Advocates for Kinsey

Thank you for visiting our site. Now more than ever, it is important to remember the life of Alfred Kinsey and to continue the development of the revolutionary research he produced for Indiana University and the world. His legacy allows IU to continue to produce cutting edge research through the Kinsey Institute, and separating the Institute from the University would diminish both the non-profit and the University as a whole. We are advocating for their continued affiliation because partnering with a large university allows the Kinsey Institute the space and resources to continue their research, and the University benefits from the grants and prestige that the Kinsey Institute attracts. We agree with this mutual benefit and would like the relationship between the two to live on.

Works Cited:

Bailey, B. L. (2002). S*x in the Heartland. Harvard University Press.

Public Broadcasting Service. (2016, June 26). WTIU documentaries. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/video/wtiu-documentaries-vision-herman-b-wells/

Sandweiss, E. (2023a, November 9). The Kinsey Institute faces possible separation from Indiana University. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/11/09/1211949718/the-kinsey-institute-faces-possible-separation-from-indiana-university #:~:text=Even%20so%2C%20the%20university%20proposes,collections%20would%20remain%20at%20IU.

Lepore, Jill. “The Right Way to Remember Rachel Carson.” The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2018, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/03/26/the-right-way-to-remember-rachel-carson.

Public Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). Kinsey. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/kinsey/

Vonnegut, K. (1965). God bless you, mr rosewater. Holt Rinehart And Winston .

Shiqic. (2022, October 19). An interview with Sarah Smarsh, author of “heartland.” Longreads. https://longreads.com/2018/09/18/an-interview-with-sarah-smarsh-author-of-heartland/

In defunding Indiana University’s Kinsey Institute, legislators force academic freedom back into the Closet. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. (2023, May 24). https://www.thefire.org/news/defunding-indiana-universitys-kinsey-institute-legislators-force-academic-freedom-back-closet

"75th Anniversary Historical Review", Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, 2023.

Waxman, O. B. (2020, December 23). “baby, it’s Cold outside” was always controversial. Time. https://time.com/5739183/baby-its-cold-outside-consent/

Indiana University Bloomington. “Kinsey conducting an interview.” (n.d.). https://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/images/item.htm?id=http%3A%2F%2Fpurl.dlib.indiana.edu%2Fiudl%2Fphotos%2FVAC1641%2FVAC1641-23358&scope=photos%2FVAC1641

The petition addresses concerns about the proposed restructuring of the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University. Plans revealed on October 27, 2023, suggest moving the Institute into a separate 501c3 organization, deviating from its traditional structure and potentially making it vulnerable to external control. This shift could result in the Institute losing its governing board and being disconnected from its vital Library and Special Collections. The petition calls on President Whitten, the Board of Trustees, and IU administration to keep the Kinsey Institute and its Collections together within the university to ensure their continued integrity and protection.

It is currently less than 800 signatures from the 10,000 goal! Please go and sign! Any support is appreciated!

Sign the Petition Keep Kinsey Institute at Indiana University

The song “Baby it’s Cold Outside” by Idina Menzel was released in 1949 sparking controversies about a man pursuing a woman. During this time period, World War II brought a wave of s*xual activity, "Wartime behavior differs from peacetime behavior," says Beth Bailey. According to surveys by Alfred Kinsey, author of S*xual Behavior in the Human Male in the 1940’s, 60% of college men said they disapproved premarital s*x and 80% college-educated women said they felt like a moral objections to it but over half reported they had premarital s*x. Women that were caught doing this act were shamed and her personal reputation and their family’s reputation was on the line. As a result, analyzing the lyrics is complicated by the fact that the concept of "consent" has evolved over time. To protect the growing number of young women moving to cities for factory jobs in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, efforts were made to raise the legal age of consent (Waxman, 2020).

While Kinsey's efforts to educate Americans about the stigma created by society can have a positive impact, lawmakers were forced to raise the legal age of consent as a result of his efforts.

Baby it's cold outside The original from Neptune's Daughter Neptune's Daughter is a 1949 musical romantic comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Esther Williams, Red...

This video is an extremely useful tool in better understanding the current Kinsey Institute dilemma. We suggest viewing for further clarification on the nuances of the issue.

Lawmakers want to strip public funding from Kinsey Institute

Let us draw inspiration from the legacy of Rachel Carson, a pioneer who, like the Kinsey Institute, ventured into uncharted territories of knowledge and understanding. Carson, renowned for her profound impact on the environmental movement, began her journey immersed in the wonders of the sea, marveling at its mysteries and the life it sustained (Lepore, 2018).

The Kinsey Institute, affiliated with Indiana University, shares a similar path of exploration and discovery. For over 75 years, it has pioneered research in human s*xuality, gender, and relationships, facing challenges and criticism, much like Carson did with her groundbreaking work (Lepore, 2018). Carson's dedication to exploring the unknown and conveying the beauty and complexity of the natural world is mirrored in the Kinsey Institute's commitment to advancing our understanding of human s*xuality. Both have ventured into areas often overlooked or misunderstood, bringing to light essential truths about our world and ourselves.

Founded in the late 1940s by Indiana professor Alfred Kinsey, the Kinsey Institute has always been controversial. The university made an effort to defund the institution early on. These attacks were thwarted each time by the university. Defunding became a reality earlier this year when freshman Republican Representative Lorissa Sweet pushed a successful amendment to cut any state funds for Kinsey. She claimed that Kinsey researchers are conducting s*xual experiments on children (Sandweiss).

Kurt Vonnegut's novel, "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater," describes how 57 Rosewater women have recently said that Eliot is their father. Senator explains this during the novel's ending. The women-and other townspeople-were bribed by Mushari to disparage Eliot falsely, McAllister claims. Having sworn that he is rational, Eliot asks each of them to swear by him. He writes a check to Fred for $1 million. As a result of the Senator and McAllister's objections, Eliot rewrites a check for $100,000. The idea of a dismissal of the hearing if Eliot had an heir is raised by Eliot. Eliot then claims the 57 children are his, but this is not true, and the Senator confirms that an heir would discredit Fred's claim. As a final blessing, Eliot tells his children: “Let their names be Rosewater from this moment on. And tell them that their father loves them, no matter what they may turn out to be. And tell them […] to be fruitful and multiply” (272). “God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater” is a compelling piece of media that further showcases the relationship between s*x and guilt in the Heartland. The main character uses the taboo concept of fathering several children to his advantage. Often Kinsey himself dealt with the drawbacks of the old-fashioned views of s*x and the shame surrounding s*x, which is what made his research so interesting to the general public.

Sarah Smarsh, notable author and journalist hailing from the Heartland, is a representative from the Heartland and has a relevant perspective on erasing the disconnect between societal issues. In an interview with Angela Chen, she was asked “how she would solve the disconnect,” to which her answer was, “One solution is fighting for our public schools. It’s remarkable that a lot of liberal Americans claim that they’re all for public this and that, but they send their own children to private school and fail to make the connection between the civic crisis we find ourselves in today and the lack of understanding among so many Americans of what democracy even means. We need a revitalized, robust civics education. Of course, power doesn’t want that because it’s very dangerous for people to understand their own rights and the history of this country and its crimes against its own people.” The author suggests fighting for public schools, despite liberal Americans often sending their children to private schools. Even though power prevents people from understanding their rights and the history of the country, they advocate for a revitalized civics education (Chen, 2011). Similarly, Kinsey’s attitude towards advocating for human rights can be seen through his work on s*xual behaviors. As a result of the research Kinsey and his team conducted, he faced challenges and backlash, but this encouraged him to continue his work despite no community support and the belief that everybody should understand why humans behave in the ways that they do.

"The Vision of Herman B Wells," a PBS documentary, discussed Indiana University's significant expansion, including the development of new academic programs, research initiatives, and campus infrastructure improvements. His vision was to create a diverse and inclusive place for students and faculty to encourage innovation and community support. President Wells in 1953. “The University believes that the human race has been able to make progress because individuals have been free to investigate all aspects of life … [W]e have large faith in the values of knowledge, little faith in ignorance.” This quote is in defense of Kinsey’s work, and is especially relevant today. Separating the Kinsey Institute from Indiana University would be a poor decision because the quality of research is improved by the resources the University can offer while the University appreciates the prestige and grant money Kinsey Institute attracts. Without their partnership, Kinsey Institute is not guaranteed the financial support needed to continue their important research, and Indiana University is significantly less relevant.
https://www.thefire.org/news/defunding-indiana-universitys-kinsey-institute-legislators-force-academic-freedom-back-closet

Beth Bailey’s S*x in the Heartland journal is a lesson on the s*xual revolution in the Heartland post-WWII, and it highlights the relationship between s*xual freedom and authority through this thought-provoking quote, "Many who sought a s*xual revolution were revolutionary in their politics as well and rejected government as either tool or ally. But crucial battles of the s*xual revolution questions about birth control and abortion, obscenity standards and free speech, the issue of discrimination on the basis of gender and, eventually, s*xual orientation were played out in Congress, the executive branch, and the Supreme Court." The University setting was also on the forefront of the s*xual revolution, and Kinsey’s relationship with Wells while teaching and conducting research is a fascinating case study on this issue. Kinsey and Wells had to exercise restraint and compromise when it came to progression at Indiana University.

Martha Raye’s “Ooh, Doctor Kinsey!”, the 1949 hit, accurately depicted the public reaction to Kinsey’s most notable publishing, S*xual Behavior of the Human Male. This amalgamation of research findings and observations from Kinsey after traveling the country and interviewing America’s men about their s*x lives caused a social revolution, shocking and intriguing the whole nation. Lyrics like “I used to get such comfort wrapped in the arms of males but Now I find that less than sixty percent go for a [?]. I used to think my lover knew some fine, fancy tricks. But according to Kinsey’s data, he’s strictly from the sticks” showcase how seriously people took his book and the gravity of his testament. This is a wonderful piece of media representing a particularly exciting moment during Kinsey’s life.
https://genius.com/Martha-raye-ooh-doctor-kinsey-lyrics