YNOT – Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders MD will address the second annual MOMENTUM Conference April 1 in Washington DC. Elders will join noted journalist Lara Riscol and therapist and international best-selling author Esther Perel for the conference’s closing plenary. The keynote address is expected to address ways to change the sexual status quo in America while moving public discourse about sex beyond the smut and sanctimonious rhetoric that stagnates debate and puts Americans’ health at risk.

Beginning early in her career, Elders focused on patient advocacy, particularly for adolescents. Among the most important of her tasks, she felt, was assisting patients in determining proper birth control and family planning. Appointed by then-Governor William Clinton as head of the Arkansas Department of Health in 1987, Elders stirred up controversy with religious and conservative groups in 1989 when she established a K-12 curriculum that included sex education, substance-abuse prevention and programs to promote self-esteem.

President Clinton appointed Dr. Elders U.S. Surgeon General in 1993. In 1994, at the United Nations conference on AIDS, Dr. Elders was asked whether masturbation might be successful in preventing riskier sexual practices. She replied, ”I think that it is part of human sexuality, and perhaps it should be taught.” This statement stirred up a storm of controversy that led to her removal from office. Dr. Elders continues to believe that change can only be achieved when those in positions of authority can get people to listen and talk about difficult issues.

Since leaving her federal post in 1995, Elders has remained a prominent figure in the public discussion of human sexuality and has continued to champion comprehensive sexuality education, reproductive rights and sexual rights. She recently teamed with the Program in Human Sexuality at the University of Minnesota Medical School to advance comprehensive science-based sexual health education.

The MOMENTUM Conference will take place March 30 through April 1 at the Crystal City Marriott at Reagan Airport in Washington DC. MOMENTUM brings together the LGBTQ, sex work, BDSM and non-monogamous communities to consider ways to bridge the dichotomies American culture creates around sexuality.

Abortion laws, restrictions on gay marriage, abstinence programs, medicalization of sex, fear of pornography and prosecutions for teenage sexting are examples of topics to be addressed. More than 40 sessions will feature 60 presenters leading conversations about the influence of new media on sexuality.

Prior to March 10 registration for MOMENTUM is $100 per attendee. After March 10, registration will be $150. Visit the conference’s online registration page for details.