Meet the Swedish feminist bringing ethical porn to Spain and the world

By Ellie Day Erika Lust has spent the last 14 years creating feminist, ethical porn. In 2004, discouraged by the mainstream porn she found on offer, the Barcelona-based Swedish filmmaker set out to put forward an alternative to adult content. “The men who control the porn industry seemed to have the emotional intelligence of a …

‘The king and his husband’: The gay history of British royals

By Kayla Epstein Ordinarily, the wedding of a junior member of the British royal family wouldn’t attract much global attention. But Lord Ivar Mountbatten’s has. That’s because Mountbatten, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, is expected to wed James Coyle this summer in what has been heralded as the “first-ever” same-sex marriage in Britain’s royal …

Enjoy kink?

Here’s how to handle the ‘drop’ you may feel after you play. By James Besanvalle ‘I tend to play pretty hard,’ Rizzo Barajas from Martinez, California told Gay Star News. ‘Usually involving blood or very hard physical impact play.’ Rizzo identifies as a queer agender person of color. He’s also a switch, which means he alternates between taking either …

The first app to get approved as birth control in Europe has now been green-lit in the US, despite controversy

By Erin Brodwin Birth-control app Natural Cycles has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration — the first app to be approved for contraception in North America. The app uses an algorithm to tell women when they have the highest and lowest chances of getting pregnant, but it ultimately relies on men and …

What It’s Like to Reclaim Your Sex Life After Sexual Assault

Survivors share their stories. By Zahra Barnes When she was 16, Lindsay Marie Gibson was raped. After her assault, life continued, as it does. Years later, in college, she met the man who would become her husband. She fell in love. They got married. Life was good. Yet her assault from years before still wreaked …

Disabled LGBT+ young people face a battle just to be taken seriously

By Alex Toft As young people navigate adolescence, they ask questions about their sexual attractions and how they understand gender. If they are fortunate, they have access to sex and relationship educators or mentors and support networks. But my research with young people who identify as LGBT+ and disabled shows that they are often treated …

Are You Ready for a Sex Toy Revolution?

By Hallie Lieberman & Maxine Lynn For 16 years, purveyors of dildos and vibrators have seen their dreams crushed by lawsuits owing to a 2002 patent that covers the fundamental technology behind computer-controlled sex toys. The transgression? Launching their products after the patent went into effect. Patents have long encouraged creativity by protecting ideas and …

Silence has protected predators in too many institutions

by Janet Rosenzweig, MS, PhD, MPA The news that more than 300 Pennsylvania priests may have sexually abused more than 1,000 identifiable children during the last 70 years is shocking for the enormity of the accusation, but by now there have been enough of these tragic accusations against so many of our institutions that parents …

How mental health issues are preventing couples from having sex

By Eleanor Segall Unconsummated relationships, where couples don’t have sex due to difficulties, trauma or sexual dysfunction are not often spoken about. Usually, the couple feel embarrassed to discuss their sexual difficulties – but they are not alone. According to an AXA PPP survey, a third of Brits are fearful of getting naked, largely due …