April 17 Book Talk

Why is the sexuality of people with intellectual disabilities often deemed “risky” or “inappropriate” by teachers, parents, support staff, medical professionals, judges, and the media? Should sexual citizenship depend on IQ? Confronting such questions head-on, Already Doing It exposes the “sexual ableism” that denies the reality of individuals who, despite the restrictions they face, actively make decisions about their sexual lives. A powerfully argued call for sexual and reproductive justice for people with intellectual disabilities, Already Doing It urges a shift away from the compulsion to manage “deviance” (better known today as harm reduction) because the right to pleasure and intellectual disability are not mutually exclusive. In so doing, it represents a vital new contribution to the ongoing debate over who, in the United States, should be allowed to have sex, reproduce, marry, and raise children.

Please join us for a book celebration for Mike Gill, Assistant Professor of Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies, at 4:15p.m. Friday, April 17 in Burling Library Lounge.

Gill will read from his new book Already Doing it: Intellectual Disability and Sexual Agency (University of Minnesota Press 2015) and open the floor for questions.

The event is free and open to the public.  Light refreshments will be served.