“Critical Beginnings: How Sex-Negative, Anti-Feminist Culture Sets Us Up for Violence”
Amy Jo Goddard, MA
April 29, 2010
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Barnard College Altschul Hall, Room 202
Broadway and 116th Street
Even with all of the progress we have made in creating pockets of sex-positive culture, setting new norms for the flow of smart, honest sexuality information and education, and the tremendous work of the feminist movement, we still live in a culture that is overwhelmingly sex-negative and anti-feminist. Sexuality educator, activist and filmmaker Amy Jo Goddard will discuss the roots of sexual disempowerment, and specifically, how our critical beginnings which suppress healthy sexual expression, which uphold harmful gender norms, and which fail to create gender equity set us up for violence. In this lecture, Amy Jo will discuss how unprocessed shame, guilt and/or trauma, a lack of education, role models and resources about sexuality, cultural, social and gender expectations—and the sexist code embedded in these cultural norms, and sexual stereotypes all contribute to a culture that promotes disempowerment and violence against women.
In this critical look at how sex-negative, anti-feminist culture disempowers us all, this lecture will make a call to women and men to take steps that will empower and enable healthy, authentic sexuality and dismantle conditions that feed and support violence.
