Studying sexuality has always been fraught with societal push-back. The story of other scientific innovations being rejected and ultimately adopted, such as with evolution, is widely celebrated as a triumph over religiously motivated politics. Yet the social sciences have repeatedly faced similar struggles and continue to do so today, but these stories are lesser known.

Researchers share their reflections on the 50-year anniversay of Alfred Kinsey’s most famous work, The Kinsey Report:

“It meant that sex research did not move into the mainstream of academic credibility. People took their reputations in their hands if they attempted to pursue itThe Kinsey report was a cultural event of enormous consequence.” – University of Chicago sociology Professor Edward Laumann

“As we still see in health trials and official research, women and even female rats are frequently excluded. It was far from perfect, but it was a big step forward… The Kinsey report is a little like the Bill of Rights. It only is powerful if we use it. If it exists only on paper, then it has little importance. It depends on what is done with it now.” – Feminist Gloria Steinem says:

Header image via PBS.