Sexuality

Sexuality was the last uncharted realm of social science until a controversial biology professor named Alfred Kinsey walked into America's bedroom and turned on the light. In this program, John Bancroft, director of The Kinsey Institute; James H. Jones, author of Alfred C. Kinsey: A Public/Private Life; and Kinsey's former colleague Paul Gebhard engage in a thoughtful assessment of Kinsey's findings-data weakened, however, by the makeup of Kinsey's sample population, his own sexual experiences, and his desire to see a more inclusive ethic of tolerance in the U.S. Nonetheless, as a tool of social reform, Kinsey's work succeeded in opening a channel in the public discourse on a hitherto taboo subject. (16 minutes)

What is to be done when chromosomal abnormalities or an accident leave a baby with what is known as ambiguous genitalia"? In this program, ABC News correspondent Dr. Nancy Snyderman investigates the once-accepted belief that surgical sex assignment would determine gender in such cases. The studies of Johns Hopkins child psychiatrist William Reiner and pioneering medical researcher Milton Diamond-plus testimony from the man known to medical literature as John/Joan-argue that gender comes from the brain, not the body, and that no operation can alter that basic fact. Some content may be objectionable. (15 minutes)"

Drawing upon interviews with practicing and renounced celibates as well as historians, neuroscientists, psychologists, a sex therapist, and others, this program addresses policies and failures of sexual abstinence throughout the worldwide religious community. The itinerary of this ten-country tour includes stops at an Eastern Orthodox convent in Romania, where young women take part in a ritual marriage to Jesus; a Buddhist convent in Tibet, where de-feminization" of a young girl takes place during an initiation rite; and a wrestling gymnasium for young Hindu men, a place where the sex drive is meant to be transformed into bodily strength and energy. Special emphasis is given to headline-making failures of abstinence that have rocked the Catholic Church to its foundations and darkened its reputation with scandal. An HBO Production. (72 minutes)"

Arrested for allegedly lewd conduct in a park, a man commits suicide after his name and photo are published in the newspaper. The Chippendales, a burlesque entertainment troupe, is taken to jail when some members are charged with having made suggestive pelvic movements during a show. A store that sells sex toys is now barred from offering its merchandise unless customers sign a waiver that they are buying items for medical reasons. Are these stories examples of community concern for the safety and moral values of society or municipal intrusions into personal privacy? John Stossel weighs in on the question in this ABC News program. Some content may be objectionable. Broadcast date: July 18, 2008. Original ABC News broadcast title: Sex in America. (41 minutes)

An excellent sociological case study, this ABC News program examines the plight of Michael Shackelford, a 17-year-old homosexual struggling for acceptance in small-town Oklahoma. The video outlines the development of Shackelford's situation: his early awareness of his sexual orientation, his inability to conform and placate his mother, the attention he receives in a Washington Post article, and the subsequent media abuse he and his church endure as a result. Complex and surprising in its observations-especially those concerning Shackelford's Bible Belt community-the program sheds light on America's increasingly troublesome cultural divisions. (23 minutes)

Opponents of gay marriage call it an attempt to obtain preferential treatment in the eyes of the law. Supporters see it as an opportunity to abolish the inherent discrimination against same-sex couples that exists in a non-inclusive legal definition of marriage. This ABC News program uses the landmark Lawrence v. Texas case and the legalization of gay marriage in Canada to shed light on the future of gay marriage in the U.S. Changing attitudes toward homosexuality in general are addressed as well. (20 minutes)

This program talks to upper elementary-aged children about a difficult subject— abuse. Sensitive, age-appropriate scenarios explore three types of abuse — physical, verbal and sexual as seen though the eyes of children. Viewers learn that victims of abuse are NOT responsible for causing it. They MUST tell an adult they trust what is happening — and continue telling until someone takes action to stop it. Whether it’s a father who gets angry and physically hurts a child, a grown-up who uses words to continually make a youngster feel worthless, or a person who touches the private parts of a child’s body, this program will encourage and empower youngsters who are the victims of abuse to speak up and get help!. After viewing this program students will be able to identify the three types of abuse, understand that they are NOT guilty of causing or perpetuating the abuse, learn the difference between bad and good touches and bad and good secrets, and recognize that they MUST keep speaking up until someone helps them. Includes 12 reproducible student worksheets on CD.

How damaging to society, and women in particular, is the proliferation of pornography? And how is the tension resolved between community standards and First Amendment rights? In this program, Bill Moyers talks to Katie Roiphe, feminist critic and author of The Morning After: Sex, Fear, and Feminism. Expanding on many of the ideas in her book, Roiphe discusses how restrictions on pornography could lead to more general censorship, while widespread access actually undermines pornography's fascination. (22 minutes)

Behind the conscious mind's efforts to judge people on their merits, the subconscious categorizes by details such as gender, race, and age-just as it has done since the dawn of humankind. Can ethnic prejudice be overcome? What is the stereotype effect"? Are there quantifiable differences that make one race superior to another in sports? Is it possible to visually perceive a person's sexual orientation? In this ABC News program, John Stossel seeks answers to these and other questions through eye-opening social experiments and insights from Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow John McWhorter; renowned teacher Jane Elliott; Taboo author Jon Entine; J. Michael Bailey, of Northwestern University; Harvard University's Anthony Greenwald; social psychologist John Dovidio; NYU's Joshua Aaronson; and others. (39 minutes)"

Prior to the 1960s, the idea of same-sex parenting had yet to reach the consciousness of most Americans. The majority of gays and lesbians did not even consider parenting, fearing the stigma their children might face. By 2000, however, the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that a full one-third of lesbian couples and roughly a quarter of gay male couples had opted to become parents. This program captures six gay/lesbian families in their day-to-day lives. Two of these families are families by adoption, two are co-parenting families, and two are lesbian families by insemination. Man-on-the-street interviews as well as emotional testimonials from the 15 adults and 11 children featured in this film provide a range of perspectives on gay parenting. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (38 minutes)

What happens when conventional wisdom on the differences between the sexes is put to the test? This three-part series examines the latest theories about neurological and psychological gender distinctions, and how those differences influence everything from flirting techniques to empathy for one's partner. While each episode features testing methods that are entertaining and outside the box" in approach, they lead to viable conclusions by trained psychologists and promise lively gender studies discussion. A BBCW Production. 3-part series, 51 minutes each."

What is the cost to society for making certain personal choices-those considered by many to be immoral or ill-advised-a crime? And how is the concept of individual liberty affected when the force of public censure is replaced by the force of law? In this program, ABC News anchor John Stossel studies this extremely complex and volatile subject, searching for mid-ground between the left and the right. High-level policy makers, such as the president of the ACLU and the head of the DEA; experts, including a Stanford University law professor; and private citizens sound off about drug use, pornography, prostitution, gambling, ticket scalping, unendorsed medical treatments, and assisted suicide-and question the outright hypocrisy that is too much in evidence. (41 minutes)

More than ever before, Americans are being bombarded-and acculturated-by the media, and only discerning individuals will recognize the sexual biases that all too often are a part of each day's worth of information and entertainment. This program focuses on identifying and looking beyond categorical stereotypes of women, men, gays, and lesbians. A Cambridge Educational Production. (25 minutes)

Convicted child molester Jonathan Hawes is a marked man. Although out on parole and free to live wherever he chooses, he is regarded by his neighbors with suspicion, fear, and animosity. In part one of this program, ABC News anchor Ted Koppel, Jonathan Hawes' parole officer, two of Hawes' neighbors, and a woman who blocked Hawes' attempt to move into her neighborhood address the impact of Hawes' residency in Gaston, Oregon, and why a predatory sex offender is held in greater disdain than even a murderer. In part two, in which one of Hawes' child victims recounts the attack, Ted Koppel, Hawes' mother, and Jonathan Hawes himself discuss Hawes' struggle to break with his past-and the struggles of others to keep him chained to it. Some content may be objectionable. (39 minutes)

From childhood on, biological and social factors combine to shape an individual's sexual identity. In this program, Ruben Gur, Professor of Neuropsychology at the University of Pennsylvania; sociologist Rhoda Reddock, of the University of the West Indies; philosopher Elisabeth Badinter; historians Arlette Farge and Jennifer Stoddart; and others evaluate gender-related behavioral models from a variety of times and places, ranging from ancient Babylon to the contemporary U.S. Other topics include the shifts in female status that have accompanied society's evolution from hunter/gatherers, to farmers, to industrialists. (53 minutes)