from the heartside out

Written By Lorena Banda
 

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“I’m sitting down with Lorena Rodriguez Banda, the powerhouse behind The PFILES, and we’re getting into it about sex, pleasure, and breaking those tired generational cycles that keep us silent. Lorena’s story is so relatable—strict upbringing, endless rules, and no real conversations about owning your body or finding your joy. But she flipped the script, and now she’s out here empowering women of color to do the same.

We’re talking about the things that really matter—how we can own our sexual health, why BIPOC communities carry so much shame, and how to let go of all that noise to find freedom. Lorena also breaks down the connection between sexual wellness, politics, and cultural pride. Trust me, this is the episode you didn’t know you needed!

Here’s what we’re breaking down:

✨ How growing up with strict parents shaped her views on sex (and how she unlearned the BS)
✨ Why so many Latinas and Black women are left out of the convo about pleasure
✨ The power of saying, “Hell no!” to shame and stepping into your truth
✨ The mission behind The PFILES and why it’s all about women of color taking up space
✨ How sex toys aren’t just a vibe—they’re a way to take control of your pleasure
✨ The lies we’ve been fed about sexual health in our communities—and how to shut them down
✨ What voter education has to do with reproductive rights and sexual wellness

And so much more...”

 
 
 
Lorena Banda

Lorena Rodriguez Banda has served as an electoral campaign strategist, and experienced professional in grassroots organizing, government, and in the Femtech industry. Her very first campaign was Jessica Cisneros for Congress TX-28 where she started off as a volunteer and eventually worked her way up as the San Antonio Field Organizer. Lorena moved to New York City in 2020 to pursue her political career, which led her to work on over 6 electoral campaigns at the state and local level. Most recently she was the Training Manager at EMILYs List under their Training and Community Engagement department in Washington D.C.

Lorena is a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants and first-generation, receiving her Bachelors in Social Work from Texas State University. She is especially passionate about redefining what it looks like for a woman, especially BIPOC women, to run for office. Lorena is the Founder of The P Files Newsletter, which aims to break sexual pleasure and health stigmas/taboos within BIPOC communities and to change what it looks like to be a woman running for office by discussing the taboo subjects society has ignored.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorena-banda-9b1296123/
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