A big thank you to
The Sexual Health Network of Quebec and
Monde Osé for inviting me to participate as a naked model for the fantastic fundraiser
Stripped. Over 30 naked people on the runway! It was wild!
People asked if I was nervous. Nah. After over 15 years in the public eye and much of it in explicit scenes or semi naked on neoburlesque stages, that was not an issue for me.
What I felt though was a great appreciation for my body.
GRATITUDE
It allows me to experience the world. To see, to hear, to touch. It shelters me. It allows me to play with my niece and nephew. It allows me to comfort them. It brings me joy - especially when I get to move, dance, laugh.
in 2006 I ran a half marathon
Yes, it has scars. Yes, it has challenged me. I have issues with acid reflux, asthma and of course there was the time I had paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria (thankfully I do not have a chronic version of this autoimmune condition). Perimenopause has begun and that is all kinds of wacky. I also have not always treated it very well (drinking booze, not sleeping enough, being around smokers, eating highly processed food, exposing it to horrible chemicals in body care products).
in the hospital when I had a PCH episode
But it is my body and I love it. Thank you body.
Standing naked among strangers last night felt all very Garden of Eden like - nothing to cover our bodies. No fig leaves, even. Diversity and similarity all at once. Nothing sexual about it at all.
It was different than being at a nude beach as well. I think because we were showcasing ourselves one by one - alone - as we walked down the runway. Not engaging in recreation or sunbathing. There was a spotlight so to speak and we were to own it with our vulnerability and courage.
The camaraderie backstage was amazing. We were lined up in the backroom waiting our turn - socializing and laughing - unsure of what to expect, unsure of who was in the audience and what there reactions would be. And then the show began. The crowd loved us. As everyone came off stage there were cheers and high fives and smiles. So many smiles.
One older woman decided to do the naked runway last minute and it was so important. Many of us were moved to tears for her brave and willful act of declaring herself in this way. To me it said - I am here. This is my body. It matters just as much as anyone's.
About The Sexual Health Network of Quebec
The Sexual Health Network of Quebec (SHNQ), an affiliate of the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health, is a provincial, non-profit, bilingual organization, possessing a charity status, which is devoted to the cause of sexual health.
By providing access to accurate and comprehensive information regarding sexual health to youth across Quebec, SHNQ intends to promote sexual health through education
, including the prevention of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
SHNQ works locally, regionally, and provincially to ensure the delivery of thorough programs and services in Quebec. The approach of the SHNQ is preventative and non-judgmental, and one that envisions a society that is well-versed in sexual and reproductive health.
The Sexual Health Network of Quebec believes that knowledge is power. It envisions a society in which choices are made freely through educated and informed decision-making processes, and where individuality and diversity are celebrated. Furthermore, the SHNQ foresees a society where healthy sexuality is central and where all individuals have access to consistent and accurate information.
