Godless Perverts Social Club Thursday 6/18: Secular Sexual Transcendence

The next Godless Perverts Social Club is Thursday, June 18! We’re picking a discussion topic ahead of time — and this time, the topic is Secular Sexual Transcendence.

Sexual experiences can have a lot in common with what people describe as religious experiences: an ecstatic high, heightened sensory perception, being intensely present in the present moment. In fact, some religions see sexual experiences as inextricably linked with spiritual experiences, and incorporate sex into their practices. How can atheists and other non-believers frame these experiences without thinking of them as supernatural? And how can we discuss and share them with believers? What common grounds, if any, can sexual experiences allow both the theists and atheists to reach?

Our co-moderator for the evening, Ali Faruqi works a researcher at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Ali grew up in Karachi, Pakistan in a Muslim family. He has struggled with faith since end of his high school and considers himself to be an agnostic for all practical purposes. He is interested in science, philosophy and history and believes that religions can best be analyzed in light of these disciplines. He is also interested in understanding and exploring sexual identities, orientations and practices, free from religious dogma.

So please join us! Community is one of the reasons we started Godless Perverts. There are few enough places to land when you decide that you’re an atheist; far fewer if you’re also LGBT, queer, kinky, poly, trans, or are just interested in sexuality. And the sex-positive/ alt-sex/ whatever- you- want- to- call- it community isn’t always the most welcoming place for non-believers. All orientations, genders, and kinks (or lack thereof) welcome. Admission is free, but we ask that you buy food and/or drink at the cafe if you can: they have beverages, light snacks, full meals, and milkshakes made of literal awesome sauce.

Godless Perverts presents and promotes a positive view of sexuality without religion, by and for sex-positive atheists, agnostics, humanists, and other non-believers, through performance events, panel discussions, social gatherings, media productions, and other appropriate outlets. Our events and media productions present depictions, explorations, and celebrations of godless sexualities — including positive, traumatic, and complex experiences — focusing on the intersections of sexuality with atheism, materialism, skepticism, and science, as well as critical, questioning, mocking, or blasphemous views of sex and religion.

Godless Perverts is committed to feminism, diversity, inclusivity, and social justice. We seek to create safe and welcoming environments for all non-believers and believing allies who are respectful of the mission, and are committed to taking positive action to achieve this. Please let the moderators or other people in charge of any event know if you encounter harassment, racism, misogyny, transphobia, or other problems at our events.