Plus-size sexuality shouldn’t be boxed into a category. A trans person is a person, not a category. A fat person is a person, not a category. What images does the term “porn star” stir up in your mind? Some may think of blondes, some may think of big tits, and some may think of something more […]
Sexuality is fluid—and not just for women. When a woman kisses another woman in a bar, no one immediately labels her as gay. It’s simply thought of as “hot.” But if a straight guy kisses another guy in any way that could possibly be described as sexual, he’s thought of as gay or bi, or in total denial of […]
A group of couples counselors are placing the focus squarely on sex as the first step to relational happiness. Conservative estimates suggest anywhere from 20 to 60 percent or more of people cheat on their spouses. Internet porn remains—as you probably know, quite possibly firsthand—wildly popular. If a thing exists, there’s someone out there who’s […]
Turns out, I’m not alone. Lesbian porn is all the rage. Not only do lesbians like lesbian porn, straight dudes dig it, and so do straight women, apparently. I didn’t masturbate until I was in my 20s. I was raised on a steady Mormon diet of “Masturbation is a sin!” so it just never occurred to me as […]
Women spend more than $10,000 on hair removal over their life; 95% of women under 30 remove some to all of their pubic hair. Why? Every year pubic hair is declared “back”—from the Daily Magazine in 2012, to the Telegraph in 2013, to Women’s Health Magazine in 2014, to Alternet in 2015. But is it really? How does pubic hair […]
Movies and their marketing offspring are products that we consume, and sexism and racism are cheap and profitable components of those products. Last week, two Hollywood women talked about Hollywood’s endemic sexism. Melissa McCarthy called out a New York Observer film critic for calling her a “hideous,” “tractor-sized” “female hippo” two years ago while reviewing the film […]
Among the most dreaded aspects of teen parenting is discussion of The Sex. I’m a bit of a sadist in this regard. Having teenagers seems pretty universally terrifying. There are a select few who approach this stage of child rearing with gusto. But for the most part, it’s rated about as fun as Frodo Baggins […]
From Monica Lewinsky to former porn star Candida Royalle, every woman has been judged for her sexuality. And the ramifications run much deeper than most of us realize. If you’re having a conversation about sex with someone in the U.S., you are probably also, implicitly or explicitly, also talking about shame. The two are intertwined, […]
Female sexuality is often defined in terms of what men want. Sprout Pharmaceuticals is on the warpath. The pill company keeps applying, now for the third time, to authorize sales of a drug called flibanserin, which has been nicknamed “female Viagra,” but the FDA just keeps turning it down. Sprout would like you to believe it’s […]
A new study reveals that women in porn are the targets of far too much aggression and degradation. What feelings are stirred up for you when you hear about pornography? Many feminists feel anger that this topic is even addressed. They would argue that porn is empowering to women and it is a woman’s choice […]
Grisham’s statements demonstrate how insidious and effective defensive strategies employed by abusers can be. Trigger warning for depictions of sexual abuse of children. Last week, best-selling author John Grisham provided us a wonderful opportunity to learn about the strategies that abusers and their allies use to defend against warranted condemnation and even justice. It all […]
To truly objectify someone is to diminish, demean, or simply refuse to acknowledge his or her humanity. How, exactly, can that ever be a good thing? I plan to have my creative writing class read a story that I was introduced to in grad school. I hope it doesn’t upset them like it first upset […]
