And now, it’s back to the grind. Catching up on work for Fascinations, facilitating my American Medical Association’s Sexual Health Scholars group with Justine Shuey, teaching at Arizona State University, and Paradise Valley Community College, and getting my radio show (on 1100 KNFX, Thursdays at 4pm) off the ground. And that’s all just this week!

I’m booking now for Spring 2011, and still taking new clients for my sex and relationship coaching. Hope to hear from you!

In the meantime, I’m enjoying being back with my partner and our kitties, other pumpkin tastiness, and trying to get well again.

-Shanna

This post, Just Sayin’, originally appeared on Shanna Katz M.Ed, ACS -- Board Certified Sexologist and Sexuality Educator on October 18, 2010.

One of our “own,” a fierce warrior of sex positivity and transparency, has been attacked by Donna M. Hughes and Margaret Brooks. Maymay, a sex blogger/educator/geek/rockstar/podcaster/etc has come under fire from two people who have also attached Kink for All Providence, the lovely Oh Megan, and many more. I will not link to their original bulletin (which they sent forth to hundreds if not thousands of people), but you can read what Maymay said about the attack here, and about furthering dialogue instead of just throwing stones and insults at each other.

We must stand up for ourselves, and for each other every single day. I lovingly and jokingly (sometimes) refer to myself as a professional pervert, but while I have reclaimed that word, many of us (people who work towards sex positivity; bloggers, educators, authors, etc) have it hurled at us in a negative context on a very regular basis. Whether we teach online, at Planned Parenthood, in a public school, a private school, workshops, through hosing unconferences, etc, we have to fight for the right to be seen as true educators, people teaching a needed or even just “legit” subject.

So when one of us is attacked, whether it is online or in real life, whether we’re being called a pervert or a pedophile or a whore or the anti-christ, we are all being attacked. We are being told that sexuality education is harmful, that we are wrong to want people to be educated and open and have happy sex lives (whether vanilla or kinky, monogamous or not). We are ALL being attacked.

Ergo, I stand up for sexuality education, I stand up for sex positivity, I stand up for the free discussion of sexuality amoungst all people. I am not a pedophile or the anti-christ. I am just someone that believes in equal rights and understanding and education regarding healthy sexuality for ALL people. I stand against the creepy pervert stigma. I stand here, wearing my leopard print and polka dots, taking sexuality OUT of the dark, OUT for the closet, putting it forth for people to see, discuss, talk about, question, understand and more.

I stand in solidarity with Maymay, and with all the other sex positive people who have been stigmatize, and persecuted, and hated on just for wanted to bring open-ness and discussion regarding healthy sexuality to all people.

Stand up against stigma. Speak out. The more we bring forth sexuality in a positive light, and stand together in solidarity, the less slander, libel, hated, threats, name calling and more can affect us.

My name is Shanna Katz. I am a proptent of sex positivity and accessible sexuality education for all. Do not think to shame me. I support others like me, and those I disagree with as well. I support the freedom of speech and the freedom of sex educaton. I stand up for sexuality.

Also, Viviane wrote an excellent post on this as well over at the Sex Carnival. Aida Manduley, the student at Brown who was instrumental in organizing Kink for All Providence also wrote a piece here about the event and speaking up for herself and sexuality.

This post, Stop Shaming and Stigmatizing Sexuality, originally appeared on Shanna Katz M.Ed, ACS -- Board Certified Sexologist and Sexuality Educator on April 12, 2010.

I was really impressed that they had such a sex positive spin on it, and let me talk about there is more than just sex to sexuality, but also connection, communication, intimacy, etc.

So good job Fox for putting on such an all inclusive and fairly sex positive segment, and for not cutting me to sound like an idiot. Color me impressed!

Click here to see the short video spot.

This post, Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder Newspot on Fox, originally appeared on Shanna Katz M.Ed, ACS -- Board Certified Sexologist and Sexuality Educator on February 16, 2010.

Please click here to see proposed changes.

Edit:

Some thoughts.

*I like putting hypo active sexual desire disorder under female arousal disorder and male arousal disorder. The previous version was too male-centric.

*I like changing gender identity disorder to gender incongruence, as it is NOT in any way a disorder, but it is often a body disphoria, and if it remains in some way in the DSM, transfolk will have a slightly easier time getting insurance to pay for therapy, and possibly hormones and surgery.

*I DO NOT like the definition of hyper sexual disorder. Basically, everyone with a healthy sexuality, who thinks about sex and has sexual fantasies, and plans romantic interludes, falls into this disorder.  That, in my mind, is ridiculous.

*I do not understand the new concept of adding “disorder” to sexual masochism, sexual sadism, transvestism, fetishism, etc. Can someone please explain to me how this changes things?

This post, DSM5 Proposed Changes, originally appeared on Shanna Katz M.Ed, ACS -- Board Certified Sexologist and Sexuality Educator on February 10, 2010.