AASECT stands for American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists. As a sexuality counselor, I have been certified by AASECT since 2012. The organization holds annual conferences which are important to those of us who want to present our findings, take workshops from other professionals, socialize with peers, and/or gain valuable continuing education credits to renew our certifications.
Last year, in 2020, the conference in Palm Springs was cancelled due to the pandemic. This year the AASECT conference will be online. But they are planning for 2022 to take place in Tampa, Florida.
This is a terrible idea given that Florida has just passed (HB) 1475, the Republican-sponsored “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” which would allow for genital exams of high school athletes.
This bill discriminates against trans, non-binary, and intersex students.
From the news link above: <<Some Democrats took issue with part of the bill requiring examinations of students whose sex is called into question.
Rep. Michele Rayner, D-St. Petersburg, likened the requirement to “state-sanctioned sexual assault against children.”
Under the measure, students’ schools would have to resolve disputes “by requesting that the student provide a health examination and consent form or other statement signed by the student’s personal health care provider which must verify the student’s biological sex.”
The measure provides that a student’s sex would be determined by their reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup or “normal endogenously produced testosterone levels.”>>
It is my opinion that AASECT and other organizations that provide counseling and services to LGBTQIA++ people should boycott states which have passed discriminatory legislation. I have already emailed AASECT to ask that they make a change in conferrence locations.
Besides Florida, the following states have passed anti-trans legislation. Source of the lists below, from “Anti-Transgender Bills Filed In 28 States Since Start Of 2021,” Tim Moran, 3/31/21. Patch.com.
If you are an AASECT member, please consider contacting conference@AASECT.org to ask that the conference be moved to a transgender and intersex-welcoming state.
Thank you.
Amy Marsh, Sexologist & Hypnotist 