A “Made in Brooklyn” sticker decorates Dr. Joseph Davis Mannino’s office door. As if you couldn’t tell by his thick accent, the man is from New York and proud of it.

However, Dr. Mannino is a cultured man, especially when it comes to the topic of sex. “I like to joke that I’m so good at sex that I wrote the book on it,” he says.

Dr. Mannino wrote both textbooks for his Human Sexuality (Psych 3) class, which include the nationally renowned books “Sexually Speaking,” and “Sexual Themes and Variations.”

Although his class incorporates lectures about anatomy, physiology, sexual attraction, conception, contraception, transsexuals and sexual dysfunctions, his favorite subject to teach is sexual orientation.

“I hold a very special place in my heart for people to understand the importance of diversity and acceptance of others,” Mannino says. In his lectures he dispels gay and lesbian stereotypes, such as that it is unnatural and a choice to be homosexual.

Some of his lectures have provoked discomfort among students whose religious beliefs don’t correlate with the material in his class. He occasionally receives e-mails at the end of the course from students who argue that his lectures emphasize too much against creationism and who feel uneasy learning about homosexuality and transgenderism.

Despite the misconceptions about human sexuality classes, Dr. Mannino’s Psych 3 does not criticize spirituality. On the contrary there is a sense of a spiritual connection when it comes to talking about conception: “The more scientifically educated you get, the more you have to admit that there is a force way bigger than all of us, and we should be respectful of it.”

Dr. Mannino argues that social pressures and social conditioning have led people to become uncomfortable with their sexuality. The constant influence of media, especially in the youth, has somewhat isolated them from one another. The way a person is raised also influences what gender biases he or she will have. “Unfortunately, we socialize our boys to grow wings and explore and our girls to grow roots and stay put. It’s a collision in the making,” he says.

The realms of human sexuality are not only relevant to SRJC students, but should also be extended to all adults in our society. The alarming statistics show that 52 percent of marriages end up in divorce within the first five years. “It tells us that the institution of marriage is bankrupt, and I think that it has to do with the fact we socialize boys and girls to grow up so differently that they don’t complement each other,” Dr. Mannino says.

Compassion and knowledge have fueled Dr. Mannino’s studies throughout his life. He joined the Peace Corps when he was 23 and won a Human Rights Award for Refugee Resettlement from the city of San Francisco. He has also helped up to 25,000 refugees assimilate in the United States, by finding them shelters and coaching them on how to adapt to North American culture.

His caring nature has also transcended into other realms of work. Dr. Mannino provided psychological evaluations for runaway children in San Francisco, mosty working with male adolescent prostitutes in the Castro. “Many people come into that because of sexual abuse,” he says.

Despite the high crime, homelessness, and prostitution rates in San Francisco, it is also one of the premier cities for offering gays and lesbians shelter by giving them the freedom to express their sexuality with the help of professionals like Dr. Mannino.

From people without homes, to students without classes, Dr. Mannino has worked to his fullest potential to provide those around him the opportunity to learn about themselves. Due to high demand last semester, Dr. Mannino accepted 103 extra students into his classes totaling an astounding 603. Although budget cuts have made class seats scarce, he has stretched the limit of his classes to serve as many students as he can.

Dr. Mannino will continue to provide students with insight into their own anatomy and more importantly, into an understanding of the various cultures that exist on campus. He will teach Human Sexuality next semester both online and in Newman Auditorium.