“My thighs say, ‘feminism, bitch,’” Ashley Quenneville, a social relations and policy junior and Vagina Monologues member, recited on Tuesday night.

Students and community members gathered at Dublin Square Irish Pub on Tuesday night for the first “A Celebration of Women” event.

The event, hosted by Residential College for the Arts and Humanities Center for Poetry and MSU Vagina Monologues, was a poetry and monologue reading centered around the celebration of women.

Co-director of Vagina Monologues Janelle Moulding, who assisted with planning the event, said it was the “brainchild” of her and Linnea Jimison, assistant director at the RCAH Center for Poetry.

“We decided to come together and create this event so people could share their own works and be a part of the community,” Moulding said. “It’s another way to fundraise and raise awareness for our show which is coming up (on Feb. 27 and 28).”

Both men and women read poems and monologues, which were either an original piece they wrote or something by another author, all focusing on celebrating women.

Jimison said one of the goals was to do something different than the annual Vagina Monologues show.

“We wanted to take the chance to expand on it and go beyond,” Jimison said.

Quenneville recited a piece called “Thighs” by Desireé Dallagiacomo and said she chose it to recite because she identified with it and thought other women would, too.

“There are three examples of public sexual harassment of women and I’ve experienced all three and I know every single woman in this room has experienced at least one,” Quenneville said.

Dallagiacomo’s poem mentions women being catcalled by men on street corners, in parking garages and in a store while buying tampons.

Olivia Brenner, James Madison College freshman, recited a poem titled “Beautiful Like ...” by Gabriel Gadfly and said she chose it because she is a fan of the artist.

“I thought, ‘that’s pretty awesome’ and military women probably aren’t going to be represented very much,” Brenner said.

Money raised went to The Firecracker Foundation, a Lansing-based nonprofit organization which assists children who have suffered sexual trauma.

Jimison said she was pleased with the participation and turnout for the event’s first year.

“It’s fun to be off campus but still nearby ... I think it’s a great way for the community to come together,” Jimison said.