Thursday, Apr 26, 2012    Text size: 

SAN FRANCISCO —  Good Vibrations has announced its first annual Sex Summit today, to be held on Oct. 27 in San Francisco.

The company said the 2012 event will feature authors and educators from various perspectives, examining the relationship between sex and the media, health, pop culture and politics.

A series of panel presentations and keynote presentations will be presented including author and research scientist Debby Herbenick, award-winning journalist Brian Alexander, and sex therapist and lecturer Marty Klein.

Journalists, academics, sexologists, authors and the public will converge for this first-ever conference in a daylong discussion followed by a cocktail reception from 6-9 p.m. at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis in downtown San Francisco.

Opening keynote speaker Debbie Herbenick, author, research scientist and associate director at The Center for Sexual Health Promotion, as well as sexual health educator at The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University, will kick off the event.

Good Vibrations said panels and keynote addresses will expound on various themes in four tracks: Regulating Pleasure: Sex, Politics and Censorship; Outspoken/Unsaid: Sex and the Media; Pills, Profits and Pleasures: Sexual Health and Pharmaceuticals; and Sexual Stargazing: Sex and Pop Culture.

“We are eager to see how this phenomenal line-up of thinkers, writers, and activists will contextualize the role of sexuality in contemporary culture and politics, especially given the pre-election relevance of these issues,” Good Vibrations’ staff sexologist, chief cultural officer, and conference co-curator Dr. Carol Queen said.

She added, “This year more than ever, sex is being used as a political football, and this country needs all the incisive analysis it can get. I am beyond thrilled to be working with these presenters, and it is utterly exceptional to have them all in the same room at the same time.”

The Summit is part a sex-postive weekend, following “Quickies,” Good Vibrations’ Independent Erotic Film Festival shorts competition and party at the Castro Theatre on Oct. 26. Hosted by Peaches Christ and Queen, independent filmmakers from around the world will present their short films in this alternate forum for a broader exploration of erotic cinema.

A ticket to the Quickies event is included in the Sex Summit admission.

More information and complete bios of all the panelists and presenters are listed at GoodVibesSexSummit.com.