Real Couples Discuss How Non-Monogamy Benefits Their Relationship

It can be done. By Kendall Keith Monogamous relationships are challenging enough in their own right, but not everyone finds them to be compatible with who they are intrinsically. There’s often a moral stigma centered around ethical non-monogamy (ENM) or consensual non-monogamy (CNM), and with that comes a disconnect and generalized misconception of what it …

Sex Is Different When You’re a Highly Sensitive Person

— Here’s How by Sarah Lempa For starters, even feather-light touch hits differently when you’re a highly sensitive person (HSP). Powerful physical sensations, plus a need for deep concentration and actual connection, are often hallmarks of intimacy for HSPs. Here’s the deal: An HSP’s nervous system processes external stimuli much deeper than others. Scientifically named …

How the pandemic has changed our sex lives

The pandemic has taken a major toll on our sex lives. Why are our intimate relationships flagging – and could the damage be long lasting? By Jessica Klein Before the pandemic, many couples lived like “two ships passing in the night”, says Houston, Texas-based sex therapist Emily Jamea. Previously overscheduled with out-of-home commitments, some partners …

Men who identify as feminists are having more — and more varied — sex

By Max Stick In 2015, Justin Trudeau surprised many by claiming a feminist identity. Numerous celebrities and entertainers have recently asserted themselves as feminists, and some have even chastised those who reject feminism. While more and more men from across social divides have begun supporting feminist values and asserting a feminist identity, many are scrutinized …

Queer lessons for straight couples

Book shows how heterosexuals can learn from LGBT people to have better relationships By Holly Ober The tragedy of heterosexuality isn’t that men are heterosexual. It’s that they’re not heterosexual enough. That’s according to UC Riverside professor of gender and sexuality studies Jane Ward, whose new book, “The Tragedy of Heterosexuality,” examines marriage manuals, self-help …

Meet the Couple Fighting Porn’s Race Problem

By Sandra Song Whether we’re talking about its reliance on fetishization, the overt pay discrepancies or the fact that it’s always been a predominantly white space, it’s no secret that porn has a race problem. But after 20 years of shared experience as performers, educators and master fetish trainers, Jet-Setting Jasmine and King Noire are …

A Groundbreaking New History of Gay Sex and Capitalism

Christopher Chitty’s “Sexual Hegemony” is a galaxy-brain examination of the ways in which markets and sexuality intersect. By Josephine Livingstone In the earliest phase of European capitalism, Marx’s old story goes, a significant number of laborers renounced agrarian communities for towns and cities, dissolving the family unit and moving from one place to another. As …

30 Ideas To Spice Up Sexual Foreplay —

From Erotic To Romantic By Kesiena Boom, M.S. Foreplay is traditionally defined as the physically and emotionally intimate acts that two people engage in to turn themselves on before having sexual intercourse. But these days, the concept of foreplay can seem a little antiquated and heteronormative as society moves toward a more expansive view of …

6 Types of Orgasms You Didn’t Know You Could Have

By AnnaMarie Houlis When we talk about orgasms, it covers a wide range of conversations. After all, orgasms manifest differently for everyone — they may feel different, come through different sensations, last for different durations and affect us in a wealth of different ways. In fact, they may even derive from different pleasure points. And …

How to Know If You’re In a Toxic Relationship

The signs you’re in a toxic relationship can be difficult to identify — here’s how. By Maria del Russo Any relationship, be it romantic or otherwise, can be complicated. Whether it’s the relationship you have with your pushy mother-in-law, a childhood friend, or a spouse, interpersonal connections can be as challenging as they are rewarding. …