Posted on 06/19/2005 8:38:15 PM PDT by Crackingham
Researchers here want to talk about sex, and not just the naughty bits. Academics, social scientists and policy makers from around the world are gathering this week at San Francisco State University for a conference on human sexuality and the "moral panics" caused by such charged topics as homosexuality, abortion and sex education.
And while there's plenty of talk about Hollywood, masturbation and all topics titillating, the premise is that ignorance and intolerance about sex have disastrous consequences - whether it's an inadequate response to AIDS, the stigma suffered by rape survivors or teenagers having unsafe sex.
"Better sexuality education will raise public knowledge and lead to positive public policy," said Gilbert Herdt, director of the National Sexuality Resource Center based at San Francisco State.
These are ticklish times for sexuality specialists - even as some scoff at the theory that Americans fed on "Sex and the City" and "Elim-a-Date" are undereducated on X-rated matters.
Herdt says he is on a mission to free Americans from the "packaged sex" Hollywood serves up and what he regards as Washington's prudish sensibilities.
"The question isn't is there enough sex around, it's what kind of sex is around," he said. "It's meant to titillate, not educate."
This is the first year the International Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society has convened in the United States, and Herdt said the timing is right. While some Europeans get sex education in kindergarten, he notes, the subject is still controversial in American high schools.
Earlier this year, Herdt's center launched a "Sexual Literacy Campaign" that uses the Internet to foster an open discussion about sexually charged topics.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
It should a rule that these two words should always be used together.
Sorry, the so called inadequate response to AIDS was not on the part of the health scientists, it was on the part of the people spreading it. Without readical politics, the sexually transmitted disease would have been treated just like syphillis and short circuited in the U.S. when it was just surfacing.
Haven't we been hearing this for the past thirtysomething years?
Oh yeah, just what this country needs. Top priority.[sarcasm]
And what in G-d's name makes him think that Europe is doing better in this dept.??? By what "objective" standard are we behind Europe?
"categorization as "moral panics" leads me to believe that this is a bunch a leftists"
Yep. As far as I can see he doesn't make any case at all for any kind of "panic", he's just trying to make morality sound negative.
so now the left wing kooks are trying to frame the "debate" of right and wrong as a panic.
Objecting to deviant sexual behavior on ANY grounds is now defined as an irrational "panic".
Who ever is funding this kooks needs to get their money back.
I wonder how much taxpayers are funding the these ivory tower insaniacs.
Is it any wonder that they are meeting in San Francisco?
This seems like it is designed to be a long term effort to counter the HUGE outrage at homoseuxal marriage as an "irrational panic".
The left must have some other sexual goals in politics that they are going to try and force on the public. (polygamy? lowering the age of consent? outlawing marriage?)
I'm intolerant of many things in life - and that is completely healthy.
One of the things that I'm very intolerant about is sodomites trying to "normalize" their disgusting behavior.
I've noticed that none of the people, who constantly tell us how much better Europe is than this country, never live there.
Especially, children.
homosexual marriage?
It seems that the first two things out of liberals' mouths, concerning sex, are homosexuality and AIDS.
I think that says it all right there. I doubt there will even be lip service (pun) to objectivity.
This just adds to saying it all.
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