Jul 1, 2014 2:00 PM PDT    Text size: 

PAWTUCKET, Rhode Island — The Center for Sexual Pleasure & Health (CSPH) has issued a public statement in the wake of Boston Public Radio hosts Margery Eagan and Jim Braude’s shaming of the sex lives of baby boomers on their June 26th show.

The two radio show hosts chatted with Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam regarding a recent article by fellow contributor Alyssa Giacobbe, “The Complicated Sex Life of Baby Boomers.”

In the segment, Braude and Eagan proceeded to share their negative opinions of senior sexual health: Braude referred to it as an “always creepy subject” and described centers such as the CSPH as “crazy institutes … you couldn’t even imagine existing.” Eagan quipped, “Can you imagine the people going into [places such as the CSPH]? Do you put a bag over your head? Do you dye your hair?”

Despite Beam’s attempts to defend the professionalism of institutes such as the CSPH, Braude and Eagan continued to shame and ridicule the CSPH, as well as sex-positive adult retailer Good Vibrations, as well as the baby boomers who had shared their stories with Giacobbe for the Boston Globe piece, describing them as “icky,” “uninteresting,” “foul” and “creepy.”

The BPR segment can be found here, beginning at 1:09:01. According to the CSPH, The Boston Globe article was factual and anecdotal in tone, and not shaming of baby boomers and their sex lives.

“We are used to pushback and ridicule when doing the work we do, because we live in a society where many still don't understand the importance of honestly talking about sexuality across the lifespan,” said Aida Manduley, CSPH’s training and development coordinator. “It's the very reason we exist — to educate people and provide spaces where this dialogue can take place."

“In 2009, our founder Megan Andelloux dreamed of a place where people could set aside their fears and learn about sexuality and health,” continued Manduley. “It is still hard to believe the CSPH exists in a culture where discussing sex in frank ways is seen as taboo. People who come into the CSPH and seek out our resources should be commended for taking positive steps towards their health and sexual wellness.”

Manduley invited Beam, Braude, and Eagan to visit the CSPH space in Pawtucket, adding that “we understand many of the misguided comments from the show were just coming from a place of fear and discomfort, and we're experts in dealing with those issues."

The CSPH’s public statement can be read in full here.

Founded in 2012, the CSPH’s mission statement is to reduce sexual shame by thwarting efforts to hinder the dissemination of information about sexuality. For more information, click here.