Minute: Powell House Youth 2005 on Sexual Orientation

Powell House Youth Program

The Senior High School group met at Powell House on April 22–24, 2005, to discuss the conference topic of "Sex & Religion". Over the weekend, friends discussed what they knew about sex and how their religion affected their views. Out of the discussion, the participants wrote and approved the following minute.

“Sexuality is our remarkable capacity to give and receive pleasure, comfort and mutual care through our bodies and through sensuous touch...”
—Marvin M. Ellis, Erotic Justice: A Liberating Ethic of Sexuality

We as friends affirm that sexuality is a natural aspect of human life and that it is an ever-unfolding facet of our being. Sexuality is an outward expression of love that comes from deep within. It includes deep connections that we have with each other filled with love, trust, respect and the deepest sense of the Divine. As an extension of deep love, it is an expression of the Divine.

If approached with respect, reverence, and awareness, sexuality can lead us to a fuller understanding of others and ourselves. In our experience, we have found sexuality to have many forms from sexual intimacy to tender loving care through physical and emotional closeness. It is a predisposition to physically touch but can occur without any physical contact at all. It is a desire to share the same inner emotion through connecting with another person.

Communication, verbal and non-verbal, is essential in developing the trust for a positive sexual experience. Sexual intimacy can be hurtful and damaging so friends are encouraged to approach it with sensitivity. Sexual relationships are joyous and nurturing when they include trust, respect, mutuality and the readiness and consent of all partners.