BDSM Taught at college

Richard49

The Gentleman Dom
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http://www*****site.net/ldn/2006/oct/06102607.html

Students Role-play Sadomasochism in Toronto University’s Sexual Diversity Program

By Gudrun Schultz

TORONTO, Ontario, October 26, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - University of Toronto students in the Sexual Diversity Studies program explore sadomasochism, bondage and domination as part of an “academic” approach to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues, Reuters reported October 20.

Described as “edgy,” the Sexual Diversity Studies program is one of the largest of its kind in North America. Students and teachers defend the program as a serious approach to sexual issues.

“It’s not sexy sex sex, where we’re talking about whips and chains, but we will talk about whips and chains,” graduating student Robbie Morgan told Reuters. “We’ll talk about whips and chains in a political, social, cultural, religious context of sexuality and how that sexuality affects those institutions.”

Program director David Rayside told Reuters the content emphasis is often misunderstood.

“It’s a very serious analytical exercise and it isn’t what a lot of people think it is.”

Program courses include an arts and literature course called “Queerly Canadian,” and a drama class called “Sexual Performance: Case Studies in S/M (sadomasochism).”

“Visiting lecturers will address technical aspects of flogging, restraint, and role-play,” the University’s website course description explains. “Students will ‘research’ questions (e.g. what constitutes coercion? Consent? Control? Submission? Can sexual practices transform our understanding of power?) by the optional performance of selected scenes.”

“Queerly Canadian” asks students to look at how a “queer” perspective of identity could contribute to an “alternative national politics.”

Other courses include “Theories of Sexuality” and “Sexual Diversity Politics.” Created in 1998, the program offers both Major and Minor disciplines and is hoping to establish a Masters program within the next few years.

Sexual “diversity” has become an increasingly central emphasis of the University of Toronto’s social policy over the past decade. In 2003, then-president Robert Birgeneau wrote in the Toronto Star that the University had made “great progress” in ensuring the comfort level of “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered or queer” students.

“If anything is needed now, it is to move beyond the institutional level of acceptance to broad awareness and to celebrate sexual diversity on our campuses,” Birgeneau wrote, “in much the same way that we celebrate our remarkable ethnic and cultural diversity.”

The Sexual Diversity program received a $1 million ($900,000) donation last week from Canadian winemaker Mark Bonham to expand the curriculum, Reuters reported.

To express concerns:

Contact University of Toronto President David Naylor
president@utoronto.ca

See related LifeSiteNews coverage:

U of Toronto President Hails Sexual 'Diversity'
http://www*****site.net/ldn/2003/nov/03110504.html
 
Sounds like the sort of serious exchange some of our posters would enjoy.

LOL.

I'm not much for endless debate that makes the subject or me, go dry. Maybe I could "CLEP" the course though.

Fury :rose:
 
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And so we wonder why our college graduates don't know anything after four years of this.... :p
 
I can hear it now, "Hey I took flogging 101 but I couldn't pass the labs."

LOL.

Fury :rose:
 
i think it's interesting. i think it would be great if it were just a couple of electives. i would take them. A whole program on that is a little crazy though.
 
Reading Foucault and Lacan has been transformed into RL experience!!! (or something resembling the same, LOL) Actually, the course of study sounds interesting and the approach even more so. While I know that much of current BDSM practice has it's origins in the gay leatherman community that "came into its own" during the gay liberation movement of the 70's, I am not sure why the course is part of the queer studies program only and not included as part of human sexuality studies...

a :kiss: to all previous posters

:rose: Neon
 
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