Welcome
Dear members of the European Federation for Sexology,
It has become my duty to be President of EFS for the four years to come.
This makes me both humble, ignited and happy.
I have stated before and repeat now, that I actually had no ambition of becoming president of anything now at the age of 75. Nevertheless, as I have been elected and have taken this task upon me, I do have ambitions:
- I want a closer relationship to sexological organizations, both European and more international. On the European level I primarily think of ESSM, EPATH and our partner IOSS, on the worldwide level ISSM and WPATH, but also other organizations that work for sexual health and rights. I hope that we can coordinate and also join our congresses. Today there are too many congresses for most of us to be able to attend. This weakens the total body of professionals that work for sexual health and rights.
- With less sexual rights, there is less sexual health. Hence it is my ambition to establish closer relations to all those who organize stakeholder in the world of sexual health and rights like the SRHR. We must demonstrate to the world that sexology is a tool for the purpose of both health and rights.
- As of today, sexology is hardly formalized by any government in spite of that fact that sexology is a key/tool to reduce anxiety, self-harm, substance abuse, depression and suicide. Politicians all over the world need to know that good sex contribute to longevity and sense of worth and happiness. It is pivotal that we inform politicians and lawmakers about these facts.
- The coming generations are those that shall take over all the tasks contributing to sexual health, rights and justice. I am very happy to say that a group speaking the voices of 50 (+?) European students are volunteering their assistance to EFS. What a gift! What a treasure to build upon! There used to be a youth group within EFS, let us welcome a new one and listen to what they want to do and want us older people to do.
- EFS is a federation within the WAS. That renders us an access to WHO and subcommittees of that organization. Sadly enough, health and rights are not basic and self-evident in policy making all over the globe. Even in countries known for openmindedness and inclusiveness we see serios setbacks, stagnations, discriminations and infantilizations of people within the LGBTIQQA and neurodivergent groups. Sexual health must primarily be guided by professionals in collaboration with the stakeholders. Health cannot be developed by economists, lawyers, un- or misinformed policymakers and ideologies outside and even opposed to, the insights of stakeholders and professional sexologists.
- EFS has more members in name than in reality. I want to keep up the process of inclusion of both organizations, old as new and individual members. Together we gain strength, and strength gives influence. I want to have one contact person in every member society to ensure good communication.
- I urge everybody to stay engaged in all the tasks that lie on front of us. We need you all to accomplish our goals! In addition, we need money in order for the board to meet in person once or twice a year, in order for some of us to meet policy and decisionmakers when and where that is needed, and we want to be able to reimburse those with low means to take part in our work and to meet up at our conferences. Look around for sponsorships, be they large or small. Many creeks form a great river!
- We need to look closer at our capacities for offering teaching and courses, to the benefit of more widespread sexological knowledge, and also to strengthen our economy.
- Let us never forget that sexuality, sexology and love are the best of kins in our world of diversity.
As a 100% non-specified trans, I hope to be a uniting figure in a world of diversity. Anyone in our organization that have something to add to this list of tasks, feel free to inform us.
Esben Esther
(Esben a typical Norwegian male name, Esther as typical female, put together these two first names describe: non-binary)
