Contemporary Sexuality - August 2008 - (Page 6) Member Spotlight Sol Gordon, PhD (Chapel Hill, N.C.) S “I attract the most attention by upsetting people.” ol Gordon believes that sex education books are read by librarians, not teens. So as director of Syracuse University’s Family Research and Education in the 1970s, Gordon sought funding to publish comic books aimed at young readers. Some of the comic books focused on eating, smoking and alcohol, but the most popular featured drawings and straightforward writing about sex. Among the titles: Ten Heavy Facts About Sex, Protect Yourself From Becoming an Unwanted Parent and VD Claptrap, which featured characters named Capt. Veedee-o and Ms. Wanda Lust. Ten Heavy Facts About Sex, published in 1971, was the most popular, selling 625,000 copies by 1974. Its frank talk about masturbation, the pill, pornography, abortion and virginity prompted the New York State Fair to ban it. Gordon appealed the decision, but the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court upheld the decision, saying Ten Heavy Facts About Sex “suggests that sodomy is acceptable and it surely condones and encourages homosexuality and bisexuality, if one is so inclined, while conceding that the majority of the people favor homosexuality.” Says Gordon, “I attract the most attention by upsetting people.” Gordon was born in 1923 to Yiddish-speaking poor immigrants in Brooklyn, N.Y. He served in the U.S. Army from during World War II. He received his bachelor and master’s degrees from the University of Illinois, and his PhD in psychology from the University of London. Gordon then served as chief psychologist at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic and the Middlesex County Mental Health Clinic. This was followed by an associate professorship at Yeshiva University in New York. There, Gordon focused on promoting self-esteem and sex education as crucial elements for enhancing the lives of “at risk” youth. In 1970, he was appointed professor at Syracuse University and director for Family Research and Education. Gordon has written about 30 books and more than 100 articles. He donated the collection to the Kinsey Institute and Syracuse University libraries. (http://archives.syr.edu/archives/ collections/faculty/gordon.html) “Some of my books have been banned all over the country and excluded from public libraries,” Gordon says. “I did not mind being picketed by the ‘Right to Life’ people when I spoke, but the real problem is that I am no longer invited to speak at any high school because of the ‘abstinence’ mandate prevailing in almost every public school. As soon as I say something about masturbation, it’s over. I have an important message for young people, but nobody is letting me tell it.” Gordon has received numerous awards for his work. He was most proud when he was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award by AASECT, Advocates for Youth, SIECUS and Planned Parenthood, in 2001, “for making a world of difference in sexuality education.” In 2005, SSSS awarded Gordon with the Public Service Award. After his wife, Judith, of 40 years, died, Gordon re-acquainted with a high school friend, Marlene Appley. The two have been together ever since. Gordon’s most recent book, Another Chance for Love: Finding a Partner Later in Life, was published in 2004. “My most valuable contribution to the field of sexuality education is having created the concept ‘Are You an Askable Parent?’” Gordon says. “If a child asks a question about sex, the only appropriate response for a parent is — ‘that is a good question,’ and then proceed to answer it. Parents are the main sex educators of their children, whether they like it or not. If they want to be ‘askable,’ they must be prepared for any question or incident that involves their children’s sexuality. Parents must convey to their children that nothing that ever happens to them will be made worse by talking about it to the parents, and the best first response is — ‘I’m so glad you are able to talk to me about this.’” (To see 18 images from Ten Heavy Facts About Sex, check out this Flickr page: http://flickr.com/photos/55159906@N00/sets/ 72157594551093068/) 6 Contemporary Sexuality www.aasect.org | August 2008 Vol. 42, No. 8 http://flickr.com/photos/55159906@N00/sets/72157594551093068 http://flickr.com/photos/55159906@N00/sets/72157594551093068 http://archives.syr.edu/archives/collections/faculty/gordon.html http://archives.syr.edu/archives/collections/faculty/gordon.html http://www.aasect.org
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