Lectures & Keynotes

Amy Jo Goddard's Keynote address at Barnard

Critical Beginnings: How Sex-Negative, Anti-Feminist Culture Sets Us Up for Violence

Even with all of the progress we have made in creating pockets of sex-positive culture, setting new norms for the flow of smart, honest sexuality information and education, and the tremendous work of the feminist movement, we still live in a culture that is overwhelmingly sex-negative and anti-feminist. Sexuality educator, activist and filmmaker Amy Jo Goddard will discuss the roots of sexual disempowerment, and specifically, how our critical beginnings which suppress healthy sexual expression, which uphold harmful gender norms, and which fail to create gender equity set us up for violence. In this lecture, Amy Jo will discuss how unprocessed shame, guilt and/or trauma, a lack of education, role models and resources about sexuality, cultural, social and gender expectations—and the sexist code embedded in these cultural norms, and sexual stereotypes all contribute to a culture that promotes disempowerment and violence against women.

In this critical look at how sex-negative, anti-feminist culture disempowers us all,  this lecture will make a call to women and men to take steps that will empower and enable healthy, authentic sexuality and dismantle conditions that feed and support violence.

Becoming a Sexually Empowered Person

Most people have no idea what it really means to be sexually empowered because we have so few role models of true sexual empowerment in our culture. In this keynote lecture, Amy Jo discusses her model for sexuality, how power is related to our core energy, behaviors and culturally learned behaviors and how to use all of that to create a sexually empowered life. She distills sexual empowerment to its essential elements and outlines action steps people can take to consciously work towards anchoring themselves in their own power. As we develop our sexual power, that sexual power reflects the rest of our lives. Amy Jo also gives clear examples of what disconnects people from their own power, including false ideas about gender and competition, erotic inauthenticity, and pattens in relationships that do not serve a person’s highest good. This lecture is sure to make people reflect on themselves, begin to take steps to change the things that aren’t working for them and to come home to themselves.