The case for a new term that describes all sexual minorities

It’s Time to Drop the ‘LGBT’ From ‘LGBTQ’ By Jonathan Rauch Frank Kameny, the last century’s greatest gay-rights activist, filed the first-ever Supreme Court petition challenging discrimination against homosexuals. He led some of the first gay-rights demonstrations. He was the first openly gay congressional candidate. He spearheaded the challenge to the psychiatric establishment’s categorization of …

Sexual rehab could have benefits for men with heart disease

By Carolyn Crist A sexual rehabilitation program could help with erectile dysfunction in men who have heart disease, a study from Denmark suggests. Men assigned to the rehabilitation program had improved erectile function and better exercise capacity after 16 weeks compared to those who just got usual medical care, the study team reports in the …

Disabled people must be able to express our sexual needs. Our health depends on it

By Samantha Renke Sex. We all know what it is — and when most of us think of it we think of pleasure, love, passion and mostly a darn good time. However for some, sex can have a huge impact on their entire lives, affecting their wellbeing, confidence, self worth and sense of belonging. Early …

Gender Identity in Weimar Germany

Remembering an early academic effort to define sexual orientation and gender identity as variable natural phenomena, rather than moral matters. By: Livia Gershon As the already precarious legal rights of trangender Americans come under renewed threat, it’s worth looking back at the first political movement around gender identity in the modern West. As German Studies …

University of Minnesota study finds frequent distress over sexual impulses

By Jeremy Olson Distress over controlling sexual urges and impulses is a more common problem than previously thought — for both men and women — and could be interfering with the jobs, relationships and happiness of millions of Americans. That’s the takeaway from a new University of Minnesota study, which examined responses to a national …

How Sexual Assault Can Impact Your Physical Health, Even Years Later

The body’s natural reaction to dealing with the trauma of sexual assault can have negative effects on a person’s long-term physical health. by Leah Campbell When Amber Stanley was 23 years old, a friend’s boyfriend raped her. They had all been at a party together. She had fallen asleep in one of the spare rooms. …

What it really means to be in a dominant/submissive relationship

Real D/s relationships go beyond ‘Fifty Shades.’ By Tiffany Diane Tso When it comes to understanding BDSM, non-practitioners generally equate the kinky lifestyle with the chains, ropes, whips, and handcuffs found in Christian Grey’s “red room of pain” in Fifty Shades of Grey. And among the different elements included in the BDSM portmanteau (bondage and …