Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - (Page 1) American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists sexuality The international resource for educators, researchers and therapists hen Barack Obama becomes the 44th president of the United States later this month, it will mark the first time in 14 years that Democrats have controlled the presidency and both houses of Congress. No wonder advocates of comprehensive sexuality education, reproductive rights and equal rights for LGBTs are expecting big changes in Washington, D.C. “Working with the Bush administration was a nightmare,” says William Smith, vice president of public policy at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS). “This brings the sanity back. We’re incredibly optimistic.” In addition to winning the White House, Democrats picked up 22 seats in the U.S. House and Barack Obama at least seven seats in the U.S. Senate, giving the party commanding majorities in both legislative bodies. “This election was an enormous shift,” says James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth. “We finally have hopes of returning to science-based, evidence-based public health.” But more pressing national priorities could get in the way of quick action on sexuality issues, cautions Bill Albert, chief program officer at the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. “This will not be the first thing on Barack Obama’s agenda,” he says. “He’s coming into office with two wars and an economy that is spiraling downwards. Everything else will be second-order business.” While the president-elect is focused on the country’s anemic economy, some Capitol Hill contemporary January 2009 Vol. 43, No. 1 In this issue ‘Yes we can.’ We’ll see… W How America’s new political landscape will change sexuality Member Profile . . .3 Meet Robyn Salisbury from Palmerston North, New Zealand Quick Hits: Sex in the News . . . . . . . .7 Mbeki’s South African AIDS policy criticized News of Members . . . . . . . .9 Board approves new committee members News from AASECT’s Board of Directors . . . . . . .10 Mentoring section to be added to website Educational Opportunities . . .11 Missed the Winter Institute? Summer Institute scheduled for August insiders have been pondering the shift in power. In an MSNBC interview, former House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-Texas) called Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California) “the most powerful speaker in a generation — she’ll be able to do anything she wants.” In the past two years, the U.S. Senate was a “graveyard for so much of [Pelosi’s] agenda,” according to the nonpartisan newspaper Politico. That’s unlikely to be the case in 2009, even though Democrats failed to achieve a filibuster-proof, 60vote majority. That’s because swing-state Republican senators facing reelection battles in 2010 may be unlikely to block votes on Democratic proposals. “Look at the Republicans who are up in 2010,” says Wagoner, who once served as chief of staff to former U.S. Senator Howard Metzenbaum (D-Ohio). “The ones in Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania [and other toss-up states] are going to be reading the writing on the wall. They will put their own reelection before the needs of their party.” So, what may change in 2009-10? We asked public policy analysts and political advocates at several organizations for their take on the fate of abstinence-only sexuality education, Title X, gays in the military and other legislation. Abstinence-only programs Since 1996, the U.S. has spent about $1.3 billion on abstinence-only sexuality education programs, including $176 million in 2007. Although continued on page 4
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 Contents Member Profile Quick Hits: Sex in the News News of Members News from AASECT's Board of Directors Educational Opportunities Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Contents (Page 1) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Contents (Page 2) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Member Profile (Page 3) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Member Profile (Page 4) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Member Profile (Page 5) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Member Profile (Page 6) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Quick Hits: Sex in the News (Page 7) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Quick Hits: Sex in the News (Page 8) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - News of Members (Page 9) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - News from AASECT's Board of Directors (Page 10) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Educational Opportunities (Page 11) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Educational Opportunities (Page 12)
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