For Valentine's Day this year, take a stand for love in a new way. Stand up, demand change, and dance.

ONE IN THREE WOMEN ON THE PLANET

WILL BE RAPED OR BEATEN IN HER LIFETIME.

ONE BILLION WOMEN VIOLATED IS AN ATROCITY.

ONE BILLION WOMEN DANCING IS A REVOLUTION.

From Foundation for Women: http://www.foundationforwomen.org/On V-Day’s 15th Anniversary, February 14, 2013, we are inviting ONE BILLION women and those who love them to WALK OUT, DANCE, RISE UP, and DEMAND an end to this violence. ONE BILLION RISING will move the earth, activating women and men across every country. V-Day wants the world to see our collective strength, our numbers, our solidarity across borders.

What does ONE BILLION look like? On February 14, 2013, it will look like a REVOLUTION.

ONE BILLION RISING IS:

A global strike

An invitation to dance

A call to men and women to refuse to participate in the status quo until rape and rape culture ends

An act of solidarity, demonstrating to women the commonality of their struggles and their power in numbers

A refusal to accept violence against women and girls as a given

A new time and a new way of being

San Diego details:

2:14pm - Walk out of work

4:30pm - March downtown starting at City Hall

6:30pm - Speakers, entertainers, & dancing at Organ Pavillion in Balboa Park

Please visit One Billion Rising San Diego or their Facebook Page for all the San Diego details.

~Dr. Jenn Gunsaullus, San Diego, CA -- Sociologist, Sex Coach, Sexologist, Sexuality Speaker

This Thursday I will be performing one of the monologues in San Diego's production of Eve Ensler's play "The Vagina Monologues".

I am far from a new-comer to this performance piece. I first acted in a production of this back in 2002 at the State University of New York at Albany. Since then I have acted several more times, twice taught a semester course about the play at CSU San Marcos, and directed it four times. I have many of the monologues memorized. I know the places where the audience will laugh, and what works and what doesn't.

Why do I keep coming back?

Being involved with this play has many layers, all very powerful. The first is the experience of bonding with other women in the cast and crew. We are saying words that women are not supposed to say publicly. We meet for long rehearsals, everyone going through their own process of healing or discovery around their sexuality. Being in the cast of The Vagina Monologues has repeatedly been one of the most supportive women environments I've experienced.

The next layer is the unique experience we provide for the audience. Women feel validated and understood for the first time. Men glean greater insights into the complexity of women's sexuality. The audience is allowed to laugh publicly at taboo topics. They join our team of breaking the deafening silence around women's shame, embarrassment, and sexual assault.

The third layer is the fund-raising. The majority of the proceeds benefit local nonprofits for raising awareness around sexual violence and halting domestic violence. And a small portion of the funds are directed back to the VDay foundation's spotlight group of women, a group somewhere in the world who needs assistance and financial support. Not only are we taking a stand in our local community for women's safety and education, but we are also part of the global movement for the well-being of women.

It's a lot of time and energy each time I'm involved with The Vagina Monologues. But I keep coming back for more. It's a way that I get to practice what I preach, push my boundaries, support other women, and act my heart out. In vaginas we trust :)