A group of Tennessee lawmakers is preparing to issue an ultimatum to the University of Tennessee-Knoxville – either defund the first-ever “Sex Week” or they will defund the university.
Lawmakers, alumni, and taxpayers are furious that the university allocated nearly $20,000 to fund a week-long salute to sex that included a poetry-reading lesbian bondage expert, a campus-wide condom scavenger hunt and seminars on—among other things – oral sex and lesbian erotica.
“We should be teaching these children what is important to learn so they can get jobs,” state Sen. Stacey Campfield told Fox News. “I don’t know what jobs they plan on getting if they’re having seminars on oral sex and bondage. I don’t see how that will help someone in their professional career – unless they plan on becoming a porn star.”
“This is truly an offense to the people of Tennessee,” State Rep. Susan Lynn said on the House floor. “I am offended for the people of my district at the University of Tennessee having sex week.”
A university spokesperson confirmed to Fox News that the nearly $20,000 event is being funded by student fees and university money.
The nearly $20,000 cost was covered by money given from specific academic programs “who see a common interest – from law, from sociology and from history.”
“The university is providing funding for this workshop because it covers a wide range of issues that are beneficial to our students,” the spokesperson said. “It’s tackling important topics related to sexual health, sexual identity, preventing sexual assault, gender roles and religion.”
State Sen. Stacey Campfield told Fox News he is beyond outraged.
“They’ve been trying to say it’s about safety and birth control,” he said. “These kids are supposed to be some of the smartest kids out there – and they don’t know where to buy condoms?”
Campfield called Sex Week “completely ridiculous.”
“If they can’t figure out where to buy condoms, I question whether they need to be in college in the first place – if they’re that stupid.”
Campfield has summoned university officials to the state capitol to explain why they signed off on the event. And he’s also going to try and withhold the university’s budget until they get answers.“The university always cries poor-mouth, that they don’t have any money and yet they seem to have plenty of money to do this kind of stuff,” he said. “We’re going to try and hold their budget until it gets squared away.”
“This is not what tax dollars should be supporting,” he said.
Sex Week is scheduled for April 7-12 and includes 30 events including “Getting Laid,” “Sex Positivity; Queer as a Verb,” “Bow Chicka Bow Woah,” “How to talk to Your Parents About Sex,” “Loud and Queer,” and “How Many Licks Does it Take…” – a workshop about oral sex.
The university spokesperson said the student organizers did a good job making sure there are things to appeal to all students.
Noted lesbian bondage expert and erotica author Sinclair Sexsmith is scheduled to deliver a lecture titled, “Messing Around with Gender."
UT student Brianna Rader, one of the founders of Sex Week, told Fox News that Sexsmith will not be engaging in lesbian bondage demonstrations during her appearance.
“She’s doing a workshop on poetry about sexuality,” Rader said. ‘She’s also going to be talking about constructing and reconstructing gender roles in society.”
The content of sex week prompted Rep. Bill Dunn to express his outrage on the House floor. “It’s debauchery,” he told Fox News. “They are treating sex in such a frivolous manner.”
Dunn, who graduated from the University of Tennessee, said he’s been overwhelmed with phone calls from angry citizens.
“I don’t think they approve of the university using their resources to push forth a hook-up agenda,” he said.
Dunn said he’s been in touch with university officials who told him they’ve already launched an internal inquiry into who ultimately gave the thumbs up for the event.
“There’s going to be an investigation as to whose thumb was up,” he said. “I’m not sure the president of the university was aware of what happened.”
Dunn said he was motivated to speak out after the House passed three bills dealing with human trafficking of children.
“Society needs to understand you are going to reap what you sow,” he said. “If you turn sex into some kind of a game – and toys and debauchery – does it really shock you that people then take it to the step of ‘Hey, kids are just sex toys that we buy and sell and we get our pleasure however we want to?’”
Dunn said it’s time for university presidents across the state to buck up and have the courage to say certain things are inappropriate.
“It’s time for them to stand up,” he said. “There are adults who need to grow up and act like adults and lead young people toward what is good and health – as opposed to promoting stuff that leads to the breakdown of the family and sexual abuse.”
Campfield said the inmates are running the asylum.
“They say it’s all about diversity,” he told Fox News. “Well, perversity does not make diversity just because it’s at the university.”