DON'T SAY "SEX"

U Of Tenn Pulls Funding From Sex-Ed Week After Anti-Gay Senator Threatens School’s Budget

stacey campfieldRemember Stacey Campfield, the Republican state senator from Tennessee who is pushing the state’s “don’t say gay” bill?

He’s also the former Queerty Douche of the Week who proclaimed it’s “virtually impossible” to get HIV through heterosexual sex, told straight allies to see a therapist, and said that being gay is like “shooting heroin.”

Well everyone’s least favorite ginger is back in the news: Pressure from Campfield led to the University of Tennessee to announce it wouldn’t use any funding from the state for its upcoming Sex Week, a six-day series addressing various aspects of sexual health and expression.

After Fox News radio host Todd Starnes told listeners UT was spending $20,000 “to host a lesbian bondage expert,” Campfield got his undies in a bunch and threatened to reconsider the school’s budget.  (The so-called “bondage expert,” Sinclair Sexsmith, was actually going to conduct a seminar on poetry about sexuality.)

Campfield claimed the events were inappropriate and had nothing to do with health and safety. “What are these issues so important for? This is not something that the parents sent their kids to school to learn, this is not even close, we have some serious issues going on at the University of Tennessee.”

On Wednesday, UT Chancellor James Cheek said he supported the students involved but that state funds shouldn’t be used “in this manner”

Sex Week organizer Brianna Rader said she felt “blindsided”: “People are getting upset about college kids talking about sex education?” asked Rader. “This sounds made up. This sounds like we’re in a movie. It was a cowardly move, and I’m disappointed in them.”

She plans to go ahead with the program and has circulated a petition to get funding reinstated.

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