Unsubstantiated allegations regarding Indiana University’s research institute on sex, its founder, and child sexual abuse have persisted for years. One lawmaker even welcomed the legislation banning the institute from using state funds as “long overdue,” but these claims have largely been symbolic. Such claims do not halt the Kinsey Institute’s research into sexual assault prevention and contraception use among women. However, researchers have told The Associated Press that the decision by the Republican-dominated Legislature in February is based on an enduring and fundamental misunderstanding of their work, and despite their efforts to refute such misinformation, they cannot shake off the false narrative.
Funding for the Kinsey Institute from the university is still unclear, but senior scientist and director of the Sexual Assault Research Initiative at the institute, Zoe Peterson, will continue her investigations into consent matters and those who perpetrate sexual assault.
Peterson disagrees with the conspiracy theorists who claim that the institute engages in sexual violence: “I have devoted my career to reducing sexual violence,” she said.
The Kinsey Institute is named after Alfred Kinsey, a former professor who founded the institute in 1947. The Institute rests on Indiana University’s Bloomington campus, located approximately 50 miles (82 kilometers) from Indianapolis. Kinsey’s significant works, which were published in 1948 and 1953, disturbed society’s cultural norms about sex, garnering commercial success, rave reviews, and sharp criticism from conservatives, which continues to the present day.
Critics sometimes blame the institute’s research for wrongly contributing to a greater acceptance of homosexuality and pornography. They also suggest that child abuse is present in Kinsey’s work, particularly a research table unfoundedly linked to sexual experimentation on minors.
Republican state Rep. Lorissa Sweet proposed an amendment to prohibit the Kinsey Institute from receiving state funding, citing concerns about the institute’s association with Alfred Kinsey, whom she referred to as a “sexual predator.” Sweet questioned why Indiana University’s Bloomington campus should receive over $400 million while protecting Kinsey’s legacy. The institute’s director, Justin Garcia, acknowledged that such allegations have persisted since the institute’s founding 76 years ago, leading to threats and harassment directed at staff and alumni.
Garcia said that the accusations of sexual abuse are far from reality and that the research practices of the past and present are not what conspiracy theorists claim them to be. Democratic Rep. Matt Pierce of Bloomington said that the move to block the institute’s state funding was based on “old, unproven” conspiracies that keep resurfacing on the internet.
The Kinsey Institute’s website has a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions section to address misconceptions, including allegations of sex abuse against Kinsey and claims of hidden materials in the library.
After leaving the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction in 2004, senior scientist Cynthia Graham returned this year. When she left, she noted that the institute was frequently under attack for debunking misconceptions about sexual behavior and health. Graham believes that returning highlights the importance of the Kinsey Institute’s research. However, the state of Indiana’s law, which prevents state agencies from partnering with abortion providers or affiliates, could put the institute’s research at risk by restricting funding and partnerships.
The director of the institute, Garcia, fears that the law sets a dangerous precedent that could dictate the questions researchers can ask and compromise academic freedom. Similarly, Indiana University President Pamela Whitten is committed to maintaining academic freedom and is undergoing a legal review to determine any possible response to the law.
Indiana University President Pamela Whitten has expressed her commitment to academic freedom and is carrying out a legal review to explore possibilities of how the university can comply with the law without compromising research. According to Garcia, roughly two-thirds of the Kinsey Institute’s funding comes from grants and donations that are subject to change annually, while the remainder is typically funded by the university. As officials work to understand the law, researchers have continued with their work in a space that often features erotic art on the walls.
The building is adorned with explicit sketches and sculptures, while vivid photographs of mothers in labor lead into an exhibit featuring a 1984 turquoise poster that reads, “Great Sex! Don’t let AIDS stop it.” A life-sized Kinsey statue greets visitors at the entrance. Senior scientist Cynthia Graham notes that while there is transparency and openness, not everyone is willing to accept it.