The medical profession has made a tradition of mistreating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people because they are neither Adams nor Eves! The science versus the medical practice concerning sexuality is the focus of a new presentation entitled: "Gender Binary and LGBTI People: Myth and Medical Malpractice."
I will be delivering this new talk to two different audiences at the end of April. On Friday, April 27th, I will speak at the FreeThought Festival in Madison, Wisconsin from 7:00pm - 7:30pm. On Sunday, April 29th, I will speak in Chicago at the Sex, God and Science Conference. All the details for both events follow.
Schedule for FreeThought Festival
Please Join us for one of the sexiest, most thought-provoking conferences in Chicago this Spring on April 29! 12:15pm until 5:00pm
Aon Center
200 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 6060641.884804 -87.634209200 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 6060641.884804 -87.634209200 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 6060641.884804 -87.634209200 E. Randolph St., 25th Floor (ThoughtWorks Inc.)
Chicago, IL 60606-6501
Featured Speakers Include:
1) Adam Saffron, a neuroscience researcher, who will speak on Gender difference in Human Sexuality and the neural bases of sexual preferences, or, as he rephrases it: "Hot, throbbing neuroscience; peering so deep into the brain, you won't be able to walk for days."
2) Veronica Drantz, PhD, a researcher, a professor of physiology, an activist, and a dynamic speaker who will discuss: The Gender Binary and LGBTI People: Myth and Medical Malpractice
3) Darrel Ray, EdD, author of best-seller The God Virus, and of Sex and God: How Religion Distorts Sexuality, who will tell us about Evolution and what the Pope Does Not Know About Sexuality.
Admission: $12 general and $7 for students - a real deal considering the fun, food, and fine fellowship to be had.
Although you will pay at the door, please REGISTER and bring an ID to facilitate entry through the building's security. Being that this is a Sunday afternoon conference, sleep-in and eat before you come. However, drinks, snacks and pastry will be offered during break.
The conference is sponsored by
American Atheists and by ChicagoLand Free Thinkers, its
Chicago affiliate.
Webpage: http://www.supportatheism.com/2012/atheism/sexyscience/
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Adam Saffron, synopsis:
Functional neuroimaging may help to resolve previously unanswered questions and propose a theoretical framework for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying the development of sexual orientation and preferences.
Biography:
Adam has been involved in research of sexual preferences using brain imaging, meditation and mental training for the last 10 years. Recently he investigates the physiological and neurological correlates of sexual preferences and distinct patterns of sexual arousal. He also served as a guest editor for a special issue of: Socioaffective Neuroscience and Psychology Journal on The Neuroscience and Evolutionary Origins of Sexual Learning.
Veronica Drantz, Ph.D, Synopsis:
What has been learned from the science on core sexual development over the last fifty years? Sexual identity – innate or learned? Sexual orientation? Are intersex people natural? Medical mistreatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people because they are neither Adams nor Eves! An update on the science versus the medical practice concerning sexuality from a physiologist’s perspective.
Biography:
Veronica Drantz holds a PhD in physiology and has taught medical professionals most of her life. Dr. Drantz has reviewed the scientific literature accumulated over the last fifty years on sexual identity, sexual orientation, and intersexuality. She is an activist advocating for LGBTI and a dynamic presenter who holds her audience captive as she challenges ongoing myth with her critical research and its social ramifications.
Darrel W. Ray, Ed.D, Synopsis:
Evolution is evident all over our bodies especially in our sex organs. What do duck and human penises have in common? How is Papal sex different than human sex? These are just a few questions to be answered in this fun and thought provoking talk by Darrel Ray.
Biography:
Darrel Ray, Ed.D. is a psychologist who was raised in a fundamentalist home by parents who eventually became missionaries and has seen religion from the inside out.
He is the author of best-seller The God Virus: How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture and a co- researcher of Sex and Secularism: What 10,000 Secularists Told Us About Their Sex Lives.
In his latest book, Sex and God: How Religion Distorts Sexuality he asks, “What would happen if we subtracted religion out of sex. What would human sexuality look like? How would it change or inform us?
Darrel appeared in dozens of TV and radio programs including ABC News Nightline and was written about in Playboy Magazine, The Daily Mail, The Los Angeles Times, Times of India, Irish Times and others, and is known for his humorous style.
CONFERENCE PROGRAM: APRIL 29
12:15 – 12:45 Registration, get together
12:45 – 13:00 Welcome, announcements
13:00 – 13:10 Ayala Leyser, Ph.D, introduction: Why have God and Science been fiercely fighting for dominance over sex and gender?
13:10 – 13:30 Adam Saffron: Gender differences in Human Sexuality and the neural bases of sexual preferences.
13:30 – 13:45 Q&A
13: 50 – 14:20 Veronica Drantz, Ph.D: Gender Binary and LGBTI People: Myth & Medical Malpractice
14:20 - 14:35 Q&A
14:35 - 15:00 Break
15:00 - 15:30 Darrel Ray, Ed.D: Evolution and what the Pope Does not know about Sexuality.
15:30 – 15: 45 Q&A
15:45 – 16: 35 Open Discussion: Is Religion a mere reflection of social conflict, a cause of bigotry and discrimination, or an efficient meme replicator? How does a Reason- and- Science- based culture fight back?
16:40 concluding remarks, directions to local restaurants
16:40 - 17:00 Book signing, Chicagoland Atheists table, Information, Mixing Clean-up. Since we can’t afford any paid cleaning crews please volunteer to help, Thank you!
17:00 Those of you who want to extend the fun can join us to a local restaurant, TBA
Parking at the AON center, 200 E. Randolph is:
In between 5am and 10am, Out by 10pm : $6.00
In after 10am, Out by 10pm: $13.00
H.E.R. Day at Center on Halsted
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. Drantz has reviewed the scientific literature accumulated over the last fifty years on intersexuality, sexual orientation, and sexual identity and speaks to the public about this research and its social ramifications.
Georgiann Davis is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Her research interests center on the medical management of intersexuality. She has extensively studied the ways in which intersexuality is experienced, contested, and debated among intersexuals, their parents, and medical professionals.
