In this small but mighty qualitative study of black women’s experiences of sexual pleasure from the Journal of Sex Research, scholars analyze sexual testimonies around the themes of emotional intimacy, out-of-the-ordinary experiences, physical intimacy, intentionality, open communication, and mindful presence. The article effectively contextualizes the research subjects’ – 25 American black women from the South […]
Historian Rebecca L. Davis’s Fierce Desires: A New History of Sex and Sexuality in America was published last year, but journalist Marty Moss-Coane aired a wonderful interview with Davis on her radio show The Connection just last week. We think it’s well worth your time. Davis’ project is an in-depth and vast accounting of sexual […]
So the Pope died, as you’ve probably heard. Pope Francis was an interesting figure in the Church. He seemed to raise public approval for his office, particularly amongst progressives, Catholic or not. Despite his jovial demeanour and his more tactful and compassionate approaches to controversial issues than past popes, journalist David Crary reminds us that […]
The Supreme Court is hearing a case that centers around elementary school curriculum, who gets to curate it, and queer visibility. The case is about how the Montgomery County school board in Maryland greenlit the use of five storybooks that contain LGBTQ+ characters, to which some parents objected, citing conflicts with their religious beliefs. Oh […]
HARD COPY: By 2020 about a third of the country had established “LGBT-free” zones, which were set-up to eliminate any “propaganda” that promoted queer identities and lifestyles. Two years ago, the far-right Law and Justice Party, responsible for having initiated these policies, was defeated in national Polish elections. Ever since, their anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has been […]
The US-based restaurant Hooters filed for bankruptcy protection about a month ago. Known for both its chicken wings and sexualized waitresses, it was founded in Clearwater, Florida in 1983. Given some recent tectonic shifts in the state of sexual politics, thanks in large part due to the #MeToo movement, Hooters closing over 40 of its […]
HARD COPY: Pride festivals across the United States are increasingly losing corporate sponsors. Some of the companies that are pulling out are citing concerns for their own economic viability, though many organizers are blaming the hostile political environment that the Trump administration has stoked via its anti-DEI initiatives. It’s worth noting that it is not […]
HARD COPY: Have you heard of it? It’s a bill with a ton of bipartisan support that is about to be signed by the president. The bill responds to the new-age phenomenon of “revenge porn” and other similar instances of sexual abuse in which non-consensual intimate imagery is circulated. In addition to stricter penalties, the […]
HARD COPY: High European court weighs in on definition of gender In her groundbreaking yet controversial book, The Second Sex (1949), French existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir famously claimed that “one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.” Over the last 75 years there has been a wealth of interdisciplinary scholarship to support this […]
HARD COPY: Remembering a landmark book at the intersection of orgasms, feminism, and patriarchal fragility Orgasms are physiological treats, yes, but they also are productive pedagogues. Their valuable lessons contain insights into what one can do with bodies and desires, as well as revelations about sexual subjects’ broader relationships to sexuality and culture. Camilla Nelson, […]
