We’re Queer And We’ve Been Here

Rediscovering Buddhism’s LGBT history of gay monks, homoerotic samurai, and gender-nonconforming practitioners and gods By Dr. Jay Michaelson It’s no secret that many LGBTQ people have found refuge in the dharma, and it’s easy to see why.  It helps us work with the wounds of homophobia, recognizing internalized self-hatred for the delusion and dukkha [suffering] …

Trying to figure out where you fit on the sexuality spectrum?

Dabbling in these tests might help. Human sexuality spans too wide a scope to possibly be covered by a single test. By Sara Chodosh Alfred Kinsey’s spectrum of human sexuality shocked the world when he published it in 1948. His book, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male featured extensive interviews with 5300 people—almost exclusively white …

Want to figure out the rules of sexual consent? Ask sex workers.

by Jessie Patella-Rey [T]he #MeToo movement has pushed issues of consent to the foreground of our cultural zeitgeist. Confoundingly, though, some of the movement’s most vocal champions seem to be the worst at respecting the very conventions they are espousing. Shortly after now-former New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman filed a lawsuit against Hollywood producer …

Can You Get An STI From Anal Sex?

That itch in your butt? It may not just be a harmless rash. By Isadora Baum [W]hen you think of sexually transmitted infections, symptoms like vaginal itching and pelvic pain probably come to mind. But the same STIs that threaten your health down below can infect other body areas. They’re typically transmitted through oral sex or anal sex, but some can be picked …

Performance issues in the bedroom are not just an older man’s problem

By Harriet Williamson [A] study has revealed that 36% of young men between the ages of 16 and 24 have experienced sexual performance problems in the last year. The figures are higher for men between 25 and 34, with nearly 40% of those surveyed admitting to having issues in bedroom. Sexual dysfunction is often linked …

BDSM and consent

How to stop rough sex crossing the line into abuse By Soraya Auer [W]hen allegations of assault were made against New York’s top prosecutor Eric Schneiderman this week, he denied them, saying engaging in non-consensual sex was a line he would not cross. “In the privacy of intimate relationships, I have engaged in role-playing and …

Federal courts ask: What is the meaning of ‘sex’?

Existing prohibitions against discrimination ‘because of sex,’ already provide a civil rights umbrella wide enough to cover discrimination based on sexual orientation and transgender identity, some judges are beginning to say. By Harry Bruinius [A] number of federal courts have begun to ask a question that has become more and more subtle over the past …

Pivot to Pleasure

Hey sex fans! It’s Product Review Friday once again. This week we have another wonderful product from our good friends over at We-Vibe. As you probably know, they have been part of this review effort since 2008 when we reviewed our first product of their line. Since then we’ve happily reviewed plenty of their other …

‘Grace and Frankie’ raises an interesting question: Where are all the sex toys for seniors?

By Allee Manning [I]t isn’t every day you see a sex toy on a billboard, and it’s even more rare you’ll see one in the hands of a person in their seventies. But thanks to Grace and Frankie, the Netflix sitcom starring Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, that’s exactly what people saw when the show’s …

Here’s How Long ‘Sexual Afterglow’ Actually Lasts, According to Science

Turns out great sex makes you feel good for longer than you think. By Zeynep Yenisey [W]e already know sex is really good for you, and can basically double as medicine. I mean, it increases your immunoglobulin A levels and makes your immune system stronger, protects against certain cancers, helps you sleep better, and it relieves …