Radical Perspectives on Sexuality

Class time: Tuesdays from 8:00 to 10:00pm -- beginning on Tuesday, 21 September 2004

Class Location: 1592 Bathurst Street, Apt #36

Course Facilitators: Paula Pregent & Ruta Halie

email: payoolay@yahoo.ca

This 8-10 week course will examine sexuality in society as it pertains to politics, rights and daily lives of participants. Since sexuality is a core part of being, how we come to know ourselves as sexual and what role that plays in our lives is an important part of who we are and how we're perceived. This course is designed to make all participants feel free to discuss "radical" sexual issues in an open and safe environment. Topics ranging from politics to personal experience can be explored. The syllabus will be determined by the participants. Ideas for this determination will rely on this course from past terms as well as whatever comes up in the first few classes.

Topics decided upon during first class for discussion (not in any particular order):

• Prostitution / Sex Work
• Female circumcision (female genital mutilation)
• Children's Sexuality, Positive Adult / Child Sex - Loving Boys
• Gender Identity (disorders, construction of gender roles)
  • media's role in construction of gender
• Two-Spirited People (Native / Aboriginal)
• Public Sex
• Social constructions of sexuality (homosexuality, heterosexuality, etc., sexuality in war)
• Queer Sex, Heterosexism, Monogomy, Poly
  • Queer vs. Straight - fine line? Labels
• Pornography
• Power Dynamics - SM, fetishes
• Transition, transgender, no gender

Course Materials

After discussion topics are decided, photocopied articles can be distributed/shared as needed (list will be posted here). There may be a minimal fee to cover the costs of photocopying.

To view previous term's course content, see RadicalPerspectivesOnSexualityWinter2004.

Week One (September 21st)- Introduction & "Getting to know ya" chit-chat

• Discussion of topics to explore in the upcoming weeks

Week Two (September 28th)- Sexual Identity

• Lisa Duggan "Making It Perfectly Queer"

Week Three (October 5th)- Children's Sexuality

• "Ageism"

Week Four (October 12th)- Monogamy/Polyamory - facilitators: Bill & Pollie

• "Intimate Relationships"
• "S is for Sex and Space"

Week Five (October 19th) - Pornography

• class discussion

Week Six (October 26th) - Female Genital Circumcision - facilitator: Ruta Halie

• "Understanding Female Genital Circumcision"

Week Seven (November 2nd) - Prostitution

• Emma Goldman "The Traffic in Women"

Week Eight (November 9th) -

Week Nine (November 16th) -

Week Ten (November 23rd) - "Show & Tell"