Amy Marsh, EdD, DHS, ACS, CHt
These are spirited times! As a sexologist trained in the “sex radical” tradition of the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco, and also in the spirit of inclusiveness, I’d like to note that the “99%” can also include the “69%” – people who feel the understandable need to enjoy and occupy their bodies!
I think Deborah Taj Anapol, author of Love Without Limits and Polyamory in the 21st Century, was one of the first people to come up with the phrase, “occupy your body,” in this current context. (There may even be a Facebook page for this!). But the question of embodiment truly is both central - and radical! Many brilliant sex-educators and sexologists have called for a fuller, more present sense of embodiment as the “cure” for whatever ails us, yet it is still a startling notion for many. Our culture does not support healthy embodiment or sexuality.
When we are present in our bodies, we are perceptive, alert, and hopefully less willing to comply with inappropriate and inhumane intimate, social, economic, and political absurdities inflicted on our own and other people’s bodies.
Yet when we are present in our bodies, we are perceptive, alert, and hopefully less willing to comply with inappropriate and inhumane intimate, social, economic, and political absurdities inflicted on our own and other people’s bodies. When we truly inhabit our physical selves, we are capable of completely owning what we do. I like to think this gives us greater empathy with others too. Being present with ourselves, we are present with our lovers. If we choose, we can even be present with the rest of all sentient beings.
The kind of sex education and support we want to offer at Creative Sexuality is – I think – ultimately intended to bring this kind of understanding to the culture at large. Of course we offer classes and coaching sessions to individuals, classes which are meant to foster good sex and enriched intimacy. But this also creates greater understanding of sexuality and gender in general, and opens a pathway of collaboration in creating a sex- and pleasure-positive culture.
… for me, being a radical sex educator means having a mission to bring an eros-saturated understanding to a culture deeply in love with death
So, for me, being a radical sex educator means having a mission to bring an eros-saturated understanding to a culture deeply in love with death – and pledging to incorporate social justice awareness into everything I do. I may fall short sometimes, but that’s at least the way I try to proceed. And I am willing to bet that this is something I share with most, if not all, of my teaching colleagues here on Creative Sexuality.
Dr. Amy Marsh
CS Faculty
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