Berkeley display features parade through decades of sex ed
Literature from UCB scholars like Solitary Sex: A Cultural History of Masturbation is included in the exhibit.
Students can view pictures of different sexually oriented couples in a passionate embrace and are exposed to images of the different body types.
Curious about the art of “afronomics?” How about the joys of gay or lesbian sex? The University of California, Berkeley (UCB) has you covered.
The exhibit, “ Bird Do It, Bees Do It: A Century of Sex (Mis)Education in the United States,” is viewable in Doe Memorial Library, and tracks how sex education in the United States has changed over time.
Students can view pictures of different sexually oriented couples in a passionate embrace and are exposed to images of the different body types. A poster labeled "The Afronomical Ways," features two people with afros in various sex positions. Other notable features include a selection of books by author Lesléa Newman, including Heather Has Two Mommies; Daddy, Papa, and Me; and Mommy, Mama, and Me.
Literature from UCB scholars is also included in the exhibit, such as Solitary Sex: A Cultural History of Masturbation. Additionally, patrons can view and listen to a 26-chapter “Sex Ed on Film and Video Playlist,” through provided monitors and headphones.
The exhibit does offer a section about abstinence, which comprised a small segment of the exhibit.
Claire Chiara, president of Berkeley’s Republican Club—who stressed that her views do not represent the views of the club—told Campus Reform that the display alarmed her when she first saw it. She said the exhibit’s description is not easily found, and that from a distance all you see are pictures of penises, people having sex, and lots of condoms.
“My issue is not with the concepts behind the display,” Chiara told Campus Reform. “My issue is within and of itself, especially within the context of this particular campus [that] prides itself for being at the forefront of a wide variety of areas...and yet they are creating these displays. It seems to me like they are just trying to be controversial.”
“This to me seems like a poorly thought out decision and a little bit like the library isn’t living up to its potential.”
UCB did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Campus Reform.
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