Minnie Joycelyn Elders was born on 13 August 1933. She is an American pediatrician and public health administrator. She was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

In January 1993, president Bill Clinton appointed her as Surgeon General of the United States. The choice was a controversial one and was only confirmed on 7 September 1993 when she became the first African American to hold the post. Her tenure turned out to be a short one.

Like many surgeons general before her, she was outspoken on a number of issues, such as the legalisation of drugs, sex education and the distribution of contraceptives in schools. However, when she was asked to speak at a United Nations AIDS conference in 1994, she was asked whether it would be appropriate to promote masturbation as a means of preventing young people from engaging in riskier forms of sexual activity. She replied, “I think that it is part of human sexuality, and perhaps it should be taught.” As a result of the ensuing controversy, she was fired by President Clinton in December of 1994.

She appeared in Penn & Teller’s popular programme Bullshit!, during an episode about abstinence. In the programme, she looks like a sweet lady with a sharp brain and lots of compassion for her fellow humans. Two remarkable statements:

I’m against abstinence programmes, because I really consider abstinence-only child abuse. (About 13 mins 20 secs into the programme)

Masturbation has never given anybody an STD, has never gotten any girl pregnant and it has never made anybody go crazy, and you always know that you’re having sex with somebody you love. (About 22 mins 5 secs into the programme)