Betty Dodson
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Betty Dodson, Ph.D. (born August 24, 1929) is an American sex educator, author, and artist. She is widely known as a pioneer in women's (and to a somewhat lesser extent men's) sexual liberation, having sold more than 1 million copies of her first book, Sex for One. Much of her fame has come from her work not only advocating masturbation, but conducting workshops for more than 30 years in which groups of about 10 or more women would talk, explore their own bodies, and masturbate together.
Dodson's books include Sex for One: The Joy of Self-Loving and Orgasms for Two: the Joy of Partnersex. She has also produced three videos: Selfloving: Portrait of a Sexual Seminar, Celebrating Orgasm: Women's Private Selfloving Sessions, and Viva la Vulva; Women's Sex Organs Revealed.
She is a founder of the pro-sex feminist movement, having left behind the more traditional feminist movement because she considered it banal, antisexual and over-politicized. In recent years she has criticized Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues, which she believes has a negative and restrictive view of sexuality and an anti-male bias (Dodson, 2001).
Dodson holds a Ph.D. from the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality for her research work on sexuality. She maintains a private practice in New York City and has an active website.
