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Indiana Doesn't Want Any Questions about Sex [1]

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Date: 2023-05-10  

Sex is a slippery topic

Back in the early 50’s, the Kinsey reports on what Americans actually did between the sheets scandalized the nation. Some were upset to find out that lots and lots of Americans were “doing it” in ways other than the missionary position, with people other than their lawful spouses, with people other than the lawful sex — and enjoying it. A number of people, mostly pastors, were particularly incensed that Kinsey not only documented all this, he refused to condemn any of it. His job, he said, was simply to report was was going on.

As explained in an op-ed in WaPo written by Justin Garcia, executive director of the Kinsey Institute:

For generations, the Kinsey Institute has shone a light on diverse aspects of sex and sexuality, in pursuit of answers that bring us closer to understanding fundamental questions of human existence. In a time of divisive politics and disinformation, it is more imperative than ever to preserve and defend the right of such academic institutions to illuminate the unfolding frontiers of science — even, and especially, research that might challenge us as it advances our understanding of ourselves.

That has been the mission of the Kinsey Institute ever since, for over 50 years — report the facts about American sexual behavior, without judgment. This proved to be too much for the Indiana legislature. As Director Garcia titled his op-ed: In Indiana, the culture wars aim at Kinsey — the heart of sex research

Indiana lawmakers voted late last month to approve a budget that specifically blocks Indiana University from using state funding to support the Kinsey Institute, and that last week Gov. Eric Holcomb signed it into state law.

He continues:

The state representative who first proposed this recent legislation parroted false allegations of sexual predation in the institute’s historical research and ongoing work, which the institute, the university and outside experts have repeatedly refuted. Indiana state Rep. Matt Pierce described these conspiracy theories as “warmed-over internet memes that keep coming back.” The legislature still acted on this disturbing, easily debunked misinformation.

And he warns that Indiana is not alone in its attacks on sex research.

I’m running close to fair use limits here, so I’ll stop (and it’s close to bedtime). I’ll just point out that this is part of the overall Republican game plan to deny reality, suppress reality, make it impossible to study reality. And not just because it interferes with their power grabs. The entire GOP mentality had deteriorated into a fantasy into which reality must not be allowed to intrude.

Reality, in Colbert’s famous line, has a well-known liberal bias. That’s because liberals (these days anyway) try to deal with the world as it is, while conservatives increasingly insist on dealing with the world as they wish it used to be.

There’s a similar thought process in conservative Christianity, which helps explain the mutual attraction between the White Supremacists/Christian nationalist and the GOP.

I’ll let Garcia have the last word:

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/5/10/2168687/-Indiana-Doesn-t-Want-Any-Questions-about-Sex

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