SEXUALITY ACADEMY
We, at Sappho for Equality, were trying to develop a comprehensive idea of violence and violation, generally happening on biological and self identified women and locate sexuality as an overarching issue related to these along with gender as an important category of analysis. The Sexuality Academy is a result of such thoughts and ideas that we had developed over a long period of time. The Academy tries to provide a basic theoretical understanding of sexuality and sexualities, connects it with the ‘self’ and explores the interconnectivity between sexuality and other development issues. The academy is designed for the explicit need of the Bengali speaking front line social workers of organizations working on specialized rights/development issues to forge a strong linkage with sexuality and youth population. Sappho for Equality, through this academy, aims to discuss with participants an intersectional understanding of gender-sexuality, through a historical as well as contemporary lens. For example, we discuss gender-sexuality issues through the state, religion, caste, body and mind, disability, livelihood, morality-immorality, law, and contemporary movements.
Sappho for Equality organized the first ‘Sexuality Academy (Jounatar Pathshala)’, a three-day (four nights) residential workshop, from 13-16 March, 2013 at Hotel Seabird International at Falta, 24 Parganas (South) in West Bengal, India. There were 30 participants from 13 different NGOs including Sappho for Equality.