The founding of the CRGS coincided with the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Kinsey’s book on women’s sexuality, “Sexual Behavior in the Human Female.” This was serendipitous for CRGS's founder, Dr. Deborah Tolman, who was able to introduce our newborn organization to the public under the venerable auspices of the Kinsey Institute where the innovative study of sexuality in America has its roots. While we owe our very existence to the research institutes and brave individuals that came before us, the mission, methods and even the questions we ask at the CRGS set us apart. We are dedicated to producing exciting and new knowledge about these crucial parts of the human condition.

The CRGS embodies several innovative approaches to the study of sexuality in one location. First, we embrace a model of sexuality as an anticipated, healthy developmental process of the human condition. As our mission states, we understand sexuality and its study as inextricably intertwined with social justice; that is, one’s sexuality is never acceptable grounds for discrimination or denial of human rights. And third, we realize that to conduct research that takes to heart these two principles, we need to utilize and develop innovative methodologies and creative combinations of methods to bring into view the many dimensions of people’s lived experience that constitute sexuality. We embrace an understanding of gender and sexuality as always constituted through race, class, ethnicity, age, and ableness.

The CRGS is part of the Human Sexuality Studies Program at SFSU. Our immediate goal is for all of our faculty associates to head research projects supported by external funding from federal and foundation grants. As you can discover on our website, we are well on our way.