Founder of 'PostSecret' and Mental Health Advocate, Frank Warren, Highlights UAlbany’s Sexuality Month Programming

A keynote presentation by Frank Warren, founder of PostSecret, on Tuesday, Feb. 8, will highlight the University's annual recognition of Sexuality Month.

ALBANY, N.Y. (January 21, 2016) – A keynote presentation and book signing by Frank Warren, founder of PostSecret, a collection of highly personal and artfully decorated postcards mailed anonymously around the world, will highlight the University at Albany’s annual recognition of Sexuality Month in February. Warren’s talk will take place in the Campus Center Ballroom on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 8 p.m.

What started as a community mail art project, quickly exploded in popularity. Since PostSecret’s inception in 2004, Warren has received more than 1 million secrets. The postcards are continuously shared on the PostSecret website, or used for books/museum exhibits.

The project has raised more than $1 million for suicide prevention. PostSecret’s website is the most visited advertisement-free website in the world. In 2013, Warren received an invitation to the White House to share his thoughts on mental wellness. He was also awarded a lifetime achievement award in mental health advocacy in 2011. All six of his PostSecret books have been featured on the New York Times bestselling list.

A full slate of Sexuality Month programming is scheduled from Feb. 1 through Feb. 18.

Sexuality Month has been in existence at UAlbany for 33 years. It is designed to support students facing critical issues and choices such as gender and sexuality, HIV/AIDS, relationships, identity, and reproductive health. In addition to Warren’s talk, a full slate of Sexuality Month programming is scheduled from Feb. 1 through Feb. 18.

“The content of programs within Sexuality Month reflects key themes,” said Dolores Cimini, chair of the Sexuality Month committee, and director of the Middle Earth Peer Assistance Program at UAlbany. “In this way, we hope to meet the needs of our students as well as to provide a retrospective and prospective look at these critical issues.”

Numerous lectures and workshops are scheduled during Sexuality Month, all of which will be presented or supervised by individuals with expertise in the topic area. Sexuality Month is coordinated by the Middle Earth Peer Assistance Program, the peer services arm of Counseling and Psychological Services. It is funded by the Student Association, with support provided by University Auxiliary Services and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Many of the programs during Sexuality Month are being hosed in collaboration with UAlbany departments including the NYS Writers Institute, Performing Arts Center, University Art Museum, Department of Music and Theatre, and Department of Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies.

Additional Sexuality Month events include:

• University Art Museum exhibit: "Keltie Ferris: Paintings & Body Prints." This exhibit will be on display from Feb. 2 – April 2, free admission.

• Exhibit: HIV/AIDS Prevention. Lecture Center Concourse, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Reading/discussion on Jennifer Verdolin’s "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us About Human Relationships" (2014). Campus Center Room 375, Thursday, Feb. 4, 8 p.m.

• Safe Space: LGBT 101 Training. Campus Center 375, Sunday, Feb. 7, 1-5 p.m.

• Breast and Testicular Prevention Exhibit. Lecture Center Concourse, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Lecture: "Racism, Classism, Sexism and Heterosexuality: Have We Ever Really Talked About It?" Campus Center 375, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Lecture by Kyra Gaunt: “Creative Expression, Compassion and Self-Worth: The Socialization of Race, Gender, and the Body.” Thursday, Feb. 11, Standish Room, Science Library, 2:45 – 4 p.m. and Campus Center 375, 8-9:30 p.m.

• Lecture: "International Relations: Dating and Relationships Across Cultures." Campus Center 370, Friday, Feb. 12, 1-3 p.m.

• Exhibit: Sexual Violence Prevention. Lecture Center Concourse, Monday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Panel Discussion: "Awareness of Gender Inequalities, Locally and Globally." Campus Center 375, Tuesday, Feb. 16, noon to 2 p.m.

• Lecture: "Does Everybody Want to Have Sex? A Conversation About (A) Sexuality." Campus Center 375, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 9-10:15 p.m.

Download the University’s 2016 Sexuality Month brochure for more information and a full schedule of events.

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