Campus Reform
by Anthony Gockowski
The University of North Florida has cancelled several workshops that were to be held at its annual “Sex Week,” conceding that they only served to distract from the event’s original educational intent.
Workshops discussing “ethical non-monogamy as an alternative to cheating” and offering sex toy tutorials have already been axed from the schedule, and the school is exploring ideas for replacing a “Coming Out Kinky” event, as well.
The University of North Florida recently cancelled several workshops that were to be held at its annual “Sex Week,” conceding that they only served to distract from the event’s original intent.
Campus Reform initially reported that UNF planned to host a number of controversial workshops during the annual event, including one for “poly-curious” students considering “ethical non-monogamy as an alternative to cheating,” and another called “A Grownup Toy Story,” which offered students an “explicit, but non-threatening” introduction to sex toys.
Now, the school has informed Campus Reform that it has cancelled both workshops “to ensure that the emphasis is truly on the original mission of this series of events,” and pulled both down from the school website.
In fact, Vice President of Public Relations Sharon Ashton explained to Campus Reform that while “no taxpayer money, tuition, or student fees” have been used to sponsor the event, the school ultimately decided against hosting the aforementioned workshops so as to retain the original purpose of Sex Week, which is to educate students on topics such as “health and wellness, relationships and intimacy, identity and orientation, safety and risk awareness, and consent.”
“Nonetheless, we were concerned that the issues of consent, safety, and healthy relationships were being lost in the week’s activities,” Ashton wrote, noting that her office has “worked with the Sex Week planning group to ensure that the emphasis is truly on the original mission of this series of events,” which had “led to a number of changes.”
Among these, she noted, were the cancellation of the two workshops previously reported on by Campus Reform, the descriptions of which overshadowed “the serious topics that will be discussed” during the rest of the week’s proceedings.
“The planning group has decided to cancel ‘A Grownup Toy Story’ as well as the session that was to be taught by a representative from the Relationship Equality Foundation, originally titled ‘Love Without Limits,’” Ashton confirmed. …
Statement by the Relationship Equality Foundation:
Relationship Equality Foundation is saddened by the abrupt cancellation of the classes we offered. We worked very closely with the LGBT Center of UNF to develop classes that align with the mission of the program and the University, while providing classes that the student body requested. It is unfortunate that upper University administration caved to a few far right voices and listened to those over the many students, faculty, staff and community members that were in favor of this programming.
As recent data shows us Young Americans are choosing Ethical Non-Monogamy as a relationship choice in greater numbers than any other age group. It is vital that adult students get comprehensive sex education that covers these topics: https://today.yougov.com/…/young-americans-less-wedded-mon…/
We want to be clear that we support the students right to access the information and education to make informed decisions about relationships in order to promote consent, safety, and healthy relationships.