Joycelyn Elders gets full credit for starting Masturbation in May.

We're in the middle of Masturbation. I hope everyone is doing well, and I think it's time to acknowledge the strong black woman who initiated it all properly.

During the Clinton administration, from 1993 to 1994, (Minnie) Joycelyn Elders served as the 15th Surgeon General of the United States.

When asked if she believed that teaching kids about Masturbation could prevent hazardous sex during her 1994 UN AIDS conference speech, she responded:

"That, in my opinion, is a component of human sexuality and something that might benefit from instruction."

Her "controversial" public opinions, including that masturbating should be covered in sex education curricula, led to her sudden termination shortly after.

Recall that she was fired by Bill Clinton, the president who thought it was acceptable to stick a cigar in Monica Lewinsky'sLewinsky's vagina while she was an intern.

A sharecropper'ssharecropper's daughter

As the oldest of eight children raised in a low-income sharecropping household, Elders authored a book chronicling her life, starting with her modest upbringing. For those unaware, sharecropping originated after the Civil War and was essentially a glorified form of slavery in which a landlord permits a tenant to use the land in return for a portion of the crop. This encourages the tenant to produce the largest harvest possible to keep them bound to the land and prevent them from pursuing other opportunities.

However, Elders never appeared to let her status in life—or the fact that she was a woman of color—be a hindrance.

Before becoming the Director of the Arkansas Department of Health in the 1980s (appointed by then-governor Clinton, no less), she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Master of Science degree in Biochemistry, served as a second lieutenant in the Army, worked as a physician and physical therapist, and obtained board certification as a pediatric endocrinologist. Not too bad.

However, she encountered resistance when she was subsequently nominated for Surgeon General. Elders said racism and sexism were the root causes of this hostility.

A specific subset of members of the American Medical Association were unaware that I was a doctor. It was a jab at me that they were passing a resolution stating that all Surgeon Generals must be doctors in the future. They don't think that a black woman would have achieved my success and carried out my actions.

Her fearless life's work

Elder was a strong supporter of comprehensive sex education, especially for black women and girls. She was the first African American and the second woman to hold the position of Surgeon General. She was outspoken in her critique of outdated textbooks that asserted that only white women had a menstrual cycle that was naturally regular. Black clergy who were referring to birth control tablets as "black genocide" in an attempt to manipulate and take advantage of black women's bodies in the name of religion were also criticized by her.

She asserted that "you cannot control your life if you cannot control your reproduction."

Elders were known to speak candidly about the connections between poverty and teen pregnancy, and they developed into a strong voice for the African-American community. She described how early pregnancy can prolong a cycle of poverty in an opinion piece published in the New York Times, stating that impoverished African-American adolescent mothers are "captive to a slavery the 13th Amendment did not anticipate." She emphasized the significance of teaching sex education in public schools.

Naturally, Elders'Elders' vocal opinions soon infuriated the religious right during her tenure as Surgeon General. She was adamant about her pro-choice beliefs and even urged Americans to "get over this love affair with the fetus."

She must be doing something right because in 1994, Rush Limbaugh, a conservative political pundit, called her the "Condom Queen" for her support of condom distribution in public schools. Although he intended it as an insult, I find the title to be somewhat flattering in a way.

Bonus points: Decades before it was a popular topic, Elders expressed their support for full drug legalization to lower crime. She then expressed her unambiguous support for marijuana legalization in a 2010 piece, writing, "I believe we use much more harmful substances that are legal: alcohol, nicotine, and cigarette smoking... I think their bodily impacts are far more catastrophic. Marijuana prohibition must be lifted.

When can I meet Joycelyn Elders for lunch?

Sticky Self-love

Nicholas Tana's 2016 comedy and documentary, Sticky: A (Self) Love Story, examines why so many people are reluctant to talk about Masturbation, which was partially inspired by the unfair dismissal of elders (trailer here). Elders herself is interviewed in the movie regarding the reasons behind her dismissal by former President Clinton due to her divisive remarks on World AIDS Day. Elders support her comments in the following:

She clarifies that she was supporting teaching children that Masturbation is normal and completely normal, rather than that they should be taught actual jerk-off or rub-out procedures, saying, "I felt it would reduce unintended pregnancy and reduce disease." For starters, I a) detest that she had to explain anything, and b) hope for an educational environment where teaching fundamental skills is acceptable, particularly for ladies.

Other incredible remarks from Elders'Elders' interview that are worth considering:

"What are we going to talk about, given that we know that 80–90% of men and 65–70% of women masturbate, and the rest LIE?"

In America, we are not allowed to discuss sex. We are capable. However, we are unable to discuss it.

I'll leave you with this last meditation in the empowering spirit of Masturbation. May: What are you able to do but not discuss? What actions can you do to better connect with your values and identity?

Expert advice: Before thinking about these and other vital issues, decompress by masturbating.