Megan Andelloux
Megan Andelloux is a certified sexologist and sexuality educator, accredited through the The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT)[1] and The American College of Sexologists (ACS).[2] A former member of the Pentecostal church, Assembly of God, she has been a sexuality educator since 1998 originally working with Planned Parenthood,[3] later as Director of the Sexuality Learning and Resource Center[4] and now serves as the Director of the Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health (CSPH) in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Andelloux is known for advocating that sexual pleasure is an integral part of overall sexual health, which she calls the "female pleasure principle."[5]
Andelloux has been an invited speaker at various colleges and universities, including Boston University Medical School, Brandeis University, Brown University, the Rhode Island School of Design, and Yale University, as well as numerous other institutions[6] such as the Center for Sex and Culture,[7] and WholeDC.[8] She is also an author in the book We Got Issues!,[9] a feminist response to cultural attitudes on feminism, as well as writing for the sex worker magazine, $pread. In late 2009 and early 2010, Andelloux's attempts to open The CSPH, her non-profit sexuality education center, became the center of a controversy pitting her against anti-prostitution and anti-trafficking activist Donna M. Hughes.
Controversy over The Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health
Although The CSPH was slated to open on September 26, 2009, Pawtucket Mayor James E. Doyle had "serious concerns about the Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health locating on Main Street" after he and the rest of the Pawtucket City Council received an e-mail one week prior to the scheduled opening.[10] Although originally reported as being sent from an anonymous "concerned citizen," the email was later discovered to have been sent from University of Rhode Island Professor Donna M. Hughes,[11] who has been criticized for engaging in personal attacks[12][13][14][15][16] and was previously brought to court under defamation charges.[17]
Donna M. Hughes's email contained one sentence that read "A center for 'sexual rights' and 'sexual pleasure' is opening in Pawtucket".[18][19] Rumors circulated that The CSPH would actually function as a brothel, an abortion clinic, and a havenhouse for sex trafficking.[20] Andelloux said the CSPH would be a place where adults can talk openly about sex, and that opposition was founded on "a basic fear of talking openly about sexuality."[21]
Under threat of arrest, Megan Andelloux relocated the CSPH's premier event, which featured speeches such as a keynote by Carol Queen, from her leased space in The Grant Building to a nearby performance space.[22] The Pawtucket City Council cited educational zoning restrictions as cause for their opposition.[23][24][25] Despite the presence of other "educational" businesses that were already operating in the Grant Building, including a chess academy, Director of Administration Harvey E. Goulet denied Anelloux's application for a special permit,[26] which drew criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union because Goulet was quoted as objecting to "this type of business" as "not really something we feel is appropriate for our city". Rhode Island ACLU executive director Steven Brown said that Goulet's comments made clear "the city's intent is to suppress the speech that would otherwise occur at the Center. Such content-based discrimination raises serious constitutional concerns."[27]
The Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health was cleared to open on February 2, 2010.[28][29][30]
References
- ^ AASECT listing for Megan Andelloux BS
- ^ ACS Directory listings for Rhode Island
- ^ Feminists for Free Expression Speaker Network page for Megan Andelloux
- ^ [1]
- ^ Female Sexologist Awaits Pawtucket Zoning Board | Womens eNews
- ^ Phinli Bookings, LLC. talent profile for Megan Andelloux
- ^ Two Classes w/ Megan Andelloux, Certified Sexologist and Educator at Center for Sex & Culture, San Francisco, CA - CultureMob
- ^ WholeDC Presents Megan Andelloux: The New Gay Interview
- ^ Andelloux, Megan. The Menarche Party. We Got Issues! Edited by Rha Goddess, J-Love Calderon (New World Library 2006) p91
- ^ Rhode Island City Censors Opening Fete for Sexual Health Center | Sex & Relationships | AlterNet
- ^ Sex Panic in Pawtucket
- ^ M Andelloux. Professor's name calling of sex workers. Providence Journal, June 25, 2009.
- ^ M. Lawrence. URI Women’s Studies Professor Horrified By Tattooed Women. Providence Daily Dose, June 25, 2009.
- ^ Lawrence, Matthew (2009-10-09). "Donna Hughes On Our Nation's Autoerotic Asphyxiation Epidemic". Providence Daily Rose. Retrieved 2010-04-20.
- ^ Lawrence, Matthew (2009-08-15). "Sex Radicals' International Conspiracy Afoot In RI, Apparently". Providence Daily Dose. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ Hot controversy over sexuality center in Pawtucket - This just in - Providence Phoenix
- ^ Donna Hughes And Her Ironic Quotation Marks Strike Again
- ^ Megan Andelloux: The Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health before Pawtucket Zoning Board of Review — Greater City: Providence
- ^ Sex Education Center Delayed
- ^ Rhode Island City Censors Opening Fete for Sexual Health Center (part 1) on YouTube
- ^ Feeling good’s a tough sell in Pawtucket | Bob Kerr | projo.com | The Providence Journal
- ^ Pawtucket Doesn't Want "Education"
- ^ Pawtucket Times - City blocks sex center
- ^ ACLU criticizes sexual health center ruling
- ^ ACLU Calls On Pawtucket To Allow Sexuality Education Center To Open
- ^ Pawtucket clears sexual education center to open
- ^ Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health Finally Opens Doors in Rhode Island | CarnalNation
- ^ [4]