Tennessee uses Student Fees to pay for Lesbian Bondage Expert

By Todd Starnes, CP Op-Ed Contributor Sunday, March 17, 2013

A lesbian bondage expert and a campus-wide condom scavenger hunt are among the activities planned for The University of Tennessee's first-ever "Sex Week" – an event paid for in-part by student fees.

Sex Week is sponsored by the university's Sexual Empowerment and Awareness at Tennessee club. The six-day event is expected to cost nearly $20,000 – covered in part by university grants, student fees and contributions from academic departments.

University of Tennessee spokeswoman Karen Simpson confirmed to Fox News that the conference is being funded by student fees and university money.

"The university is providing funding for this workshop because it covers a wide range of issues that are beneficial to our students," Simpson said.
There are 30 events planned including "Getting Laid," "Sex Positivity; Queer as a Verb," "Bow Chicka Bow Woah," "How to Talk to Your Parents About Sex," "Loud and Queer," and "How Many Licks Does It Take…" – a workshop about oral sex.

"It's tackling important topics related to sexual health, sexual identity, preventing sexual assault, gender roles (and) religion," she added. "The students have done a good job making sure there are things to appeal to all."

The nearly $20,000 cost was covered by money given from specific academic programs "who see a common interest – from law, from sociology and from history."

In addition to a campus-wide scavenger hunt for a golden condom, the university is hosting noted lesbian bondage expert and erotica author Sinclair Sexsmith.

Sexsmith, who serves on the board of the New York Lesbian Sex Mafia, will deliver a lecture titled, "Messing Around with Gender."

Sexsmith runs the online website "Sugarbutch Chronicles: The Sex, Gender and Relationship Adventures of a Kinky Queer Butch Top."

In addition to hosting college workshops and lectures about queer theory, she is an expert in sexuality and leather.

UT student Brianna Rader, one of the founders of Sex Week, told Fox News that Sexsmith will not be engaging in lesbian bondage demonstrations during her appearance.

"She's doing a workshop on poetry about sexuality," Rader said. "She's also going to be talking about constructing and reconstructing gender roles in society."

Sexsmith is also expected to show college students "how to turn up the heat on our own sex drive" – as well as play with gender and sexual identity roles and butch/femme roles.

Rader said their event has something for everyone.

"We have a stereotype of being conservative but there are lots of people who are okay with these subjects – like me," she said. "This is one way people can get a better sense of what others in Tennessee and this region of the country are about."

Rader said university officials were overwhelmingly supportive of Sex Week – which includes a sex talent show and drag show.

"We went to our administrators and they approved it immediately," she said. "We have excellent faculty advisors."

Rader said she can't imagine how anyone could be offended or upset with their sex week activities.
"I would find it very hard to believe that after talking to any student with an issue they would not agree that the purpose of the event is excellent and there is something for everyone," she told Fox News.

She said there would be no orgies or public displays of nudity.

"At least not as a part of sex week," she said.

Simpson praised Rader, a member of the university's elite honors program.

She called their creation of Sex Week "very admirable and forward thinking."

"She's thinking about the kinds of needs and concerns that should be here on campus," Simpson said.

But some University of Tennessee alumni are upset that Sex Week is being paid for with student fees.

"As a Tennessee alumnus, I can say that almost nothing surprises me anymore," Patrick Davey told Fox News. "I understand that the United States is the land of the free and the home of the brave and that we enjoy freedoms here that other countries don't."

"If people want to have a festival devoted to unorthodox sex practices, they can do it here," he said. "But the university shouldn't be paying for it. That's not the type of education that our tax dollars are for. They can do that on their own time, on their own property, with their own money."

Kay Shostak, who graduated from the university in 1983, was among those outraged.

"My blood runs orange – and right now it's boiling," she said. "As a parent of a current college senior, I'd like to know how to opt out of this fee."

She also wondered why today's modern college students need instruction on sex.

"When I was at UT back in 1983 we didn't need to use student fees to learn 'how to turn up the heat on our own sex drive,'" she noted.

The university spokesperson said the understand concerns from alumni and parents – but assured them Sex Week was not geared towards a particular slant.

"We would ask people to take a broader look at the content and really see that there's great teaching value, there's great education value, there's great engagement value for our students," Simpson told Fox News. "We recognize this is the first time we are doing it – but we have a lot of people involved looking at the content and making sure it's appropriate."

Students will also be provided screenings for sexually transmitted diseases.

Todd Starnes is the host of Fox News & Commentary – heard daily on 250+ radio stations. He's also the author of Dispatches From Bitter America. To check out all of his work you can visit his website or follow him on Twitter @toddstarnes. In his spare time, Todd is active in his church, plays golf, follows SEC football, and eats barbecue. He lives in New York City.