Sex during lockdown

Are we witnessing a cybersexual revolution? Quarantine encourages the prosperity of sexual exploration. In the absence of consequence, there’s an abundance of freedom By Ciara Gaffney It’s with an almost nascent nostalgia that I recall the coining of the Gen Z “sexual recession”: a patronizing concern that our youngest generation would be rendered psychosexually stunted, …

A new wave of online sex education introduces children to LGBTQ+ issues

How YouTubers are providing free LGBTQ+ focused sex ed to bolster school curriculum By Observer staff Picture this: A chalkboard with rainbows drawn on it propped up on an easel made for children. Crayons and other props are spread out on a desk. A stuffed bear sits at attention ready for class. “Welcome to Queer …

Sexual assault is a consequence of how society is organized

By Jennifer Hirsch and Shamus Khan The Department of Education is about to release new rules about how schools must deal with sexual harassment, stalking, and sexual assault. There’s a lot that’s disastrous about this interpretation of Title IX, which is supposed to promote equal access to education for women. But what’s largely missing from …

Isolation could improve how we think about and navigate sex and relationships

By Victoria Brooks The coronavirus pandemic has already profoundly changed many of our lives. And it is certain that the virus will change some things forever. Some industries will fail, others will prosper. We will learn new ways of working and new ways of understanding the impact of capitalism. We will reconsider who the most …

Why you’re probably having less (or more) sex right now

By Alexandra Ossola & Natasha Frost Most people in lockdown, as 75% of Americans are at the moment, are probably experiencing big changes to their usual routine. There’s no office commute, no school bus shuttle; there are no parties to attend, no group dinners to plan. It’s unsurprising, then, that for a lot of people, …

Young women and girls are taking sex-ed into their own hands on YouTube

By Chloe Krystyna Garcia Sex education in Canadian schools continues to be highly politicized and young people are paying the price. In Québec, for example, the provincial sexual health curriculum has shifted a few times in the last couple of decades, often leaving teachers and schools confused about the approach and the implementation guidelines. In …

Goal-Oriented Sex Could Be Ruining Your Intimate Life

By Vanessa Powell While many women understand that overall pleasure, exploration, intimacy, and play should all be at center stage in a sexual experience, and not simply an orgasm (although, let’s be clear, it is still an important component), the latter often eclipses all else — which is why and how things can often go …

It’s Time to Rediscover the Lost Art of Phone Sex

The case for revisiting an old, but not obsolete, form of long-distance sex By Kayla Kibbe These are deeply unhorny times. While a slim window of romanticized pre-quarantine panic may have briefly ignited a period of chaotic sexual energy last week, which ultimately just left some of us in quarantine with UTIs, the subsequent dread, …

Saying sex increases cancer risk is neither totally correct, nor in any way helpful

By Jayne Lucke A study published recently claims to have found a link between having had ten or more sexual partners and an increased risk of cancer. But it’s not as simple as that. While having a sexually transmissible infection (STI) can increase the risk of certain types of cancer, using a person’s lifetime number …

What It’s Like to Break Up With a Sex Work Client You Fell For

“I was happy to pursue a flirty friendship with someone who I thought could be much more to me than just someone who paid for nudes.” by Sofia Barrett-Ibarria Like any other job, sex work can be exciting, dynamic, and stimulating—and deeply frustrating, disheartening, and painfully boring. It differs, though, in that it’s often based …