Sexual Contact Newsletter of the Sexual Behavior, Politics, and Communities Division, Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) Summer 2006
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Sexual Contact Newsletter of the Sexual Behavior, Politics, and Communities Division, Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) Summer 2006 Diane Notes from the Chair In 1999 Colonel David Schroer a retired Greetings from Macon, where we were Special Forces Officer and expert in Terrorism honored with the appearance of noted Attorney and interviewed for and was offered the position of cable television host Nancy Grace at the March 2006 Counter Terrorism Expert at the United States Library renewal of the noted Cherry Blossom Festival. This of Congress. Prior to beginning the new position will be my final newsletter as Chair of the Sexual David disclosed to his new manager that when he Behavior, Politics, and Communities Division. My began the new position he would no longer be David, closing observations appear in this newsletter. We are but instead would be Diane Schroer. Within 12 hours pleased that Sandra Schroer will assume the esteemed the offer for the position was rescinded. With the help position as Chair at the Division Business Meeting of the ACLU, David (who later became Diane) filed conducted during the upcoming SSSP conference this suit against the Library of Congress in what could summer. Sandra has contributed a description for her prove to be a landmark case in gender discrimination new book. The information appears elsewhere in this and transgender equality. Diane has become a newsletter. spokesperson for transgender equality and participates There are some immediate concerns for the in ongoing discussions and education about issues Sexual Behavior Division. First, we are seeking a faced by people in the transgender population. newsletter editor to assume John Hollister’s position On Friday, August 11, 2006 at a 12:30 session effective with the transition of Division Chairs this of the SSSP annual meeting in Montreal, Diane summer. The position requires editing a newsletter Schroer and her Attorney Sharon McGowan Esq. will with materials provided by the SSSP and including speak in an invited session on Transgender and Legal announcements regarding Division business (calls for Issues. Their presentation is titled: "Transgender papers, organized sessions, student paper Legal Rights...or Where Does the White Go When competition). In addition, the editor has the the Snow Melts." This session is organized by Ms. opportunity to commission essays or create other Schroer's sister-in-law, Sandra Schroer Ph.D., a SSSP features. This is a creative position that would member. enhance your service to the profession on yearly Our theme for the 2006 meeting, "Building university reports. John, Sandra and I can assist the Just, Diverse and Democratic Communities is relevant next editor in getting the newsletter organized. to Diane's situation, particularly given her professional Second, please consider coming to the SSSP military background in the Special Forces, her service in Montreal this summer. We have either organized to the nation as an expert in foreign terrorist activities or co-sponsored a number of fascinating sessions. and most recently, her experience with institutional Detail on these sessions and related ASA sessions is discrimination as a member of the transgender provided in this newsletter. I wish to spotlight two in community. particular. Diane Schroer, a transgendered individual engaged in a landmark case to eradicate discrimination Outgoing Chair: Lloyd Klein against transgendered persons, will discuss this very [email protected] important social rights issue. In addition, we are Incoming Chair: Sandra Schroer offering a workshop on sexual behavior issues and [email protected] academic freedom. Both sessions offer much OutgoingNewsletter Editor: John Hollister information on social struggles for personal or [email protected] professional freedoms. As an extra added bonus, Incoming Editor: You Montreal is a world-class city with excellent summer weather. The restaurants, attractions, and the -1- opportunity to share sociological perspectives with our 1800's had taken a public position against state neighbors north of the border are enticing reasons to sanctioned marriage. In 2005, the research culminated attend. in a book titled, State of The Union: Marriage and The SBPC Division will contribute to a joint Free love in the Late 1800's. reception with other SSSP divisions. This event was Through critical discourse analysis the book popular last year and we will continue to support the examines the situated knowledge of women and men effort. The SBPC may also contribute to other who participated in the Free Love movement in the receptions during the course of the running SSSP and mid to late 1800's. The study is an analysis of the way ASA meetings in Montreal. Check with us for more women and men articulated the Free Love platform information when you arrive in Montreal. and their responses to the shifting marriage laws. For Please consider contributing announcements example, one male author wrote, "I can by no means on work that you or other colleagues in this division wonder -hardly blame- that the majority of MEN may have recently published. We also want to publish should most fiercely oppose Free Love, (as I essays on various subjects related to sexual behavior. understand it,) when their HIGHEST and PUREST Any of this information will be welcome in future pleasures, now by brute force obtained, and by power newsletters. of law protected, should depend upon the free choice Ken Kyle has initiated a fascinating feature for of woman." (J. L. Mc. in Age of Freedom, Nov. 25, the general SSSP Newsletter. Divisions are 1858, p.4). Like the men, women claimed to desire encouraged to contribute a series of essays devoted to control over their sexual passion, their bodies and their issues within a particular social problems division. I relationships without state intervention, freedoms would like to begin organization of such an effort some believed to be Divinely inspired. from this division. Please notify me if you are Considering the conservative sexual political working in an area of sexual behavior focused on agenda of the current administration, now more than current issues (e.g., sexual identity, AIDS/HIV, ever women and men need insight into how they came sexuality and the law) and would like to publish in this to experience the sexual freedom they have and the forum. history of that struggle. State of The Union: Marriage The submission date for the Fall Newsletter and Free Love in the late 1800s strives to contribute will be October 15. Send any information to Sandra. to that knowledge. The book is not only useful in Have a good summer. Hope to see you in Montreal. historical cultural studies but also gender studies. Lloyd Klein, Division Chair Furthermore, at the publisher's request, the book includes a chapter on the research methods used for Free Love the study. It can serve as a teaching tool on qualitative While preparing to teach a course in women's and quantitative research methods that involve textual studies at Western Michigan University, I stumbled and historical analysis. Those interested in the book across an article written by Victoria Woodhull and her can read a review in the Electronic Journal of Human sister Tennie C. Claflin in the 1800's in which they Sexuality at http://www.ejhs.org/volume8/book36.htm. referred to "women's sexual freedom" and "Free The book is available through Amazon.com and Love." Their discussion intrigued me so I continued to through the publisher, Routledge. dig deeper into the concept of Free Love. I followed Sandra Schroer leads in secondary resources. I charted names of self proclaimed Free Lovers as well as their affiliations Final Comments from the Chair with Utopian communities, and discovered that many had published articles, newspapers and circulars. I This is my final newsletter as SBPC Division wanted to see the original words of the women and Chair. As many of you know, this is my second tour men who claimed to be "Free Lovers" in the 1800's. of duty as chair of this esteemed division. I feel I was able to locate the collections of 13 honored to have occupied the same lofty chair position publications in archives throughout the U.S. I as PJ McGann, Paul Rust, the late Lynn Atwater, Val immersed myself in the authors‚ words, their social Jenness, Bill Darrow, Joan Luxenburg, Beth issues, their arguments and the marriage laws of the Schneider, and other notables in the sexual behavior time period. As I further researched the Free Love research area. Apologies to some of the former chairs platform I became aware that Free Love was a political not named above. Each division chair has been position which had reoccurred in historical waves instrumental in organizing interesting sessions and including one in the 1700's and again in the 1800's stimulating the interests of graduate students initiating and 1900's. I focused my research on the mid to late careers in this specialization. As I have pointed out in 1800's, which appeared to incorporate the peek of the a prior newsletter feature published approximately Free Love movement. Over the next two years my three years ago, each division chair had their own style research revealed that many women and men in the -2- but did make a great contribution to our knowledge of 2:30pm - 4:10pm this fascinating research focus. 31: Perspectives on AIDS/HIV I The two years have flown by so quickly. I Cosponsor: Health, Health Policy, and Health Services Division would be remiss in failing to thank several individuals Organizer: Lloyd Klein, Grambling State University for their role in helping facilitate the accomplishment Discussant: Bruce D. Johnson, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. of this challenging task. Thanks to John Hollister for “Is Sexual Identity at Work or at Play in the Practice of HIV his willingness to undertake editing the newsletter Prevention? Considering the Politics of Identity in Prevention with during the past two years.