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| National Sexuality Resource Center | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Sexuality Resource Center |
| Formation | 2003 |
| Founder | Desiree M. Owen |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Purpose | Sexuality education, research, advocacy |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California |
| Region served | United States |
National Sexuality Resource Center is a nonprofit organization founded in 2003 that focused on sexuality education, research, advocacy, and public resources. The center engaged with scholars, activists, educators, and cultural institutions to influence public discourse on sexual health and rights across the United States and in international forums. It worked alongside academic centers, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and legislative bodies to advance evidence-based approaches to sexuality.
The organization originated in San Francisco amid collaborations among scholars at San Francisco State University, activists associated with Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and educators connected to American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists and Gay and Lesbian Medical Association. Early initiatives drew on partnerships with institutions such as University of California, San Francisco, Columbia University, Rutgers University, University of Michigan, and University of California, Los Angeles to develop curricula and research symposia. Over time the center engaged with advocacy groups including Human Rights Campaign, National Organization for Women, Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, and policy stakeholders like U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and state health departments in California and New York. Major public-facing events connected the center to arts organizations such as San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and media outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic.
The center articulated a mission to promote comprehensive sexuality education and sexual health through research, training, and public engagement, working with academic programs at Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, and University of Chicago on symposiums and courses. Programs included conferences that convened speakers from King's College London, University of Toronto, University of Sydney, London School of Economics, and University of Amsterdam alongside nonprofit partners like Advocates for Youth, GLSEN, Lambda Legal, and National Black Justice Coalition. Programmatic work linked to awards and recognition such as the Guttmacher Institute research prizes, collaborations with publishers including Routledge and Oxford University Press, and contributions to professional standards developed by American Psychological Association and American Medical Association committees.
The center produced reports, white papers, and edited volumes in collaboration with scholars from Pennsylvania State University, University of Pennsylvania, University of California, Berkeley, Northwestern University, and Duke University. Publications addressed topics referenced by institutions such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, UNICEF, and UNESCO and were cited in policy discussions at U.S. Congress hearings and state legislative records in Texas, Florida, and Ohio. The center’s research networks included contributors affiliated with journals published by Elsevier, Taylor & Francis, and SAGE Publications, and worked with research funders like Ford Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Open Society Foundations.
Training initiatives targeted educators, clinicians, and community leaders with curricula aligned to standards endorsed by American Public Health Association, National Board of Public Health Examiners, Association of American Medical Colleges, and National Association of Social Workers. Workshops and certificate programs involved faculty from Johns Hopkins University, Brown University, Vanderbilt University, Cornell University, and Emory University, as well as practitioners from Planned Parenthood Federation of America clinics and community health centers in partnership with municipal health agencies in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Materials and continuing education modules were used in teacher preparation programs at Columbia University Teacher's College and professional development offered through National Education Association chapters.
The center engaged in policy advocacy on sexual health, reproductive rights, and anti-discrimination measures, collaborating with legal and policy groups including Center for Reproductive Rights, National Center for Lesbian Rights, American Civil Liberties Union, and Human Rights Watch. It provided testimony, expert commentary, and briefing materials used in deliberations by committees within U.S. Senate and by state legislatures grappling with curriculum standards in Georgia, North Carolina, and Arizona. Advocacy coalitions included civil society partners such as ACLU of Northern California, Stonewall, Family Equality Council, and Campaign for Southern Equality.
Funding and partnerships came from philanthropic organizations and academic grants, with support networks involving Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Commonwealth Fund, Kellogg Foundation, and research collaborations with centers at University of California system campuses, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Partnerships for public programming included collaborations with cultural institutions like Smithsonian Institution, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and media partners such as PBS, NPR, and BBC.
The center faced public criticism from conservative organizations including Family Research Council and Focus on the Family over its stance on sexuality education, and legal challenges in policy debates featured commentators from National Right to Life Committee and political actors in U.S. Congress. Academic debates involved critiques published by scholars at Brigham Young University and commentary in outlets associated with The Heritage Foundation and American Enterprise Institute, centering on controversies about curriculum content, funding priorities, and partnerships. These disputes prompted responses from allied organizations such as Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, and Human Rights Campaign.
Category:Sexuality organizations