthy relationships. Learn how to identify and respond to features of unhealthy relationships such as love-bombing, gaslighting and coercion.
Paint a buddy!
12–2pm
Bring a friend, partner or come as you are to paint the qualities and values you appreciate in your person! Let's celebrate the diversity of our relationships and the joy they bring to our lives.
Sexy Sex Ed: Essential Sex and Pleasure Workshop with Alice Child
1–2pm
This is the sex education we all need (and nobody got!). A fun, judgement-free, sex-positive one hour workshop led by Somatic Sexologist Alice Child, diving into essential topics around sex, pleasure, orgasms and bodies. Everyone is welcome.
You'll learn:
- pleasure anatomy and erogenous zones
- the science of orgasm, erections, the gspot and libido
- pleasure and foreplay essentials
- how to talk about sex (with zero awkwardness).
Sexual health: What you need to know
3–4pm
Medibank GP Dr Rebecca Hunt-Davies be running this online workshop covering the four C’s of safer sex – Communication, Consent, Condoms, and Contraception – along with practical guidance on preventing, testing for, and treating sexually transmissible infections (STIs).
Register for the workshop here
Can't Ask That: Sex & Pleasure Q&A with Sexologist Alice Child
5–6pm
It's time to talk about sex! Join somatic sexologist Alice Child for an uncensored, sex-positive and judgement free Q&A on all things sex and pleasure. Ask your own questions anonymously or sit back and listen – this is the sex education we all need!
R U OK? Day BBQ
11–2pm
Did somebody say free food?! Enjoy fresh, nutritious food and BBQ classics lovingly prepared by Food Hub, with activities and resources from Headspace. Take a moment to share your appreciation for someone you love and ask them: R U OK?
ACON Presents: Queer Sexual Health Starter
1–3pm
Join ACON for a fun, relaxed two-hour workshop focused on queer-inclusive sexual health education. This isn’t a lecture – it’s an open, engaging conversation covering key topics like: HIV 101 and STI testing, condom demos, sexual health games and quizzes, safe sex tips for all bodies and identities.
Facilitators will guide discussions in a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ students and allies. Whether you're curious, confident, or just keen to learn, you're welcome.
Drag Trivia!
4–6pm
Come along to UBar for Drag Trivia with the incredible Carmen Geddit and Sexy Galexy, with many prizes up for grabs!
Aussie Food and Film with MQ Buddies
5.30pm – 7.30pm
Join MQ Buddies for a culinary and cultural tour de force with fairy bread, vegemite scrolls and a screening of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Find out more about sexual health and wellbeing at Macquarie University.