Hey team!
I’m Chandha (she/her), and welcome to Of Tulips and Taboos - a little corner of the internet where I’ll be chronicling my 3.5-week study abroad in Amsterdam through the Sexuality and Culture program at Southwestern. Basically this will be my diary/thought-dump as I traverse the world of human sexuality across cultures this June while also possibly getting lost in Dutch alleyways with stroopwafels in hand.
I created this blog not just to document my travels but to reflect on the real stuff we’re diving into - like sexual communication, gender, queerness, reproductive justice, attitudes towards sex and how all of it looks different (and sometimes way better) outside of the US. Whether I’m talking about the politics of pleasure or just laughing about a wild sex museum experience, this online space is going to be candid, curious, and maybe a little chaotic. Think big questions, small revelations, and a lot of cultural unpacking.
If you’ve ever felt weird about how sexuality is taught (or not taught) where you're from, you’re not alone. I grew up with the idea that "sex talk" and queerness was avoided like the plague, and now I get to ask: what happens when we do talk about it - openly, kindly, and without shame?
Thanks for reading. Here’s to growing, unlearning, and blooming queerly <3 🌷
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