Godless Perverts Social Club in Oakland, July 21! Discussion Topic: Secular Sexual Ethics

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Godless Perverts is having a Social Club in our wonderful downtown Oakland location on Thursday, July 21! Our discussion topic for this evening: Secular Sexual Ethics. When we move away from religious sexual ethics, what do we replace them with? How do we work towards sexual liberation while respecting people’s sexual boundaries? In public spaces and with private individuals, where are the lines between legitimate sexual expression and invasiveness or harassment? How can sex-positive advocates respond to the epidemic of sexual misconduct, in organized atheism and elsewhere?

The Social Club will be on Thursday, July 21, 7-9 pm, at Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe, 1805 Telegraph Avenue, next to the Fox Theater (and right near the 19th St. Oakland BART station). Rudy’s Can’t Fail is a fun, friendly space that serves meals, small bites, beer, cocktails, soft drinks, and desserts. We’re meeting in the back room/ dining car, which is ridiculously cute: the dining car has somewhat limited space, probably enough for all of us, but it’s a good idea to arrive on time if you want to be sure to get a seat. Admission is free, although we do ask that you buy food and/or drink at the venue if you can. The Oakland Social Clubs are on the third Thursday of the month (First Tuesdays are still in San Francisco at Wicked Grounds.)

Community is one of the reasons we started Godless Perverts. There are few enough places to land when you decide that you’re an atheist; far fewer if you’re also LGBT, queer, kinky, poly, trans, or are just interested in sexuality. And the sex-positive/ alt-sex/ whatever- you- want- to- call- it community isn’t always the most welcoming place for non-believers. So please join us! Hang out with other nonbelievers and chat about sex, sexuality, gender, atheism, religion, science, social justice, pop culture, and more. All orientations, genders, and kinks (or lack thereof) are welcome.

Godless Perverts presents and promotes a positive view of sexuality without religion, by and for sex-positive atheists, agnostics, humanists, and other non-believers, through performance events, panel discussions, social gatherings, media productions, and other appropriate outlets. Our events and media productions present depictions, explorations, and celebrations of godless sexualities — including positive, traumatic, and complex experiences — focusing on the intersections of sexuality with atheism, materialism, skepticism, and science, as well as critical, questioning, mocking, or blasphemous views of sex and religion.

Godless Perverts is committed to feminism, diversity, inclusivity, and social justice. We seek to create safe and welcoming environments for all non-believers and believing allies who are respectful of the mission, and are committed to taking positive action to achieve this. Please let the moderators or other people in charge of any event know if you encounter harassment, racism, misogyny, transphobia, or other problems at our events.

If you want to be notified about all our Godless Perverts events, sign up for our email mailing list, follow us on Twitter at @GodlessPerverts, or follow us on Facebook. You can also sign up for the Bay Area Atheists/ Agnostics/ Humanists/ Freethinkers/ Skeptics Meetup page, and be notified of all sorts of godless Bay Area events — including many Godless Perverts events. And of course, you can always visit our Website to find out what we’re up to, godlessperverts.com. Hope to see you soon!

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Godless Perverts Social Club in Oakland, July 21! Discussion Topic: Secular Sexual Ethics
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2 thoughts on “Godless Perverts Social Club in Oakland, July 21! Discussion Topic: Secular Sexual Ethics

  1. 1

    I think it may be valuable to change “LGBT” to “LGBTP.” We who are polyamorous need some recognition, and not be discriminated against by the LGBT group.

  2. 2

    Wish I could make it, but a thousand miles is a bit far.

    When we move away from religious sexual ethics, what do we replace them with? How do we work towards sexual liberation while respecting people’s sexual boundaries?

    1) Consenting adulthood is a cornerstone of any sexual ethics. We could argue about what age constitutes being an adult, is a sixteen year-old and adult with another sixteen year-old but not with a thirty-eight year-old, etc.

    2) Sex between two people is a privilege the two people must first individually grant each other.

    3) There can be no relationship, no status that provides one person the right to ongoing sex with another. The privilege must be granted each and every time.

    4) Sex between two consenting adults should not concern any civil authority. It might violate some expectations between people (adultery), but that should not be criminalized. People mustn’t be coerced into entering in or remaining in intimate relationships.

    In public spaces and with private individuals, where are the lines between legitimate sexual expression and invasiveness or harassment?

    It would help if the person on the receiving end of the sexual expression could simply smile and say something like “Yeah, thanks for the compliment, but that’s not where life is taking me now.” That requires the sender of the message to have the courage and the ethics to take that answer and live with it. All too often, the sender of the message is in an unequal power relationship with the receiver and/or won’t take a happy “no thanks” as all the answer they’re entitled to.

    How can sex-positive advocates respond to the epidemic of sexual misconduct, in organized atheism and elsewhere?

    Expect, demand people not push you where you don’t want to go. Sometimes a punch in the nose (or its verbal equivalent) is needed, and bloggers here at orbit have the grit and attitude to do it, but it’s difficult or impossible for some people. Losing a job you need to feed your kids because you won’t sleep with the boss is situation nobody should have to face, and many face worse. Sexually laced abuse over this internet? People shouldn’t be assholes, but so many are. I don’t know how we can fix this.

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