Knoxville, Tennessee — The University of Tennessee has announced that it is cutting state taxpayer money from its allotment to the school’s upcoming student-organized “Sex Week.”
As previously reported, “Sex Week,” which begins on April 7th, was organized by the university’s Sexual Empowerment and Awareness at Tennessee student group. It features a number of daily seminars, the titles of some are not able to be repeated by Christian News Network.
Other less graphic seminar titles include “Sex Positivity in Our Sex Negative Culture,” “How to Talk About Sex to Your Parents,” “Loud and Queer” and “Transgender Sexuality 101.” A few events will focus on religious factors, such as “The Birds, the Bees and the Bible” and “Concepts of Virginity.” Other events for students include sex trivia over pizza, free HIV testing, a drag show and a golden condom hunt.
“[T]he Sex Week Team will hide one golden condom on campus,” the site for the week outlines. “Clever hints will be released daily. The retriever of this condom will win a prize!”
Several of the seminars will be held by self-identified “lesbian BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism) expert” Sinclair Sexsmith. Sexsmith is the operator of an online project called “Sugarbutch Chronicles: The Sex, Gender and Relationship Adventures of a Kinky Queer Butch Top.” Her website outlines that she teaches workshops across the country on gender and sexuality.
However, after news of “Sex Week” broke throughout the state and across the country, many have been horrified not only at the nature of the event, but at the fact that student and taxpayer dollars were being used to promote sexuality. Tennessee Senator Stacey Campfield was among those that spoke out about the matter.
“I think it is well in order for us to reconsider our actions [in passing the UT budget] and would like to make that motion so UT can either verify or deny publicly these incredible allegations,” he wrote in a letter to his colleagues. “If you have any problem with my making that motion I ask that you contact me so I can understand your reasoning.”
Last week, University of Tennessee Chancellor Jimmy Cheek released a public statement advising that he had decided to pull state funding from the event.
“We support the process and the students involved, but we should not use state funds in this manner,” he said.
The decision now removes over $11,000 from the original $20,000 allotment. The school will still use $6,700 in student funds for “Sex Week.”
Campfield says he remains unhappy as he does not like student funds promoting sexuality either.
“It’s the same as tuition dollars, because the students cannot opt out,” he told The Huffington Post.
Reports state that students at University of Tennessee are now organizing fundraising efforts to make up for the thousands that have been revoked from the event. As of late last week, students had raised over $7,000, with $1,000 in donations coming from Planned Parenthood.
“Sex Week” organizer Brianna Radar said that she doesn’t understand why there are objections to the program.
“I’m shocked by how big of a deal this is,” she told The Daily Beacon. “It’s just ‘Sex Week’; it’s just sex education.”
But some state that the event is indoctrinating youth to be sexually active outside of marriage.
“Sick and disgusting,” wrote one commenter named Jodi. “What happened to morals and ethics?”
“UT should also use everyone’s fees to fund conferences on ‘marriage God’s way’ and ‘morals, character, and integrity God’s way’ and ‘raising Godly children’ … types of conferences as well, don’tcha think?” asked one concerned citizen named Annette.
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