The Nevada Sagebrush

Dr. Tory Clark

Dr. Tory Clark received her master’s degree in public health from the University of Nevada, Reno and a doctorate degree in human sexuality in 2010. She currently teaches HDFS 430, Advanced Studies in Human Sexuality, during the fall, spring, and summer semesters at UNR. Sagebrush reporter Juan López spoke with Dr. Clark, one of the few clinical sexologists in the state of Nevada to talk all things sex-related.

JL: So, what exactly is a sexologist?

TC: It’s really studying how people think and feel about sexuality. It’s broad in the sense that there’s research within the field, there’s therapy within the field, there’s the education component…it’s an infant science really, if you think about it.

JL: How do people perceive what you do?

TC: The mind immediately goes probably to the bedroom, I’d imagine. The topic of sex is not something you talk about. It makes people shy. But that’s something I want to bring to the table. Helping people feel more comfortable and normalizing sex in general (is what I want to do) because that’s an issue in our culture.

JL: What kinds of things do students learn in your class?

TC: It ranges from learning about origins of feelings in regards toward sexuality. It ranges from culture to culture so we talk about things such as religion and sexuality, culture and sexuality. We move from that to talking about gender and gender roles, and everything from reproduction and pregnancy to sexually transmitted infections to fetishes to BDSM. At the very end of class, we go on a field trip to the Moonlite Bunny Ranch so that they can actually see what the legalized process of prostitution is like in Nevada.

JL: What types of reactions do students have to all this sex talk?

TC: The first night is pretty key with icebreaking and getting people comfortable. We talk about why it’s so difficult to talk about sex. Where did you get your messages about sex? What was your sex education like growing up? Did your parents talk to you about sex? We watch the South Park episode on proper condom use and it’s a good icebreaker because most people can relate to the awkwardness in talking about sex when they were kids. So yeah, you don’t jump out with fetishes and BDSM on the first night and scare people. You talk about how to define what the definition of normal sex is.

JL: Why do you think it’s so difficult for us to talk about sex, even though we hear about it all the time?

TC: Is it difficult for you to talk about sex?

JL: Not at all.

TC: What was your upbringing like?

JL: I had a very traditional bringing. My parents are Hispanic, so we didn’t talk about sex at all. But as I’ve grown older, I became much more comfortable with it. But I’ve only been like this for about two years because when I was in high school, it wasn’t like they told me to not have sex, I just never heard the word “sex in my household.”

TC: So not receiving a message at all is just as bad as receiving negative messages because then you’re left in the dark, guessing. And usually when somebody doesn’t talk about something and it’s shrouded in secrecy, what does that usually mean?

JL: That it’s bad.

TC: Yup. That’s a huge reason why people see it as bad. That’s where it starts and people just aren’t comfortable. I mean, we’re talking about breaking thousands of years of cultural stuff here, and it’s not a thing to do.

JL: Interesting. So, if you could make a list, what are three sex-related topics people are not comfortable talking about?

TC: Mmm…transgender is very misunderstood, but that is getting so much better in a sense because of the exposure with Chaz Bono and others that have transitioned. That would be one. When you talk about not knowing what someone’s gender is, it tends to make people uncomfortable. Another is gay marriage. Gay marriage is always a heated topic, but people are becoming more accepting of it. A last is the debate with pornography. It’s a big one. That makes people really uncomfortable.

Juan López can be reached at jlopez@nevadasagebrush.com.

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