25 Years of Commitment to Sexual Health and Education
SIECUS in 1989 SECUS: 25 Years of Commitment To Sexual Health and Education Debra W. Haffner, MPH Executive Director wenty-five years ago, a lawyer, a sociologist, a clergyman, individual life patterns asa creative and recreativeforce.” In T a family life educator, a public health educator, and a many ways, the missiontoday remains true to those words. physician came together to form the Sex Information and Education Council of the United States. In the words of In January 1965, SIECUS held a national pressconference SIECUS cofounder and first executive director, Dr. Mary S. announcing its formation. In a New York Herald Tribune Calderone, “the formation of SIECUS in 1964 was not the story, Earl Ubell, who later joined the SIECUS Board of creation of something new so much as the recognition of Directors, wrote, ‘! . the group’s first action has been most something that had existed for a long time: the desire of noteworthy. It formed.” A month later, SIECUS published its many people of all ages and conditions to comprehend what first newsletter, with an annual subscription rate of $2.00! sex was all about, what old understandings about it were still valid, what new understandings about it were needed, where The mid-1960swere important years for advancing sexual it fit in a world that was changing, and between men and rights. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 wascritical in establish- women who were changing.” ing principles of racial and sexual equity. In 1965, the Supreme Court decided Griswoldv. Connecti&, which I have had the pleasure of reading the first SIECUS news- establishedthe constitutional right to privacy and gave letters; all of the minutes from years of meetings of the married women the right to contraception.
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