January letter 2025
In this month many people around the world felt as if an abyss opened under their feet. This was also the case in Europe, and students at my University of Agder are calling out for responses from fellow sexologists. I take it that they are not alone.
In sexology, colleagues experience courses and initiatives to be cancelled and denied.
It is a conundrum why authoritarian leaders seem to have such fear for human sexuality and gender.
Nevertheless, Tabea Zorn one of the early career initiators says in an email: Let us hope that we in EFS will find ways that can benefit sexual and gendered life in the years to come in spite of political developments that may take us in opposite directions.
Yes! We shall not and cannot yield to authoritarian decisions wherever they come from, nor to sexuality opposing ideologies. Neither shall we go into defense, which would be the same as to let our opponents lead the public debate.
Let us qualify sexuality, qualify gender diversity, qualify love, qualify care. Let us do it with the same sense of care as we experienced from one preacher pulpit. Let us qualify our profession both with heart and professionality in light of the insight that good sexuality and positive gender belonging is to the better for everyone, including our opponents.
Let us, as the newborn year of 2025 grows into maturity, cry out our frustrations with as many curse-words we might need, let us celebrate all the work that has been done and inject ourselves with the best of spirits around us!
Those spirits are there. In January Elsa Almås and I met with and lectured to 260 people in one clinic and one hospital in Mexico City. We spoke of wellbeing and the importance for all people to feel welcomed and valued. We did observe 260 attentive faces welcoming us.
I know that it has been likewise for many of you too!
We also met with Mexican representatives of WAS – the senior side, if I may say so. The theme was the preservation of academic sexology in a world of injustice and breaches of human rights.
In the month of January 21st 2025 the early career group in our federation launched their first interactive, web based meeting. I was very happy to address them with the following words, that I like to share with those who were not there:
Dear, dear all of you!
Much has happened in the European Federation for Sexology over the last months. One definite highlight was our conference in Bologna in May.
That conference took us a long step forward.
There was a sense of enthusiasm, joy, openness and curiosity that ran through the halls, the presentation rooms, the poster localities.
It was everywhere at that conference!
Many faces appeared around us, – some of those faces have long lasting traditions in our organization.
My face has been there since the late 1980’ties, first shy and attentive, then by and by through encounters, presentations, curiosity, conversations and idealism, I moved to where I am today.
Some of the newer faces in Bologna, we had seen before, but in this conference, together with the totally new ones, they stood out signaling tidings of positive development, tidings of renewed drives for all of us.
As a promise also for better lives to more than we.
Wherefrom came this enthusiasm, this joy, this openness, this curiosity, these renewed drives?
It came from you, from the people who very quickly took this drive into a group that came to be named:
The early career group.
A very becoming name!
I can hardly think of anything that pleased me more
in 2024.
and
I hope that you will stay
I hope that you will grow
I hope that you will lead the way
Well, that I sense I know!
There is a void that lies ahead
a void that you can fill
Deep truths and insights you will spread
Such is my hope and will!
So, the best of luck
to all you do!
You never really can get stuck
As long as you are you.
Thank you!
Esben Esther Pirelli Benestad
EFS president
