meaning of phd sexually

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17 Sex Terms You Were Too Embarrassed to Ask About, Defined

Especially with the rise of social media, new terms are coined all the time, including in the arena of sexuality. For instance, while the word "cuck" has become an insult hurled by the right-wing trolls, it's related to cuckolding, which can (and should) be a hot and consensual sexual activity that all involved parties enjoy. If you weren't quite sure of what that particular word's definition is — or you're unclear on terms like felching, docking, or queening, for that matter — I've written a near-comprehensive guide.

Additionally, if you're wondering if any given sex act is really a thing, keep in mind the wise words of sex educator Jimanekia Eborn : " Everything is a thing, is basically what I have learned working in sex education." In other words, if you can dream it, you can do it — or at least rest assured that someone else has probably tried to. With that being said, here are 17 sex terms you probably didn't learn in sex ed, explained.

1. Pearl Necklace

As Samantha explained to Charlotte on a memorable episode of Sex and the City , a pearl necklace is what results when someone ejaculates on or around their partner's neck or chest (yes, so that the semen is roughly where a pearl necklace is when worn). If you're not someone who enjoys wearing this kind of pearl necklace, feel free to stick to Charlotte's preferred version, which you can find at Bloomingdale's.

2. Impact Play

Impact play refers to any impact on the body done for sexual gratification, from spanking to whips and crops . When engaging in impact play, remember to pick a safe word and continually check in with one another to ensure the level of pain is desirable. It's also important to stick to areas on the body which are safe to spank or tap on with a crop, which means fleshy, meaty areas away from the organs, such as the butt and thighs. If this sounds appealing to you, be sure to check out my guide to first-timer BDSM tips .

Dungeon Dwellers And Domination Enthusiasts Descend On DomconLA

3. squirting.

Squirting is when a person with a vagina ejaculates fluid during sex. Eborn says she is frequently asked if squirting is a myth, and she's only too happy to share that it is not, nor is it "just peeing." Research suggests that the fluid involved comes partly from Skene's glands, also known as the "female prostate" — but as with many subjects that don't focus on a penis, more research is required. Not everyone squirts, and among those who do, some squirt from clitoral stimulation and some squirt from G-spot stimulation (that is, stimulation of the sensitive front wall of the vagina).

You may be familiar with cognitive behavioral therapy , a helpful form of talk therapy. However, within the world of kink, CBT refers to "cock and ball torture." This form of CBT can be therapeutic for people with penises interested in having a dominatrix inflict pain on their genitals, through the use of ropes, whips, or even chastity devices.

Pegging refers to when a woman penetrates a man anally with a strap-on dildo . There's a now-infamous pegging scene in a Broad City episode that recently repopularized the term.

6. Queening

Queening is just a glamorous name for sitting on someone's face. There's nothing more to it than that.

7. Scissoring

Scissoring, also called tribadism or tribbing, is most often thought of as the territory of same-sex, female-identified couples. It's usually considered to be two partners rubbing their vulvas against each other's, but can also be defined as one partner rubbing their vulva against other body parts of their partner's (including the thighs and butt), as Autostraddle pointed out . In so-called "classic" scissor position, partners' legs intersect so that they look like — you guessed it — scissors. Porn (especially porn made for the male gaze) has probably hyped up scissoring as a more popular act among women who have sex with women than it actually is in real life, but plenty of people love it.

Women in lingerie touching each other

8. edge play.

When you first hear the term "edge play," it's easy to assume it refers to extreme sex acts that literally involve an edge of some sort, such as knives or needles (and yes, some people consensually incorporate those things into sex). But no sharp objects need to be involved in this type of edge play. The term means kinky sexual acts that push your boundaries (consensually) to the edge, which can be exhilarating for some. What is considered edge play differs from person to person, as we all have our own boundaries and limits. For some, psychological play such as name-calling may be edge play. If you are going to try pushing your boundaries , please do so with a partner you trust and use a safe word.

Figging is one of those sexual acts that are so interesting it's fun to know what it means, but you have to wonder if anyone actually does it. Figging is the act of inserting a piece of peeled ginger into someone's butthole, which would burn, sting, and be quite painful. Figging allegedly originated as a (non-sexual) form of corporal punishment on female prisoners by the Greek and the Roman empires. These days, the term also can refer to the general infliction of consensual pain on the anus.

10. Aftercare

Aftercare is a sexual practice that everyone should be doing, whether you're having kinky sex or vanilla sex. It's a term created by the kink community and simply means checking in with your partner(s) after sex to make sure all parties felt good and safe about what just went down and taking care of one another emotionally and physically. This can mean cuddling, bringing ice to the submissive partners if there are any spanking bruises, and talking about what you liked or what you didn't like. It really just means checking in post-sex, and if anything did happen that one or all parties felt weird about, making sure it doesn't happen the next time.

11. Felching

To felch is to suck up semen out of an orifice (using a straw is optional). For instance, someone may ejaculate inside their partner's anus and then suck their own semen out of the anus with their mouth; they then may or may not swallow. (Keep in mind that exchanging fluids in this way is associated with the risk of STIs , including HIV.)

12. Bukkake

Bukkake is both a sex act and popular genre of porn in which multiple men, typically three or more, ejaculate all over a woman.

13. Docking

"Docking is when two uncircumcised [people with penises] get together," Eborn explains. "[The first] pulls his foreskin back and holds it while [the second] stretches [theirs] open and outward as far as possible over the head and shaft of [the first partner's] penis." She says she is frequently asked if this act is real and possible, and her response is that with enough imagination and determination, most things are. (That said, remember that comfort and safety should take priority in all sexual encounters, no matter how creative.)

14. Cuckolding

Cuckolding is when a person in a relationship stands by as their partner has sex with someone else. There are many ways to cuck: The "cuckold" may look on while tied up in a corner, or the cuckold's partner may go out on their own, have sex, and report back. There is usually an element of humiliation involved: For instance, a wife may tell her husband all about how her other partner has a massive penis and can satisfy her in ways her husband cannot. Yes, some men are turned on by being told they suck in bed. (Important note: It's totally possible to share sexy fantasies about cuckolding with your partner without actually doing it.)

Professional dominatrixes often get requests to do cuckolding sessions in which they may have their submissive watch as they have sex with a different partner or tell the submissive to buy them lingerie for them to wear on a date with someone else. While cuckolding is primarily associated with married, opposite-sex couples, people can enjoy cuckolding play regardless of gender, orientation, or relationship status.

Me, My Boyfriend And My Slave

15. water sports.

According to safe-for-work Google searches, water sports are aquatic activities such as jet-skiing. In the bedroom, however, the term refers to the incorporation of urine in erotic play. A golden shower, for example, is when one partner pees on the other. If you want to try this kind of play for the first time but are a little nervous, peeing on your partner (or being peed on) in the shower is a good way to dip your toe in the water, metaphorically speaking.

16. Fisting

Fisting is when one partner inserts their entire hand or fist into the other partner's vagina (or anus, for the highly talented). If you enjoy intense penetration but are dating someone with a small penis, remember that they have an entire fist to use on you. (And no, a penchant for fisting won't make your vagina loose ( nor will sex in general , so put that myth out of your head).

If you'd like to try it, go slow and use plenty of lube ; the fister can also wear a latex glove to keep things extra sanitary and help the hand slide into the orifice. And as with any sex act, enthusiastic consent and in-the-moment communication are key to enjoyment by all parties.

Medicine. Medical staff putting on latex gloves. Germany, Europe

17. queefing.

OK, so this one may not be a sex act, exactly, but it frequently happens during sex. Queefing is when air escapes from the vagina, often during or after penetration, and makes a farting sound. It's a form of flatulence, and it's totally normal. "At one point in time, it happens to all of us. We laugh [about it] to keep from being embarrassed," Eborn says.

Read more stories about sexuality and exploration:

11 of the Most Common Sexual Fetishes

What You Need to Know Before Having a Threesome

BDSM Sex Tips to Try If You're a Total Beginner

Now, watch our wellness editor try out flavored lube:

Don't forget to follow Allure on Instagram and Twitter .

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What Does Phd Mean In Slang & How To Use It

What does phd mean in text, tiktok and social platforms, pretty huge d*ck.

PHD is an abbreviation that stands for “Doctor of Philosophy” and is a postgraduate academic degree. It is not commonly used in text, chat, TikTok, or Snapchat, and it is not appropriate to use it to mean “Pretty Huge D*ck”. If someone uses the abbreviation in this way, it is best to ignore it or respond with something like, “I’m not sure what you’re trying to say, but PHD stands for Doctor of Philosophy, not that other thing.”

Here is an example conversation between two friends

Friend 1: Hey, did you see the new TikTok that Jake made? Friend 2: Yeah, it was pretty funny. He’s such a PHD. Friend 1: What do you mean by that? Friend 2: Oh, sorry. I meant he’s a Doctor of Philosophy. I must have been thinking about something else.

In this conversation, Friend 2 made a mistake by using the abbreviation PHD to mean something vulgar, but quickly corrected themselves.

What does Phd mean from a guy

PhD is a degree that is awarded to individuals who have completed advanced studies and research in a specific field. It stands for “Doctor of Philosophy” and is typically considered a high level of academic achievement. It is not appropriate to use the term “Pretty Huge Dick” in reference to a person’s PhD.

It is impossible for me to determine whether the person in question likes or hates you based on their use of the term PhD. Additionally, I cannot determine whether they are trying to make a move or not without further information. It is always best to communicate openly and directly with someone in order to understand their intentions and to avoid misunderstandings.

Girl: Hey, I noticed you have a PhD in physics. That’s really impressive! Guy: Thanks! I’ve been working on my research for a long time.

In this example, the girl is complimenting the guy on his academic achievement and the guy is responding modestly.

Girl: I’m thinking about applying to graduate school. What’s your advice for someone who wants to get a PhD? Guy: It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s also very rewarding. Just make sure you’re passionate about your research and you’ll be fine.

In this example, the girl is asking the guy for advice on pursuing a PhD and the guy is giving her some general advice.

What does Phd mean from a girl

PhD stands for “Doctor of Philosophy.” It is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities to students who have completed a course of study that typically lasts three to five years. This degree is typically earned in a specific field of study, such as physics, chemistry, or psychology. It is not a term that is used to refer to anything else.

In terms of responding to someone who uses “PhD” in a different context, such as in the phrase “Pretty Huge Dick,” it would be best to ignore the comment and not engage with it. It is not appropriate to use derogatory or offensive language, and doing so can make the person who used the term look foolish.

As for the examples of a conversation between a girl and a guy using “PhD” in different meanings, here are two possibilities

Girl: Hey, I just got accepted into a PhD program in biology! Guy: That’s awesome! Congratulations on your acceptance.

In this example, the girl is using “PhD” to refer to the postgraduate academic degree, while the guy is responding in a supportive and congratulatory manner.

Girl: I heard you have a PhD in physics. Guy: Yeah, that’s right. I just finished my dissertation last year.

In this example, the girl is using “PhD” to refer to the postgraduate academic degree, and the guy is confirming that he has earned this degree in the field of physics. He also mentions his dissertation, which is a long research paper that is required for the completion of a PhD program.

In both examples, “PhD” is being used in its correct and intended meaning, as a postgraduate academic degree. It is not being used in any derogatory or offensive way.

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What does PHD stand for?

Your abbreviation search returned 58 meanings

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Sex slang glossary: 20 naughty terms from rail to Netflix and Chill

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To quote Salt-N-Pepa, let’s talk about sex , baby. Or, rather, let’s talk about how we talk about sex.

Whether it’s a euphemism used to shy away from talking about a topic that’s too taboo from some, or the complete opposite and a visceral, visual slang term that penetrates the mind, we’ve invented a lot of ways to start discourse around intercourse.   

There’s a popular tidbit about the Inuit people having over 50 words for snow, but we might have them beat for the different terms for sex.

Here, we take a look at some of the favourite phrases used to discuss doing the deed…

What does getting railed mean?

Let’s start off with one of the more uncouth phrases – since Google search results indicate a lot of people are curious as to what this particular saying means.

Getting railed, quite literally, means having sex – or, if you prefer to take the cue from Urban Dictionary, it means the act of having wild, wild sex.

So, making romantic, meaningful love, this is not.

Netflix and Chill

Netflix and chill has become the most common mating call for a modern day audience.

To Netflix and Chill implies putting on Netflix as background noise – or a convincing alibi – as you and your partner(s) engage in a bit of consensual fun.

Some of these terms get their names from the implication that a penis is involved in the act.

Boning is such a term – entering the lexicon most likely as an after-effect to boner becoming a popular term for an erect penis.

D***ing down

If you have been d***ed down, you have had vigorous sex – this one is fairly self-explanatory.

Clapping cheeks

Getting one’s cheeks clapped is a newer term which is rising in popularity.

The name comes from the idea that, when you are in the throes of very intense sex, bum cheeks could make a clapping sound.

Porking is another term people use forhaving sex.

why did they call it group sex and not parallel porking — tyron, the creator (@TyronWilson) June 29, 2018

We wouldn’t suggest Googling the term, but there are some who think the term came about because squealing, the sound associated with pigs, is sometimes the sign that sexual partners are having a good time.

The origins of this term should be fairly obvious for anyone with, or who has sex with people with, a penis, sometimes colloquially called a shaft.

Nothing to do with the crime fighting cop.

This is a term most often associated with sexual acts between people who identify as men.

Breeding, or to be bred, generally means having unprotected anal sex.

There are too many to name, but other phrases for having sex that deserve a shoutout include:

• Laying pipe
• Taking the skin boat to tuna town
• Getting drilled
• Nutting/Busting a nut

Euphemisms for having sex   

In Human Nature, Queen of Pop and queen of never shying away from the subject, Madonna proclaimed ‘oops, I didn’t know I couldn’t talk about sex’ – and she was on to something.

Some people are more comfortable using gentler language to avoid any blushes.

Some euphemisms that actually mean having sex include:

• Making love
• Knocking boots
• Hitting the sheets
• Going all the way
• Getting lucky

MORE : Woman reveals how to have an orgasm by rubbing your lower back

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• Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies

The Program in Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies (WGSS) offers a combined PhD in conjunction with five departments and programs: African American Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, English, and Sociology. Students pursuing the combined PhD in WGSS will determine their research and doctoral foci in coordination with the directors of graduate studies in WGSS and the partnering department or program.

• Programs of Study
• PhD - Doctor of Philosophy
• Combined PhD

Dara Strolovitch

Director of Graduate Studies

• [email protected]

Maureen Gardner

Departmental Registrar

• [email protected]
• 203-432-7737

Admission Requirements

Standardized testing requirements.

GRE is optional. 

English Language Requirement

TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic is required of most applicants whose native language is not English.

You may be exempt from this requirement if you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, and if you have studied in residence at that institution for at least three years.

Combined Degree Program Application Deadline

*The deadline to submit an application to a combined program is always the earlier deadline of the two individual programs, or December 15, whichever comes first.

Academic Information

Combined phd information.

Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies offers a combined PhD in conjunction with several other departments and programs including: African American Studies , American Studies , Anthropology , English Languages and Literature , and Sociology .

Program Advising Guidelines

GSAS Advising Guidelines

Academic Resources

Academic calendar.

The Graduate School's academic calendar lists important dates and deadlines related to coursework, registration, financial processes, and milestone events such as graduation.

Featured Resource

Registration Information and Dates

https://registration.yale.edu/

Students must register every term in which they are enrolled in the Graduate School. Registration for a given term takes place the semester prior, and so it's important to stay on top of your academic plan. The University Registrar's Office oversees the systems that students use to register. Instructions about how to use those systems and the dates during which registration occurs can be found on their registration website.

Financial Information

Phd stipend & funding.

PhD students at Yale are normally full-funded for a minimum of five years. During that time, our students receive a twelve-month stipend to cover living expenses and a fellowship that covers the full cost of tuition and student healthcare.

• PhD Student Funding Overview
• Graduate Financial Aid Office
• PhD Stipends
• Health Award
• Tuition and Fees

Alumni Insights

Below you will find alumni placement data for our departments and programs.

What is a PhD?

• Types of Doctorates
• A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the highest globally recognized postgraduate degree that higher education institutions can award.
• PhDs are awarded to candidates who undertake original and extensive research in a particular field of study.
• Full time PhD programmes typically last three to four years, whilst part time PhD programmes typically last six to seven years.
• A PhD can lead to an academia teaching role or a career in research. A PhD can also equip you with skills suitable for a wide range of jobs unrelated to your research topic or academia.

Definition of a PhD – A Doctor of Philosophy (commonly abbreviated to PhD , Ph.D or a DPhil ) is a university research degree awarded from across a broad range of academic disciplines; in most countries, it is a terminal degree, i.e. the highest academic degree possible.

PhDs differ from undergraduate and master’s degrees in that PhDs are entirely research-based rather than involving taught modules (although doctoral training centres (DTCs) offer programmes that start with a year of lecture-based teaching to help develop your research skills prior to starting your project).

In most English-speaking countries, those that complete a PhD use the title “Doctor” (typically abbreviated to Dr) in front of their names and are referred to as such within academic and/or research settings. Those that work in fields outside of academia may decide not to use the formal doctor title but use post-nominal letters (e.g. John Smith PhD); it’s unusual though for someone to use both the Doctor title and post-nominal letters in their name.

PhD vs Doctorate

A PhD and a professional doctorate are both research-based terminal degrees.

However, where a PhD focuses on original research mostly around theoretical concepts, a professional doctorate focuses on examining existing knowledge to solve real-life, practical problems.

While there is much crossover between the two, a PhD is generally better suited for an individual to wants to advance the knowledge and understanding in their field, and a professional doctorate degree is better suited to a working professional who wants to better be able to apply knowledge and understanding to their field.

What Are the Entry Requirements for a PhD?

To be accepted on to a PhD programme, students usually need to hold at least a high ( 2:1 and above ) undergraduate degree that is related to the field of research that they want to pursue. A PhD candidate may also be expected to hold a Master’s degree , however, this does not mean you must have one, as it is still possible to enrol into a PhD without a Master’s .

Self-funded courses may sometimes be more relaxed in relation to entry requirements. It may be possible to be accepted onto a self-funded PhD programme with lower grades, though these students typically demonstrate their suitability for the role through professional work experience.

Whilst a distance learning project is possible , most PhD candidates will carry out their research over at least three years based at their university, with regular contact with two academic supervisors (primary and secondary). This is particularly the case for lab-based projects, however, some PhD projects require spending time on-site away from university (e.g. at a specialist research lab or at a collaborating institution abroad).

How Long Does a PhD Take?

Typically, full-time PhDs last 3-4 years and part-time PhDs last 6-7 years. However, at the discretion of the university, the thesis writing-up period can be extended by up to four years.

Although most doctoral programmes start in September or October, they are generally much more flexible than taught-courses and can start at any time of the year.

How Much Does a PhD Cost?

Tuition fees for UK and EU students vary between £3,000 and £6,000 per year, with the average tuition fee of £4,712 per year for 2023/24 programmes.

Tuition fees increase considerably for international students, varying between £16,000 to £25,000 per year, with an average tuition fee of £19,600 per year .

Nonetheless, most students will secure PhD funding in the form of studentships, scholarships and bursaries to help pay for these fees. These funding opportunities can either be partial, which cover tuition fees only, or full, which cover both tuition fees and living expenses.

UK national students can also apply for Doctoral Loans from Student Finance England if they are unable to secure funding.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

What Does a PhD Involve?

To be awarded a PhD, a doctoral student is required to produce a substantial body of work that adds new knowledge to their chosen field.

A PhD programme will typically involve four key stages:

Stage 1: Literature Review

The first year of a PhD involves attending regular meetings with your supervisors and carrying out a search on previously published work in your subject area. This search will be used to produce a literature review which should set the context of the project by explaining the foundation of what is currently known within the field of research, what recent developments have occurred, and where the gaps in knowledge are. In most cases, this will be an extension of your research proposal should you have produced one as part of your application. The literature review should conclude by outlining the overarching aims and objectives of the research project. This stage of setting achievable goals which are original and contribute to the field of research is an essential first step in a successful PhD.

The supervisor is the main point of contact through the duration of a PhD – but remember: they are there to mentor, not to teach, or do it for you . It will be your responsibility to plan, execute and monitor your own work as well as to identify gaps in your own knowledge and address them.

Stage 2: Research

The second year (and prehapse some of your third year) is when you work on your research. Having identified novel research questions from your review of the literature, this is where you collect your data to help answer these questions. How you do this will depend on the nature of your doctoral research: for example, you may design and run experiments in a lab alongside other PhD students or visit excavation sites in remote regions of the world. You should check in regularly with your supervisors to update them and run any ideas or issues past them.

Have the structure and chapters of your thesis in mind as you develop and tackle your research questions. Working with a view of publishing your work will be very valuable later on.

Stage 3: Write up of Thesis

The next key stage of a PhD is writing a doctoral thesis , which typically takes from anywhere between three months to one year. A thesis is a substantial body of work that describes the work and outcomes of the research over the previous two to three years. It should tell a detailed story of the PhD project – focusing on:

• The motivations for the research questions identified from the literature review.
• The methodologies used, results obtained, and a comprehensive analysis and discussion of the findings.
• A detailed discussion of the key findings with an emphasis on the original contributions made to your field of research and how this has been impactful.

There is no universal rule for the length of a PhD thesis, but general guidelines set the word count between 80,000 to 100,000 words.

For your thesis to be successful, it needs to adequately defend your argument and provide a unique or increased insight into your field that was not previously available.

Stage 4: Attending the Viva

A viva voce , most commonly referred to as just a ‘ viva ‘, is an interview-style examination where the PhD student is required to engage in a critical appraisal of their work and defend their thesis against at least two examiners. The examiners will ask questions to check the PhD student has an in-depth understanding of the ideas and theories proposed in their thesis, and whether they have developed the research skills that would be expected of them.

The viva is one of the final steps in achieving a PhD, and typically lasts at least two hours, but this duration can vary depending on the examiners, the university and the PhD project itself.

Once you have done the viva – you’re on the home stretch. You will typically be asked to make some amendments to your thesis based on the examiner’s feedback. You are then ready to submit your final thesis for either:

• PhD – If you pass the requirements you will be awarded a PhD degree (most common outcome),
• MPhil – If you failed to meet requirements for a PhD, you may be downgraded to an MPhil degree (uncommon outcome),
• Fail – No award is given, typically for cases of plagiarism (extremely uncommon outcome).

What Is It Like to Undertake a PhD?

We’re often asked what it is like to undertake a PhD study. Unfortunately, this isn’t a simple answer to this question as every research project is different.

To help give insight into the life of a PhD student, we’ve interviewed PhD students at various stages of their programmes and put together a series of PhD Student Interviews . Check out the link to find out what a PhD is like and what advice they have to offer you.

What Are the Benefits of A PhD?

A PhD is the highest globally recognised postgraduate degree that higher education institutions can award. The degree, which is awarded to candidates who demonstrate original and independent research in a particular field of study, is not only invaluable in itself, but sets you up with invaluable skills and traits.

Career Opportunities

First, a PhD prepares you for a career in academia if you wish to continue in this area. This takes form as a career in the Higher Education sector, typically as a lecturer working their way to becoming a professor leading research on the subject you’ve studied and trained in.

Second, a PhD also enables the opportunity for landing a job in a research & development role outside of the academic environment. Examples of this include laboratory work for a private or third sector company, a governmental role and research for commercial and industrial applications.

Transferable Skills

Finally, in possessing a PhD degree, you can show to employers that you have vital skills that make you an asset to any company. Three examples of the transferable skills that you gain through a PhD are effective communication, time management, and report writing.

• Communication – presenting your work in written and oral forms using journal papers and podium presentations, shows your ability to share complex ideas effectively and to those with less background knowledge than you. Communication is key in the professional environment, regardless of the job.
• Time management – The ability to prioritise and organise tasks is a tremendous asset in the professional industry. A PhD holder can use their qualification to demonstrate that they are able to manage their time, arrange and follow a plan, and stick to deadlines.
• Report writing – Condensing three years of work into a thesis demonstrates your ability to filter through massive amounts of information, identify the key points, and get these points across to the reader. The ability to ‘cut out the waffle’ or ‘get to the point’ is a huge asset in the professional industry.

Aside from the above, you also get to refer to yourself as a Doctor and add fancy initials after your name!

What Can I Do After a PhD?

One of the most desirable postdoctoral fields is working within independent Research and Development (R&D) labs and new emerging companies. Both industries, especially R&D labs, have dedicated groups of PhD graduates who lead research activities, design new products and take part in crucial strategic meetings. Not only is this a stimulating line of work, but the average salaries in R&D labs and emerging start-ups are lucrative. In comparison, an undergraduate with five years of experience within their given field will, on average, likely earn less than a new PhD graduate taking on a R&D position.

It’s a common misunderstanding that PhDs only opens the door for an academic career such as university lecturers and training providers. Although obtaining a PhD opens these doors, the opportunities extend far beyond educational roles. In fact, recent data from the UK’s Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) indicates only 23% of PhD graduates take a position in educational roles . This low percentage is primarily because PhD graduates have a wide range of skills that make them suitable for a broad spectrum of roles. This is being seen first hand by the increasing number of PhD graduates who are entering alternative roles such as research, writing, law and investment banking.

How Do I Find a PhD?

We appreciate that finding a PhD programme to undertake can be a relatively daunting process. According to Higher Education Student Statistics , over 22,000 PhDs were awarded in 2016/17 within the United Kingdom alone. Clearly there are a huge number of PhD programmes available. This can sometimes be confusing for prospective doctorates, particularly when different programmes are advertised in different places. Often, it is difficult to know where to look or where to even start. We’ve put together a list of useful sources to find the latest PhD programmes:

• A great place to start is with our comprehensive and up-to-date database of available PhD positions .
• Assuming you are still at university, speak to an existing PhD supervisor within your department.
• Attend as many postgraduate open days as you can. Whilst there, speak to current PhD students and career advisors to get an awareness of what PhDs are on offer.
• Visit the postgraduate section of university websites and the PhD Research Council section of the UKRI website.

Browse PhDs Now

Join thousands of students.

Join thousands of other students and stay up to date with the latest PhD programmes, funding opportunities and advice.

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Glossary of Must-Know Sexual Identity Terms

Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of The Anxiety Workbook and founder of the website About Social Anxiety. She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology.

Daniella Amato is a biomedical scientist and fact-checker with expertise in pharmaceuticals and clinical research.

Verywell / Alex Dos Diaz

A Through E

F through l, m through q, r through z.

Sexual identity terms refer to words and phrases used to describe human sexuality and orientation including gay, lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual. These terms are not related to gender identity and may differ depending on the individual person or culture. In addition, terminology changes over time and will continue to evolve into the future.

It’s important to understand and use the proper terminology to refer to sexual identity and sexual orientation in order to be an ally and empower and affirm individuals who in the past may have faced prejudice and judgment over their sexual orientation.

Use of the correct words can be affirming while use of incorrect terminology can be disempowering. If you are in doubt, it is always best to ask a person what terminology they prefer that you use.

Below is a glossary of terms related to sexual identity. Remember that this list will continue to evolve so it is always important to keep up with any changes and the most up-to-date usage.

Ally : Referring to a person who supports the LGBTQ+ community but does not identify as a member of the community (e.g., heterosexual).

Aromantic : Referring to a person who has no romantic attraction or interest in romantic relationships with any gender.

Asexual: Referring to a person who is not sexually attracted to any gender but may still be romantically interested in a relationship.

Autosexual: Referring to a person who feels sexually attracted to themselves. These individuals are capable of having relationships with others but prefer sex with themselves.

Androsexual/Androphillic: Referring to a person who experiences sexual or romantic attraction to masculinity, males, or men including those who identify as men regardless of assigned sex at birth.

Allosexual : Referring to a person who experiences sexual attraction.

Allosexism: The assumption that people in society experience or should experience sexual attraction. This leads to privilege for those who experience attraction and prejudice against people who are asexual.

Autoromantic: Referring to a person who is romantically attracted to themselves.

Bicurious : Referring to a person who is curious and exploring their attraction to people of the same sex/gender but who don’t necessarily identify as bisexual.

Biphobia: Fear, intolerance, discomfort, dislike, stigma, or hatred toward people who identify as bisexual. These attitudes are generally based on stereotypes about bisexual people such as the supposed inability to be monogamous.

Bi-positive: An attitude toward bisexual individuals that is validating and accepting (the opposite of biphobia).

Biromantic: Referring to a person who feels a romantic or emotional connection to two or more genders regardless of whether they feel sexual attraction.

Bisexual: Referring to a person who feels sexually attracted to two or more genders.

Butch: A term used to refer to a woman who acts or looks masculine or who plays the dominant role in a partnership. This term can be used in a derogatory way for lesbian women but may also be used in an affirming way for some people if that is how they identify.

Cishet : A person who is both cisgender and heterosexual.

Closeted: Referring to a person who does not accept their own sexual orientation or chooses to keep it a secret from other people out of fear of rejection or being judged.

Coming out: The ongoing emotionally difficult process of disclosing and acknowledging one’s sexual orientation to people in one’s life including friends, family, work colleagues, etc. For example, by sharing about a same-gender relationship or attraction.

Cupiosexual/ cupioromantic : Referring to people who don’t experience sexual attraction but still desire to be in a sexual relationship or engage in sexual behavior.

Demiromantic : Referring to a person who only experiences romantic feelings after they build a strong emotional connection with a person.

Demisexual : Referring to a person who doesn’t innately feel sexual attraction but can develop it over time through a strong emotional connection to a person.

Erasure: The practice of ignoring that sexuality exists on a spectrum.

Family of choice: A group of people chosen for their support and validation that may be missing from the family of origin.

Family of origin: A person’s biological family or the one that was involved in their development.

Fluid: The concept that sexuality and sexual orientation can change over time and depend on the context or situation.

Fraysexual : A fraysexual person is someone who usually prefers sexual encounters with people they don't know over those they do. It is the opposite of demisexual

Gay: A person who has a sexual orientation or romantic attraction toward people of the same gender. The term usually refers to men who are attracted to men, but can also be used for other genders.

Gay-positive: An attitude that is accepting and affirming of gay individuals.

Gynesexual/Gynephilic: Attraction to femininity, women, or females regardless of their assigned sex at birth.

Graysexual : Referring to people who are in a gray area of the spectrum of sexuality and don’t identify as sexual or asexual.

Grayromantic: Referring to people who are in the gray area of the spectrum of romantic attachment and don’t identify as romantic or aromantic.

Heterosexual: Referring to people who have a sexual orientation or emotional attraction toward members of the opposite gender (also known as being “straight”). 

Heteroflexible : Referring to people who are primarily heterosexual but who may have interest in same-sex relationships.

Heterosexual privilege: Privileges experienced by people who are heterosexual simply because of their sexual orientation. This includes the ability to publicly display affection without fearing judgment or raising children without fear of discrimination.

Homophobia : Fear, prejudice, anger, or negative attitudes aimed at people who are gay or lesbian. This can range from mild to severe forms.

Homosexual: Referring to a person with a sexual orientation toward members of the same gender. This is a somewhat outdated term and most people prefer gay or lesbian.

Heteronormativity: The belief by people or institutions that heterosexuality is the normal/default way for people to identify and that heterosexuality is superior to all other sexualities.5 Heteronormativity can create social, cultural, political, and economic ideologies that can harm the lifestyles and livelihoods of LGBTQ people.9

Hypersexual: Referring to the ability to experience sexual attraction to someone without knowing them in a personal way.

Internalized homophobia : Self-hatred based on fear and judgment about one’s sexual orientation that is rooted in homophobia that has been internalized.

Lesbian: A female or female-identifying person with a sexual orientation or attraction toward other women or people of the same gender expression. Nonbinary people can also identify as lesbian. Some lesbians may also identify as gay or queer.

LGBTTTIQ: An acronym referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, two-spirit, intersex , and queer communities. 

LGBTQIA: An acronym referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual communities. 

LGBTQ+ : An acronym referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer/questioning, etc. communities.

LGBTQIA+: An acronym referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, etc. communities.

MSM: An acronym referring to a man who has sex with men regardless of whether they are heterosexual, bisexual or gay. This term is generally used for men who may not identify as gay but who have relations with other men in certain situations.

Monoamorous/Monogamous: People who only have relationships with one person at a time.

Monosexual: Referring to people with a sexual orientation or attraction toward people of only one gender whether they are heterosexual, gay, or lesbian.

Neptunic: A nonbinary person attracted to men.

Out or Out of the closet : The ongoing process of being open about one’s sexual orientation with other people.

Outing: Exposing someone’s sexual orientation without their prior consent. This can be very harmful as they may not be in an environment that's safe to come out in.

Omnisexual: Referring to a person whose sexuality is not limited to a particular sexual orientation.

Pansexual : Referring to a person who experiences a sexual orientation or romantic attraction to all persons regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.

Panromantic : Referring to a person who experiences romantic or emotional attraction to all persons regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.

Perioriented : Referring to a person with a sexual and romantic orientation toward the same gender. For example, being sexually interested in women and also romantically interested in women.

Polyamorous : A term referring to people who have relationships with more than one person at the same time.

Polysexual : A term referring to people who have a sexual orientation or romantic attraction to people of varying genders.

Pomosexual: A term referring to people who reject labels regarding their sexual identity or don’t identify as any particular label.

Queer: Historically this term was used in a derogatory way to refer to the LGBTQ community. This word has since been used in a positive way by individuals to convey their identity when they prefer not to use terms that depend on sexuality or gender such as lesbian or gay.

Questioning : The process through which an individual questions, explores, or discovers their sexual orientation.

Romantic Attraction: The process by which people have an emotional attraction and the desire to be in a romantic relationship with another person.

Same Gender Loving: Term used by the Black community to convey a same-gender sexual orientation.

Skoliosexual: Attraction to transsexual and genderqueer individuals and presentations.

Sexual Minorities : The subset of people who identify as LGBTQ.

Sexual Orientation: Referring to the enduring patterns or specific type of physical and emotional attraction that a person experiences toward other people. For example, heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual. Sexual orientation can change over the course of one’s life and depending on the situation.

Sexuality: How a person experiences romantic and sexual attraction.

Straight: Another term used to refer to people with a heterosexual orientation or who are attracted to people of the opposite gender or a different gender. This can include both people who are cisgender and transgender.

Sapiosexual : Referring to a person who experiences attraction based on the intelligence of another person rather than any other characteristic.

Sexual Attraction: The experience of sexual desire toward a person or group of people.

Sex Averse: Referring to people who are disinterested or averse to sexual behavior including those who are asexual.

Sex Favorable: Referring to people who are asexual but in some situations have positive feelings about sex.

Sex Indifferent: Referring to people who are asexual and feel neutral about sexual behavior.

Sex Repulsed: Referring to people who are asexual and are repulsed by sexual behavior or are very disinterested in sexual behavior.

Spectrasexual: Referring to people who are attracted to individuals of multiple genders.

Trixic: A nonbinary person attracted to women. Trixic people can also identify as lesbian.

Varioriented: When a person’s sexual interest and romantic orientation are not aimed at the same gender. For example, a man being romantically attracted to women (heteroromantic) but sexually attracted to both men and women (bisexual).

WSW: Referring to women who have sex with women. This can include lesbians, bisexual women, and heterosexual women. Not all women who fall into this category identify themselves as bisexual or lesbian.

A Word From Verywell

Remember that this list is not exhaustive and the terminology will change over time. While it is important to keep up with recent changes to terms, the best way to ensure that you are using inclusive language is to listen and ask someone what they identify with or what they prefer to be called.

When in doubt, don’t make assumptions based on your own social rubric or point of view, particularly if this involves a normative stance or the experience of being in a position of heterosexual privilege.

While you may not understand the need for being careful with your words, those who potentially face discrimination or prejudice daily will be appreciative of the effort you make to understand things from their point of view.

As terminology continues to evolve, you may also find that terms people prefer that you use also change. Rather than feeling frustrated by this request, acknowledge that you can’t understand what it’s like to be in the other person’s position and do what you can to be an ally and supporter.

Government of Canada. Gender and sexual diversity glossary .

National Institutes of Health. Sexual and gender minority .

By Arlin Cuncic, MA Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of The Anxiety Workbook and founder of the website About Social Anxiety. She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology.

Human Sexuality

Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff

On This Page

• Sexual Orientation
• Masturbation
• Monogamy and Polyamory

Sexual orientation is understood to be driven primarily by biology: Many sex characteristics are determined in the womb. Hormones are believed to play a role as well: Exposure to certain hormones during development may influence sexual behavior. When an individual’s sexual orientation emerges it could be androphilic (finding male bodies erotic), gynephilic (finding female bodies erotic), bisexual, asexual, or something else. Most people’s orientation can be seen on a continuum , with substantial variation even among heterosexuals or homosexuals.

Biological sex refers to your chromosomal makeup at birth. Gender identity is your self-concept of being male, female, or non-binary . Sexual orientation describes who you feel attracted to, whether heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, or pansexual.

Myths about bisexuality remain widely held in the culture—that it’s not a true orientation, that it’s a phase primarily experienced by young adults, or that people who believe they’re bisexual can’t be faithful to a partner. Research finds that none of these are true. About 16 percent of women and 5 percent of men claim to be neither straight or gay; only a small minority report having simultaneous relationships with both men and women.

Between 2 and 11 percent of the population report feeling same-sex attraction but since a higher percentage report having had same-sex experiences, the prevalence of people who have at least experienced some level of same-sex attraction is likely much higher; some of these individuals could be considered “mostly straight” or “mostly gay or lesbian.”

As much as 2 percent of the population experiences no sexual attraction . This sexual orientation is known as asexuality. But some asexuals do feel romantic attraction, and some are in committed long-term romantic relationships, which may include sexual acts.

While many people are reluctant to talk about it openly because of long-held stigmas, especially in religious or conservative communities, the practice is common, and, sexual health experts agree, masturbation is healthy , normal, and often emotionally beneficial. Masturbation is a safe way to discover what feels good and a way to relieve sexual tension, even within a committed relationship

Not necessarily. Masturbation is rarely the cause of problems in a relationship , but when a partner’s frequency of masturbation increases, or they come to prefer it to sex with their partner, it is likely a sign of a communication breakdown between a couple. Experts suggest open and honest dialog between partners about what arouses them, how often they desire to have sex (or not), and how each feels about the other masturbating.

Masturbation becomes a problem when an individual believes it’s a problem, no matter how often they do it. People who believe that they are addicted to sex or pornography, for example, do not generally masturbate more often than others who do not believe that they have a problem.

Excessive masturbation is believed to be prevalent among males with autism spectrum disorder; one case study reported that a 17-year-old male with high-functioning ASD experienced intrusive sexual thoughts and urges that led him to masturbate 25 to 30 times a day.

Human societies did not begin to embrace monogamy until the advent of monotheistic religions and the shift to primarily urban living arrangements. Before that—meaning for most of human history—men and women were primarily polygamous. Evolutionary theorists believe that men’s larger size relative to women, the fact that men tend to die younger, and men’s continued greater interest in mating with multiple partners are all leftovers of our history of polygamy .

Monogamy does not mean the same thing to every person, and when partners in committed relationships have not discussed their definitions of the term, problems can arise. One partner may feel strongly that masturbation is a violation of their monogamous relationship because it involves sex apart from each other (or while thinking of someone else).

Polyamory, or consensual nonmonogamy—maintaining more than one sexual relationship, with the knowledge and consent of all involved—is not the same as polygamy, which refers to having more than one spouse at the same time. One in five adults in the U.S. say they have had a consensual open relationship at some time. Strong communication skills are essential for the maintenance of polyamorous relationships, as are the maintenance of boundaries and the management of any feelings of jealousy .

There's nothing wrong with liking kinky sex, whatever that means to you. Yet some people stay away from sexual activities they enjoy because they see themselves as "not kinky."

Sexual abuse and coercion wound the core sense of self. It is difficult for male survivors to reach out for help because of shame and not being taken seriously.

Painful sex has several major causes. One of them can result from illness or general deconditioning. You can discreetly address one of the causes through an exercise.

Spaying and neutering dogs is not an effective means of behavioral control but exposes dogs to severe physiological risks and increased signs of aging.

When friends are sexually involved, but don't consider their relationship romantic, some enjoy greater freedom regarding life and sexuality.

New research suggests that people seek a polyamorous lifestyle because they want to live authentically according to their non-monogamous nature.

Is our obsession with sexual history rooted in our ancestral past? Dive into the evolutionary significance of "body count."

Often, partners in love relationships may be out of sync emotionally. This is not necessarily a time to panic; it may be part of a natural process.

It may feel like the easy desire you felt when first dating is dead, but it isn't. You just need to learn how to revive it.

Great relationships are not an accident. Extraordinary couples learn and practice what I call the Passion Triangle: intimacy, thrill, and sensuality.

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Department of Human Sexuality

Grounded, contextual engagement with current issues in sexuality to drive positive change

In this Section

Our Human Sexuality Ph.D. is an interdisciplinary program in critical sexuality studies, exploring the intersections of power and sexuality. Students explore the urgent challenges in the field and the best theoretical and methodological solutions to meet them.

What Our Faculty and Students Have to Say

Learn about our degree program that can be completed in a minimum of four years and 42.2 units.

Our program is important. It's urgent that we create more thought leaders around issues of sexuality and gender!”

Michelle Marzullo, Chair & Professor of Human Sexuality Department

I don't know how you could possibly go through this program and not transform in a variety of ways.”

Mallory Hanfling, Class of 2024, Human Sexuality Department

What I’m learning here in critical studies is helping me evolve as an advocate and activist.”

Courtney Johnson Benson, Class of 2027, Human Sexuality Department

The Human Sexuality department at CIIS draws professionals from many disciplines who are interested in furthering the scholarship of sexuality studies. We strive to provide an integral view of human sexuality that includes multiple perspectives and philosophies. Students are invited to explore desire, intimacy, identity, sexuality/gender, cultural influences, power and stigma, sexual response and practices, and reproduction.

The rigorous coursework invites students to create new knowledge via a scholar-practitioner model that allows for a deepening impact on scholarly insights and social change initiatives while remaining situated in the complexity of life. The department provides a rigorous academic environment and a way for you to engage in subject matter that will position professional work after graduation.

The program’s model moves you towards a grounded, contextual engagement with current issues in sexuality that have real material impact on people’s lives. Some examples of real-world inquiries pursued are:

• Black women’s sexual freedom 
• Sex trafficking amongst Indigenous girls and women in Canada 
• Clinical approaches to polyamory amongst millennials 
• Examining self-compassion techniques for women dealing with the aftermath of sexual violence and trauma

Our Programs

CIIS offers a Ph.D. as well as a certificate in Sex Therapy to advance your understanding of human sexuality. 

Ph.D in Human Sexuality Studies - Our Ph.D. curriculum is designed for individuals who wish to gain further expertise after having obtained a master’s degree.

The Sex Therapy Certificate

The Sex Therapy Certificate - CIIS offers a Sex Therapy Certificate through our Public Programs department. The certificate program is open to all.

Faculty Research and Scholarship

Our faculty explore a wide variety of topics, including social and economic justice issues for the LGBTQ+ community, the biopolitics of HIV prevention, and the reproductive journeys of transgender and nonbinary people.

Celebrating Black Sexual Freedom: Prioritizing Accurate Research of Black Sexuality

Check out this piece by recent alumna and current faculty member Erika Burns who contributed a chapter to the book Locating Critical Sexuality: Forecasting Trends in Sexual Politics, Diversity and Pedagogy which happened to also be edited by program chair, Michelle Marzullo. 

Mothering in the Margin: A Narrative Inquiry of Women with Children in a Homeless Shelter

Professor Katharina Azim's current research centers around women’s reproductive health, agency, and rights in the United States. In this paper she dives into the way "appropriate mothering" is deeply dependent on the assumptions surrounding a parent's context and situation. 

Heterosexuals’ Attitudes Toward Transgender People: Findings from a National Probability Sample of US Adults

In this paper, professor Aaron Norton tests various hypotheses about correlations between a binary conception of gender and propensity for psychological authoritarianism, political conservatism, and anti-egalitarianism, and religiosity.

The Human Sexuality Ph.D. curriculum is taught both online and during in-person academic residencies. For full-time students, the first two years of coursework are held asynchronously online and in-person, weekend-long (starting Friday morning and ending Sunday evening) academic residencies. There are three academic residency weekends per semester during coursework.

After coursework and during the comprehensive examinations and dissertation phases, students are not expected to travel to campus. Students are expected to be active participants online and at residencies, use our online learning management system for dialogue, submit their assignments, and follow the course curriculum with daily interaction.

The benefit of a hybrid program means that students do not need to relocate to San Francisco to pursue this degree. Being an online hybrid makes our program available to more people, and enriches the student dialogue in sexuality studies by integrating student perspectives from different places around the U.S. and internationally.

At the same time, by coming together for academic residencies, students build rapport with each other and faculty, which facilitates a more in-depth and meaningful discussion around sexuality, as well as a sense of community for supporting and networking with peers through coursework, dissertation, and as alumni. Dissertation defenses are conducted virtually via video conference given that our students and their colleagues, family and friends are located across the globe.

The three academic residency weekends are generally held within the first two weeks of the semester, around the middle of the semester, and two weeks before the end of the semester.

Learn the most current, upcoming academic residency dates from our Admissions Counselors. Enrolled students will be informed of changes.

Academic residency schedules for a given semester are communicated to all students at least one week before a semester begins and align with course times listed in the course registration portal under each course.

Courses in the Human Sexuality Ph.D. program guide students through the history of sexuality studies, including paying close attention to the ways that white, Western ideas of sexuality laid the groundwork for much of the early field.

Beginning with a critical engagement with the historicity of sexuality studies allows our program to, from the very first semester, engage with the vibrant interventions and reclamation of the field from previously silenced voices.

More specifically, our program centrally includes scholarship by and for those who are positively shaping and expanding the field in recent decades to on issues related to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) LGBTQ+, women of color (WOC), and intersections between sexuality and transgender experience.

We join these content-based courses with courses that build research skills in multiple methodologies (or ways of thinking about theory as applied to the practice of research) as well as teaching about qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods (ways of doing research).

Together, our curricula joined with the scholar-practitioner model shapes the engaged and timely critical sexuality studies coming out of our department.

Full-time students can expect to complete the degree within five to six years with some taking less time and some more time dependent on the dissertation project.

For full-time study, there are two years of coursework (three courses per semester), one semester of comprehensive exams (if passed on the first try), and dissertation preparation/research. Once the coursework and comprehensive exams are complete, students dive into the dissertation process with support from their dissertation committee.

The U.S. Department of Education sets a maximum of 10 years from the date of enrollment to complete the program. But once a student becomes a dissertation candidate, CIIS faculty have set the timeline of four years to complete the dissertation project and graduate.

We schedule academic residencies for three long weekends each semester, with the intention of not cutting too deeply into the standard workweek. However, full-time students can expect roughly 40 hours of schoolwork each week as they participate in online discussion forums, and complete reading and writing assignments.

Many students do work full-time during coursework and balance this load by setting up flexible work arrangements, switching jobs to allow more time for school, or using time off to complete assignments when needed during the semester. We would be happy to put you in touch with current students to get a better idea of how they manage their schedules.

It is possible to attend the program part-time at two courses per semester, rather than three. Students who do this will straddle two cohorts.

Yes, you can. You will be provisionally accepted to our program until you submit the final transcript from your master’s program.

Our program is the second accredited Human Sexuality Ph.D. program in the United States. It supports student interests, careers, and personal development, to shape competent, sexually literate, and diverse human sexuality thought leaders.

Some students may work in research, clinical settings, education, advocacy, or at for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, or start-up independent consulting practices. Students may enhance their current practice (consulting, therapy, coaching, family medicine, etc.), develop best practices for the field, improve their academic and professional writing and research, increase their professional acumen and networks, develop policy briefs, and create change. 

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Online with Skylar Hall. Focus programs: Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.), Human Sexuality (Ph.D.), Transformative Leadership (M.A.), Transformative Studies (Ph.D.).

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A wide-ranging discussion with the Human Sexuality Ph.D. program's new faculty member

Lavender Languages Legacy: The No Attitude, Community-Building Conference Comes to CIIS

Scholars in queer linguistics, language, and sexuality share about their experience going to the Lavender Language conferences of the past

Lavender Languages Institute Finds Safe Haven at CIIS

When Florida laws threatened queer scholarship, CIIS provided a new home

PH.D. IN CLINICAL SEXOLOGY PROGRAM

STAND OUT FROM THE REST

Modern sex therapy institutes now offers a doctorate in clinical sexology, the clinical sexology ph.d. program is geared for mental health, educators, pastoral, medical, and other healthcare professionals who want to further their education and expand their practice and services to help individuals and couples who are dealing with relationship and sexual issues, and who want to achieve an advanced degree..

After completion of our Ph.D. in Clinical Sexology program, professionals “will be able to offer education, resources, tools, therapy, and techniques they previously could not in order to help clients with their own sexual comfort, expression, functioning, activity, and growth,” reports Rachel Needle, PsyD, Co-Director of Modern Sex Therapy Institutes’ Clinical Sexology Ph.D. program.

Once you receive your letter of acceptance to the Ph.D. program, you will receive instructions for different payment options to include paying the tuition in full ($19,000), by semester (4 month period of time) $3,168 or monthly ($792).

AASECT certified professionals will attend one semester less of education and thus will pay one semester less in tuition ($3,168 off)

A $100 non-refundable deposit is required to process your application.

Licensed by the florida commission for independent education, license no. 6467.

Dissertation or Doctoral Project

We know what a daunting process this can be, so we make sure our student receive much guidance and support from the very beginning. We have options for meetings with Supervisor of Dissertation, Nicole Prause, Ph.D. and our Supervisor of Doctoral Projects, James Wadley, Ph.D. available weekly.

We offer open enrollment, so you can begin anytime.

Click Here To Download The Printable Version Download, complete and email to [email protected]

What can you expect in this program?

The program components include 40 credit hours of core coursework, 20 credit hours of dissertation work (10 credit hours of dissertation research and 10 credit hours of dissertation defense), 50 clock hours of clinical supervision, and a comprehensive exam. the length of time to complete the program is two years. admission is rolling so you can begin at any time. this program meets all aasect requirements for those interested., additional benefits unique, to modern sex therapy institutes.

MSTI is an all-inclusive program and meets ALL AASECT requirements so no need to seek out a supervisor and pay anything additional

FUTURE TRAINING AND CONFERENCES AT A DISCOUNT

Program Tuition

Tuition is $19,000. Students have flexibility in payments and have up to two years to complete tuition payments without penalties.

MSTI strives to work with everyone so that finances are not an obstacle. MSTI offers flexible payment plans so that you can begin your journey to become a certified sexuality professional. We also offer customized payment plans.

More Questions?

Review our faq page.

Unique Qualifications of Modern Sex Therapy Institutes

“Sex therapy is an unregulated field in all states except Florida, which means many people who have licenses to practice therapy can call themselves sex therapists without formal training,” Dr. Needle states. “It is a good idea for clients to ask therapists about their training in sex and relationships when those are the issues they are coming in with” she notes.

Modern Sex Therapy Institutes has been offering Continuing Education (CE) and Sex Therapy Certification for over 10 years, providing the most flexible scheduling, course, and payment options in the market! With over 300 workshops to choose from, you can get all of your CE Hours for AASECT (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists) or your license in person in 8 states, online via live (Zoom) webinars, or via video recordings.

Modern Sex Therapy Institutes is an AASECT, APA, and NBCC approved CE provider and offers Certification in Sex Therapy, Counseling and Education and Renewal CE Hours.

Rooted in the core principles of sex therapy, MSTI takes a true, multidisciplinary approach, by integrating cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic, relational, and systemic approaches within the emerging field of sexual medicine. Our training programs are trailblazing new pathways into the future of integrative sex therapy by providing mental health and medical professionals a robust and growing foundation for healing, improving relationships, and sexual well-being.

In addition, the institutes’ directors will work with students individually to help ensure they meet all education, supervision, and dissertation requirements for completion of the degree and certification including guiding them through the application process.

For more information on the Clinical Sexology Ph.D. program or any programs offered through Modern Sex Therapy Institutes, contact Rachel Needle, Psy.D., Co-director of Modern Sex Therapy Institutes, at  [email protected] , or call 561.379.7207.

Modern Sex Therapy Institutes is located at 2161 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd, Suite 207 West Palm Beach, FL 33409

Rachel Needle, Psy.D. and Richard Siegel, Ph.D., LMHC, CST, oversee the Clinical Sexology doctorate program.

What other programs does MSTI offer?

Sexually Competent Therapist Certification

Certified Sexual Compulsivity Informed Professional

Certified Neurodiverse Sexuality Aware Professional

Certified LGBTQIA+ Informed Professional

Certified Sexual Trauma Informed Therapist

Certified Kink Conscious Professional

Sex Informed Therapist Certification

Somatic Sex Therapist Certification

Neurodiversity Sexuality Professional Certification

Aasect certifications, aasect certified sex therapist.

Potential AASECT Certified Sex Therapists are mental health professionals, trained to provide in-depth psychotherapy, who have specialized in treating clients with sexual issues and concerns. They are either licensed, or in the absence of required licensure, they are certified, registered, or clinical members of a national psychotherapy organization. Sex therapists work with sexual concerns and, in addition, where appropriate, are prepared to provide comprehensive and intensive psychotherapy over an extended period of time in more complex cases. Minimum degree required is a Master’s degree. The sex therapy certification program is for all students that are currently enrolled in a mental health graduate program and mental health professionals who are licensed in their states or provinces to provide mental health care and have completed graduate school for clinical training in their professional area. Applicable professional degrees may include a PhD, MD, MSW, or MA, Masters in MFT. If you are an educator and are interested in obtaining AASECT Certification as a Sexuality Educator, please email us.

AASECT CERTIFIED SEXUALITY EDUCATOR

Aasect certified sexuality counselor.

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Modern sex therapy institutes, 2161 palm beach lakes blvd, suite 207 west palm beach, fl 33409, for questions and interest: 561-379-7207, for current students: (772)-209-9353, [email protected], cancellation policy, modern sex therapy institutes is part of the advanced mental health training institute (amhti)..

AMHTI is approved as a provider of continuing education by numerous national agencies and routinely applies for continuing education credits for professionals from state agencies when needed.

There are many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations that will grant continuing education credit for attendance at AMHTI’s seminars and activities. If you have questions as to whether AMHTI’s continuing education credits will count for your state, please contact us.

AMHTI is an approved provider with the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling . Provider#: 50-11996. AMHTI is an approved provider with the The Florida Certification Board. Provider #5273-A.

AMHTI is an approved provider with the  American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) . Provider # 07-110-J.

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Ph.D. Minor: Human Sexuality

This minor is co-directed by the Kinsey Institute and the Interdepartmental Graduate Committee on Human Sexuality. The Human Sexuality Program offers a doctoral minor of 12 credits from related interdisciplinary subject areas.

The Human Sexuality minor is intended for students currently enrolled in doctoral programs such as:

• Gender studies
• Health behavior

Selecting an advisor

Students should select an advisor from our list of  Kinsey Institute affiliated faculty

Course requirements

Only one core course (K690, H555, or S522) is required. Students may take all courses for credit toward the minor, with the remaining hours being selected—upon consent of the student’s minor area faculty advisor—from other courses that have a major emphasis on sexuality. 

Stating intention

All students intending to complete the Ph.D. minor in Human Sexuality should notify the program co-chairs:

William Yarber, H.S.D. Applied Health Science Indiana University Bloomington, IN (812) 855-7974 Email

Justin R. Garcia, Ph.D. Kinsey Institute Indiana University Bloomington, IN (812) 855-7586 Email

Core Courses

Ph.D. minors must take at least one of the following core courses. Remaining hours should be determined with the minor-area faculty advisor and approved by the program co-chairs.

Affiliated Faculty

The following faculty are members in the University Graduate School faculty and have the endorsement to direct doctoral disser­tations. For a complete list of faculty members, please see the University Graduate School Bulletin .

• Judith Allen (History)
• C. Sue Carter (Biology, Kinsey Institute)
• Gracia Clark (Anthropology)
• Justin R. Garcia (Gender Studies, Kinsey Institute)
• Julia R. Heiman (Psychological and Brain Sciences, Psychiatry)
• Sumie Jones (Emerita, Comparative Literature, East Asian Languages and Cultures)
• Stephanie Kane (Criminal Justice)
• Noretta Koertge (Emerita, History and Philosophy of Science)
• Beth Meyerson (Applied Health Science)
• Jean Robinson (Political Science)
• Stephanie A. Sanders (Gender Studies, Kinsey Institute)
• David H. Smith (Emeritus, Religious Studies)
• Beverly Stoeltje (Anthropology)
• Virginia J. Vitzthum (Anthropology)
• Martin Weinberg (Sociology)
• Brenda Weber (Gender Studies)
• Colin Williams (Sociology, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis)
• Paul Wright (Media School)

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abbreviation or noun

Definition of phd, examples of phd in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'PhD.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

New Latin philosophiae doctor

1839, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near PhD

Cite this entry.

“PhD.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/PhD. Accessed 8 May. 2024.

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Stormy Daniels’ Turn as a Witness Brings Home What This Trial Is About

Imagine if this story had come out right after the access hollywood tape..

Read our ongoing coverage of Donald Trump’s  first criminal trial here .

On Tuesday, the main event of Donald Trump’s criminal trial swept through the courtroom as the woman at the center of the hush money scandal, Stormy Daniels herself, showed up to testify against the former president. Trump previewed that it would be a big day when he posted on Truth Social—and then deleted—his apparent frustration that she was being allowed to testify. But the emotional intensity of having the woman at the center of this scandal describe her sexual encounter with Donald Trump that led to his arrest 17 years later—in front of the former president and his son, Eric, who was also present—is hard to describe.

There was a heaviness in the air, even if the former president’s main reaction to Daniels’ testimony was—as he’s done throughout the proceedings—to simply close his eyes. (Longtime Trump reporter Maggie Haberman wrote for the New York Times that an adviser told her Trump does this to “keep from blowing up,” adding that on Tuesday, he was “looking like his face is going to crack from tension.”)

After some brief objections at the start of the day over the level of detail offered by Daniels, the judge ruled that she would be allowed to describe some details of what happened, but guided the prosecution to keep it underdeveloped so as to not be “overly prejudicial” to the defense. Daniels, who was wearing a black hooded sweater and dark glasses, is famously open about her long career in the porn industry, as both a director and an actor. “How she ended up having a sexual act with him and in terms of the sexual act, it will be very basic,” prosecutor Susan Hoffinger promised. “It’s not going to include discussions of genitalia or anything of that nature.”

“There will be some details, very brief about the sexual act, very brief,” Hoffinger added.

Justice Juan Merchan laughed awkwardly at this, saying that we “don’t need” all the details, but he offered the prosecution some leeway to help them to establish Daniels’ credibility (which is sure to come under blistering assault on cross-examination this afternoon). Both Daniels and Hoffinger took full advantage of this leeway—and Trump’s team at times seemed slow to object, to the point that the jury ended up hearing a lot more details of the encounter than most in the courtroom were expecting.

“It’s fucking insane what the jury heard this morning,” said one journalist upon return after lunch.

What they heard was a full account of Trump’s encounter with Daniels that laid out in precise detail every aspect of the meeting (including that the sex itself was “brief”). What was perhaps the most jarring, particularly on the heels of last week’s testimony from Hope Hicks about the infamous Access Hollywood tape, is that this telling described the interaction as sexual coercion bordering on assault.

What Daniels shared was this: After a two-hour conversation in a hotel suite following a meeting at a celebrity golf tournament in Tahoe, Daniels testified that she went into the bathroom to use the facilities (where she pried through his toiletry bag, which included Old Spice, Pert Plus, and gold tweezers). When she left the room, Daniels says Trump had removed most of his clothes and was sitting on the bed in his boxers and a T-shirt. He then got between her and the door. “The next thing I know I was on the opposite side of the bed … I had my clothes and my shoes off,” Daniels testified. “We were [in] missionary position.”

Objection! Sustained.

“Do you know how your clothes came off?”

Objection! Sustained

“Did you end up having sex with him on the bed?”

“Do you have a memory of feeling anything unusual?”

“That I was staring up at the ceiling and didn’t know how I got there.”

“Did you touch his skin?”

Objection! Sustained!

“Was he wearing a condom?”

From this point on, Merchan kept a much tighter leash on the direct examination, which had strayed way beyond what the judge said he had intended.

Stormy Daniels did tell her story, though, on the record, under oath. According to Daniels, after the encounter she met up with Trump again while in Tahoe and was introduced to NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who, like Trump, has been accused repeatedly of sexual assault . “He introduced me as his little friend Stormy to Big Ben the football player and we sat down,” Daniels said. She said she tried on Roethlisberger’s Super Bowl ring, and Trump asked him to walk her home to her hotel room. This is relevant because Hope Hicks had testified on Friday to overhearing conversations about interactions between Roethlisberger and Daniels from Trump and his bodyguard, Keith Schiller, during the campaign itself, which would seem to corroborate part of Daniels’ story.

Daniels, for her part, came off as relatably as possible for an adult film performer describing a sexual encounter with a former president. She talked about how she was in the top 10 percent of her magnet-school class and had been on the high school newspaper. She gave what sounded like a made-for-TV account of a young woman from a poor and abusive household just stumbling into this line of work. She tried to make jokes about the porn industry and laughed awkwardly herself as nobody in the courtroom joined her. At one point, the Baton Rouge native apologized awkwardly for her accent. She seemed incredibly nervous and talked fast—so fast, in fact, that both the judge and Hoffinger had to ask her to slow down several times in order for the court reporter to be able to take in everything she was saying. The speed of her description is one reason why she testified to multiple things that the judge had to strike from the record, including that right before they actually had sex, she says Trump told her, “If you ever want to get out of that trailer park,” before she was cut off with an objection. The jury was told to disregard those remarks. Daniels also repeatedly testified how she planned her subsequent meetings with Trump to be in public because she knew that would be “safe,” which again was consistently objected to and stricken from the record.

This was the weight in that courtroom. The story Stormy Daniels told was one of sexual coercion. That reality makes clear that it was a story that—had it come out in the days after the release of the Access Hollywood tape prior to the 2016 election—might have made a difference in a race that was decided by some 120,000-plus votes in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

So damning—and, contrary to the judge’s instructions, detailed—was the account Stormy gave that upon returning from lunch, Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche asked the court for a mistrial.

“The court set guardrails for this testimony and the guardrails … were just thrown to the side,” Blanche testified. “There’s no way to unring the bell, in our view.”

Hoffinger argued that the prosecution opened the door for much of the testimony by attacking Daniels’ character in cross-examinations of previous witnesses . She also noted that Daniels testified that she never felt verbally of physically threatened by Trump, and that she testified that she never told Trump “no.”

Merchan heard both sides and ultimately decided that, while “I do think there were guardrails in place” and that “there were some things that probably would have been better off left unsaid,” a mistrial was not yet “warranted.”

Merchan noted, skeptically, that the defense was not nearly quick or vigorous enough to issue objections, suggesting perhaps they were fishing for this set of events and perhaps a mistrial.

“I will note that where there were objections, the objections were for the most part sustained,” Merchan said. “I’ll also note that I was surprised that there were not more objections.” Merchan ultimately, in fact, put a halt to part of the testimony himself without prompting from the defense “because there was no objection from the defense.”

Merchan also argued that the prosecutors did not overextend, but Daniels herself elaborated on testimony needlessly.

“In fairness to the people, I think the witness was a little difficult to control,” Merchan said. “I tried to control the witness. It was not easy.”

Prior to restarting direct examination, the judge told the court that Hoffinger was instructing Daniels to “stay focused” and “not provide any unnecessary narrative” in the afternoon’s testimony.

When she came back to answer the rest of the direct questioning, her responses were already much more brief and straightforward. It doesn’t change the narrative Daniels told: This time, she was testifying about a 2011 threat in a parking lot from a Trump goon that she testified prompted her to seek to sell her story in order to create a paper “trail” for her own safety. “I was afraid that if it wasn’t done before the [election] and things, that I wouldn’t be safe,” she said.

The heaviness of Daniels’ testimony was felt throughout the courtroom and throughout the day. When Eric Trump walked out during the morning break—before most of these fireworks had even happened—he looked absolutely ashen.

Drake responds to Kendrick Lamar's 'paedophile' allegations as nasty rap feud escalates

The ongoing feud between two of rap's biggest stars escalated over the weekend as they traded diss tracks with increasingly severe personal attacks and allegations.

This past week, there's been a five-song volley between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, extending a long-running beef that dates back more than a decade but was reignited earlier this year .

Now, the music has taken a decidedly dark turn, featuring allegations of domestic violence, secret children, paedophilia, addiction and more.

Canadian rapper and commercial powerhouse Drake has fired the latest salvo, a new track titled The Heart Part 6, on which he responds to accusations of paedophilia made by Pulitzer-prize-winning Compton rapper Lamar.

"Drake is not a name that you gonna see on no sex offender list," he raps.

"If I was f***ing young girls, I promise I'd have been arrested/I'm way too famous for this shit you just suggested."

To fully appreciate the weight and context of who said what, let's walk through the recent time line of this explosive war of words that has set social media ablaze.

Kendrick Lamar goes after Drake in back-to-back songs

On April 30, Kendrick Lamar released Euphoria, a scathing 6-minute, multi-part attack on Drake made in retaliation to the latter's diss tracks Push Ups, and Taylor Made Freestyle.

The song addressed multiple talking points that have surfaced since Lamar first went after Drake on the US chart-topping song Like That by Future and Metro Boomin.

Lamar followed up Euphoria on Friday with 6:16 In LA, a woozy track in which he tauntingly suggested that insiders at Drake's record label OVO Sound were providing Lamar with leaked information.

"Have you ever thought that OVO was working for me? … / Everyone inside your team's whispering that you deserve it," Lamar raps over a lush sample of Al Green's What A Wonderful Thing Love Is — a strategic diss towards the fact that Drake's uncle, Mabon 'Teenie' Hodges, played on the track.

Drake fires back with Family Matters

On Friday night, Drake responded to the back-to-back diss tracks with Family Matters. In the 7-minute song, with multiple beat switches, he shot back at Lamar as well as other A-lister enemies, including The Weeknd and rappers A$AP Rocky and Rick Ross.

Most of the track's vitriol is focused on Lamar. "Kendrick just opened his mouth/Someone go hand him a Grammy right now," Drake mockingly spits.

Drake also replies to Lamar's attack on his qualities as a father ("You mentioned my seed, now deal with his dad/ I gotta go bad") and taunts Lamar by insinuating his cousin and collaborator Baby Keem ghostwrites for him ("K.Dot shit is only hitting hard when Baby Keem put his pen to it").

He also claims Kendrick contacted the estate of the late Tupac "2Pac" Shakur and begged them to get Drake's track Taylor Made Freestyle taken off the internet. (The track used an AI-generated fake of Shakur's voice, prompting 2Pac's estate to threaten legal action, and Drake to subsequently remove the track from the internet .)

Drake concludes Family Matters with his nastiest bombshell, alleging Lamar physically abuses his fiancee Whitney Alford and that one of their children was fathered by Kendrick's business partner, Dave Free.

"[You] hired a crisis management team to clean up the fact that you beat on your queen," he raps, and questions why Lamar and Alford aren't married when they've been engaged since 2015.

"I'm guessin' this wedding ain't happenin', right? / 'Cause we know the girls that you actually like / Your darkest secrets are comin' to light."

Family Matters was accompanied by a music video with symbolic footage of a black panel van being crushed — the same make and model seen on the cover of Lamar's breakout 2012 album good kid, M.A.A.D City.

Drake is also seen sporting a similar ring to one worn by Lamar's wife and dining with friends at New Ho King — a Toronto restaurant that's seen its business booming since it was namechecked in Kendrick Lamar's Euphoria.

Lamar takes the gloves off on Meet The Grahams

Before some fans had even finished listening to Family Matters, Lamar released a third diss track, titled Meet The Grahams, undercutting the attention on Drake's release less than an hour after it dropped.

Over a murky, fragmented soul beat, Lamar addresses each verse of the track to a member of Drake's family, beginning with his six-year-old son, Adonis Graham.

"Dear Adonis, I'm sorry that that man is your father," he raps in the opening bars.

"Let me be honest, it takes a man to be a man, your dad is not responsive / I look at him and wish your grandpa woulda wore a condom."

He then addresses Drake's parents, Sandi and Dennis Graham, labelling their son a "master manipulator" and a "sick man" with a "nympho fetish". Lamar also alleges Drake grooms young women, alluding to accusations that have swirled around the rapper for years.

The biggest revelation? Lamar alleges Drake has secretly fathered and is neglecting a young daughter, echoing the 2018 diss track from Pusha T that publicly revealed that Drake was "hiding" his son, Adonis.

The closing verse is directed at Drake himself, with Lamar concluding:

"You lied about your son, you lied about your daughter, huh You lied about them other kids that's out there hopin' that you come You lied about the only artist that can offer you some help F*** a rap battle, this a long life battle with yourself"

Lamar unleashes third diss track in 36 hours

Not giving Drake a chance to respond, the following morning (Sunday, May 5) Lamar unleashed yet another payload, a diss track titled Not Like Us.

Far lighter in tone and featuring a West Coast beat from producer Mustard, the track sees Lamar doubling down on accusations Drake is an alleged sexual predator and "paedophile".

The artwork for the single also depicts Drake's Toronto mansion, known colloquially as "The Embassy", plastered with sexual offender map markers.

The track also fires shots at some of Drake's OVO affiliates, including head of security Nessel "Chubbs" Beezer ("… the only one that get your hand-me-downs") and songwriter PartyNextDoor ("Party at the party playin' wit' his nose").

There's also a couplet referencing Drake's 2021 album Certified Lover Boy that targets Baka Not Nice, an OVO signee who was convicted of assault and accused of human trafficking charges:

"Baka got a weird case/Why is he around?/Certified Lover Boys, certified paedophiles".

Drake denies Lamar's claims in The Heart Part 6

Capping a very busy weekend, Drake released The Heart Part 6 — pinching its title from a long-running series of tracks Lamar started in 2010.

The Toronto rapper denies Lamar's allegations of paedophilia and sex offending.

"This [Jeffrey] Epstein angle was the shit I expected," raps Drake, referencing Lamar's 2022 song Mother I Sober .

"Ahh, wait a second, that's that one record where you say you got molested/ Aw, f*** me, I just made the whole connection," he continues.

"That's why these paedophile raps is s*** you so obsessed with, it's so excessive … I never been with no-one underage but now I understand why this is the angle you really mess with."

Regarding secretly fathering other children, Drake claims he intentionally planted false information in the hopes Lamar would use it as ammunition in his tracks ("We plotted for a week and then we fed you the information").

In a spoken-word outro, Drake notes: "I'm not gonna lie, this shit was some good exercise. It's good to get out, get the pen working." But he mocks Lamar for "triplin' down on some whole other bullshit …".

He concludes: "Everything in my shit is facts. I'm waitin' on you to return the favour."

Given how intense the back and forth has gotten, and the increasing speed at which the two are releasing new music to discredit the other, you can be sure there'll be a new chapter in the ongoing Kendrick and Drake saga soon enough.

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Kevin spacey to stand trial in u.k., again, over sexual assault civil claim (report).

Earlier this year, a judge had granted the unnamed claimant "judgment in default," meaning a ruling in his favor without a trial, after Spacey's legal team missed a deadline; now the case is going to trial.

By Georg Szalai

Georg Szalai

Global Business Editor

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Kevin Spacey is due to stand trial in the U.K. again, likely in 2025, over a lawsuit by a man, who alleges that the actor sexually assaulted him, Reuters reported .

The alleged sexual assault took place in August 2008, with the trial on Tuesday expected to start in early 2025, Reuters reported. The actor has denied the allegations.

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Earlier this year, a judge granted the unnamed claimant in the civil case “judgment in default,” meaning a ruling in his favor without a trial, after Spacey’s legal team missed a deadline to formally submit a defense. A judge on Tuesday overturned that decision; Spacey didn’t attend the court date. “The defendant’s solicitors have made an error,” the judge said, according to Reuters . “In my view, that error should not be visited upon the defendant.”

The civil claim, which was originally filed in July 2022, was put on hold until the outcome of the criminal trial against the star. In the summer of 2023, Spacey was acquitted of several sexual assault charges in a high-profile criminal trial in London. A jury found him not guilty of nine charges , including sexual assault and indecent assault, following allegations by four men. The charges were dated between 2001 and 2013, most relating to the period when the two-time Oscar winner was the artistic director of London’s Old Vic Theatre, a position he held from 2004 to 2015.

The news of another U.K. trial follows the airing this weekend of a new Channel 4 documentary that offered a “forensic look” at the Oscar winner’s rise to stardom and his alleged sexual misconduct. Spacey Unmasked  featured 10 men telling their stories of alleged abuse at the hands of Spacey. None of them were involved in the London criminal trial, and all but one have never spoken out before.

“I’ve got nothing left to hide,” Spacey also told former U.K. broadcaster Dan Wootton during a two-hour, 20-minute interview entitled  Kevin Spacey: Right of Reply,   which streamed on X  (formerly Twitter).

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United Methodist Church lifts bans on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex weddings

Jason DeRose

Angie Cox, left, and Joelle Henneman hug after an approval vote at the United Methodist Church General Conference that repealed their church's longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex weddings. Chris Carlson/AP hide caption

Angie Cox, left, and Joelle Henneman hug after an approval vote at the United Methodist Church General Conference that repealed their church's longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex weddings.

The United Methodist Church, one of the largest Protestant denominations in the U.S., has voted to repeal its ban on LGBTQ clergy as well as prohibitions on its ministers from officiating at same-sex weddings.

Delegates overwhelmingly approved the changes, 692 to 51, during the United Methodist Church's General Conference.

The meeting is taking place this week in Charlotte, N.C. after the pandemic delayed the 2020 General Conference where these decisions had been slated to take place.

The tone of the Charlotte meeting has been decidedly upbeat, in sharp contrast with the last, highly contentious global meeting back in 2019, when heated floor debates left many feeling hurt.

Congregations leave United Methodist Church over defiance of LGBTQ bans

In fact, there was no floor debate over the clergy and marriages rules this time around. Rather, they were included on a consent agenda.

However, in the years leading up to this General Conference, about one-quarter of United Methodist congregations in the U-S left the denomination. Those congregations tended to be among the most conservative in the church. Their departure made the decisions this year less fraught.

Some of those departing congregations left to form the more conservative Global Methodist Church and others decided to become independent. The main reason many of those congregations left the denomination is that despite the church's official rules against LGBTQ clergy and same-sex weddings, some local geographic conferences chose to not enforce them.

50 Years After Stonewall

The culture wars live on between the lgbtq rights movement and the religious right.

Last week, the United Methodist Church voted on a "regionalization" plan that would allow various geographic regions of the church — North America, Europe, Africa, and elsewhere — to make their own rules regarding LGBTQ clergy and same-sex weddings. That move eased the way for United Methodists in more conservative parts of the world to develop their own rules for ministers and marriages.

Shortly after the vote today in Charlotte, spontaneous celebrations erupted on the conference center floor. Hundreds of people began cheering and singing. One of the hymn lyrics distinguishable in the crowd was, "You are a child, you are a child of God."

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Norman Kansfield, 83, Dies; Defrocked for His Daughter’s Same-Sex Wedding

His decision to officiate at the ceremony prompted a debate within the Reformed Church in America that led ultimately to a schism.

By Alex Traub

For most of his life, the Rev. Dr. Norman Kansfield seemed to personify the Reformed Church in America.

To an extraordinary extent, he had grown up in the world of his church’s 17th-century Dutch founders. His hometown, South Holland, Ill., consisted largely of descendants of Dutch immigrants who still spoke the language and farmed onion seedlings. Social distinctions did not rest on who kept the Sabbath — pretty much everybody did that — so much as on who peeled their potatoes on Saturdays, in order to more fully avoid labor on Sundays. (His family would not so much as mow the lawn.)

Dr. Kansfield grew up to be a professor of theology, the denomination’s most esteemed rank, and president of the school that trains its ministers, the New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Jersey, which is the oldest seminary in the United States. On special occasions, he gave sermons in Dutch.

So when his daughter, Ann Kansfield, was considering coming out of the closet to him, she was nervous. After she did, Dr. Kansfield went beyond responding with warm acceptance. Years later, in June 2004, he insisted that he officiate at her wedding, held in Massachusetts weeks after the state legalized same-sex marriage.

“Clad in his church vestments, he read with emotion from the Book of Isaiah about a God who extends his kingdom of love beyond Israel to cover foreigners and eunuchs,” The Star-Ledger of Newark reported .

There had been no other known instance of a Reformed minister officiating at a same-sex wedding. Earlier the same year, the General Synod, the church’s annual meeting, had voted to affirm the definition of marriage “as the union of one man and one woman.”

Dr. Kansfield told The Bergen Record that he realized his choice might provoke a “dust-up.” It led to much more: his termination as seminary president, the first trial of a Reformed minister in 100 years, his defrocking, and the start of an existential debate among church members, which helped to produce a major schism nearly 20 years later.

“People presume I have been on a crusade,” he told The Associated Press in 2005. “In point of fact, I’m a conservative theologian. I would not do anything that goes against the church.”

Conservative, perhaps — but not conventional.

“He would say his orthodox theology is what assured he became a social liberal,” his daughter, who is herself a graduate of the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, said in a phone interview.

Dr. Kansfield died on Jan. 27 at a hospital in Manhattan. The cause was complications of a series of infections, including pneumonia, his daughter said. He was 83. His death was not widely reported, and The New York Times was only recently informed of it.

Within days, news of Ann’s wedding spread among members of the Reformed church. In January 2005, the seminary’s board fired him. At the General Synod in June, he went on trial.

“I support marriage — marriage in its broadest possible context so that it can do the most good for our whole society,” Dr. Kansfield said in his testimony. He added that ministers were not asked “to pledge ourselves to the unity, purity and peace of the church, but to the things that make for unity, purity and peace.”

The Synod found otherwise. It pronounced him guilty of failing to keep his ordination vows, to heed the admonitions of the General Synod and to keep the faith of the denomination. He lost his status as a professor of theology and was defrocked as a minister. He prepared to move out of the 139-year-old president’s home on the seminary grounds.

“I’ve never lived apart from the Reformed Church,” he told The Record.

Norman Jay Kansfield was born on March 24, 1940, in East Chicago, Ind. His father, Orval, was a truck driver, and his mother, Margaret (Norman) Kansfield, was a secretary at the local office of the Reformed Church in South Holland, where the family moved shortly after Norm’s birth.

As a young man, he earned five academic degrees, studying two subjects, library science and religion (mainly the Old Testament).

He took pre-seminary coursework at Hope College in Michigan, where he developed a crush on a young woman named Mary Klein when he saw her playing a hymn on a piano inside a sorority house. He graduated in 1962, and they married in 1965.

Dr. Kansfield was a pastor and librarian at a number of institutions in the Midwest and the Northeast. He extolled the past of the Reformed Church — believing that, centuries ago, theology had been a matter of everyday conversation for the common man — yet his model minister of recent times was a progressive figure: the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. Kansfield’s traditionalism and egalitarianism found dual expression in the unusual syntax he used to describe the mission of the church in a 1993 interview with The Central Jersey Home News Tribune: to present “a new vision of what society was intended to be.”

After he was defrocked, he taught theology at Drew University in New Jersey and served as theologian in residence at Zion United Church of Christ in Stroudsburg, Pa., where he and his wife moved. He remained there even after the Rockland-Westchester governing body of the Reformed Church voted to restore him to the office of minister in 2011.

Ann Kansfield was ordained as a minister around the same time. She works as a chaplain with the New York City Fire Department and as a minister at Greenpoint Church in Brooklyn , along with her wife, the church’s co-pastor, the Rev. Jennifer Aull.

In 2022, theological debates within the Reformed Church about gay rights led more than 40 congregations to split from the main organization, which ultimately went in a less restrictive direction, Christianity Today reported .

In addition to his daughter, Dr. Kansfield is survived by his wife; their son, John; and three grandchildren.

There were non-theologial issues with Ann and Jennifer’s wedding — drinks were not served to guests upon arrival at the party venue, and the people who were supposed to pass around slices of cake failed to show up. Dr. Kansfield was too happy to care. He gave the place an enormous tip.

He had felt proud of getting through the whole service without tearing up, he told NPR in 2012. When it ended, two women approached him. They said it was the first church service they had felt genuinely part of in years. They were a lesbian couple. At that point, Dr. Kansfield could contain himself no longer: He wept.

Alex Traub works on the Obituaries desk and occasionally reports on New York City for other sections of the paper. More about Alex Traub

Inside the courtroom where Trump was forced to listen to Stormy Daniels

Donald Trump squirmed and scowled, shook his head and muttered as Stormy Daniels described the unexpected sex she says they had in a hotel nearly two decades ago

NEW YORK — Donald Trump squirmed and scowled, shook his head and muttered as Stormy Daniels described the unexpected sex she says they had nearly two decades ago, saying she remembered “trying to think of anything other than what was happening.”

It was a story Daniels has told before. This time, Trump had no choice but to sit and listen.

Years in the making, the in-person showdown between the former president and the porn actor who has become one of his nemeses happened Tuesday in a New York courtroom that has become the plainspoken stage for the historic spectacle of Trump’s hush money trial , where the gravitas of the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. commander-in-chief butts up against a crass and splashy tale of sex, tabloids and payoffs.

It’s often said that actual trials are not like the TV drama versions, and in that way, this one is no exception — a methodical and sometimes static proceeding of questions, answers and rules. But if Tuesday’s testimony wasn’t an electric scene of outbursts and tears, it was no less stunning for its sheer improbability.

Daniels’ testimony had been speculated about for as long as Trump has been under indictment. But when it would happen was still a mystery until Tuesday morning, when her lawyer Clark Brewster confirmed in an email to an Associated Press reporter that it was “likely today.”

But even after the trial resumed, Daniels still had to wait.

The first witness of the day was a publishing executive who read passages from some of Trump’s business books.

Then, when the judge asked for the prosecution’s next witness, Assistant District Attorney Susan Hoffinger matter-of-factly declared, “The people call Stormy Daniels.”

Daniels strode briskly to the stand, not looking at Trump, her shoes clunking on the floor. The former president stared straight ahead until the moment she had passed his spot at the defense table, then tilted his head slightly in her direction.

As is standard in court proceedings, Daniels was asked if she saw Trump in the courtroom and to identify him. Before answering, Daniels, wearing eyeglasses, shuffled in her seat for a beat, looking around the courtroom. She then pointed toward him, describing his navy suit coat and gold tie, and said he was sitting at the defense table. Trump looked straight forward, lips pursed.

Dozens of reporters and a handful of public observers packed the courtroom gallery.

In one row alone: CNN anchor Erin Burnett, MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell and Andrew Giuliani, the son of Trump’s former lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who wore a media credential from WABC Radio, where he and his dad host shows. Trump’s son Eric sat elsewhere in the courtroom.

As she testified, Daniels spoke confidently and at a rapid clip, the sound of reporters typing reaching a frenetic tempo.

She spoke so quickly, at least six times during her testimony she was asked to slow down so a court stenographer could keep pace.

Jurors seemed as attentive as they’ve been all trial as Daniels recounted her path from aspiring veterinary student to porn actor.

One juror smiled when Daniels mentioned one of the ways into the industry was by winning a contest, like “Ms. Nude North America.” Another juror’s eyes widened as he read along on the monitor displaying a Truth Social post in which Trump said he “did NOTHING wrong” and used an insulting nickname to disparage Daniels’ looks.

Trump denies her claims and has pleaded not guilty in the case, in which he’s charged with falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to Daniels to keep quiet.

Many of the jurors jotted notes throughout her testimony, peering up from notepads and alternating their gaze from Daniels in the witness box to the lawyers questioning her from a lectern.

Guided by prosecutors, Daniels drew a detailed scene of her alleged evening with Trump at a hotel suite in Lake Tahoe in 2006, delving frankly into details that Judge Juan M. Merchan would later concede “should probably have been left unsaid.”

She recalled entering the sprawling suite to find Trump in a pair of silk pajamas. She sheepishly admitted to snooping through his bathroom toiletries in the bathroom, finding a pair of golden tweezers. Daniels even acted out part of her interaction with Trump, reclining back in the witness box to demonstrate how she said he was positioned on the bed of his hotel suite when she emerged from the restroom.

Her willingness to provide extra details prompted an usual moment: Trump’s lawyers consented to allowing a prosecutor to meet with Daniels in a side room, during a break in testimony, to give her some instructions to — as Judge Merchan put it — “make sure the witness stays focused on the question, gives the answer and does not give any unnecessary narrative.”

Out of the earshot of the jury, or the reporters in the room, Merchan also asked Trump’s lawyers to stop him from cursing as Daniels spoke.

“I understand that your client is upset at this point, but he is cursing audibly, and he is shaking his head visually and that’s contemptuous. It has the potential to intimidate the witness and the jury can see that,” the judge said. “I am speaking to you here at the bench because I don’t want to embarrass him,” Merchan added.

“I will talk to him,” said one of Trump’s lawyers, Todd Blanche.

Peppy and loquacious when she was being questioned by prosecutors, Daniels was feistier on cross-examination, digging in when defense lawyer Susan Necheles questioned her credibility and motives.

Daniels forcefully denied Necheles’ suggestion that she had tried to extort Trump, answering the lawyer’s contention: “False.”

Daniels left the witness stand just before 4:30 p.m. She didn’t look at Trump as she trod past. He didn’t look at her, either, instead leaning over to whisper to Necheles.

Moments later, Merchan adjourned court until Thursday — with Wednesday the trial’s usual off day. Trump left the courtroom with his entourage of lawyers and aides.

“This was a very revealing day in court. Any honest reporter would say that,” Trump said to journalists in the hallway outside the courtroom. He is limited by court order from saying much more about Daniels to the media.

Inside the courtroom, the witnesses to history reconciled their thoughts, gathered their belongings and waited for Trump to leave the building, so they could, too.