Trinidad and Tobago’s Sexual Offenses Act, or “buggery law” outlawing homosexuality, is a legacy of British Colonialism. Trinidad and Tobago has been an independent, sovereign nation since 1962. And, although England and Wales decriminalized consensual same-sex in 1967, it is currently illegal in Trinidad and Tobago. In 2018, activist Jason Jones successfully brought a lawsuit […]
Japanese Host Clubs
Japanese lawmakers have attempted to curb the manipulative tactics used in the country’s “host clubs,” pricey establishments where lonely women (and sometimes gay men) are encouraged to run up huge tabs by attractive male “hosts” who feign romantic attraction. Women are then forced into prostitution if they cannot otherwise pay off their debts. Despite legislative […]
Sex Toy Education in Pornography
A team of three women from the University of New Brunswick has studied the use of sex toys in 100 mainstream heterosexual pornographic videos. They found that the toys (including vibrators, dildos, and butt plugs) are most frequently used by the male partner to enhance the pleasure of the female partner, but are often also […]
World Cup and Babies
Do major sporting events, such as this year’s World Cup, influence the sexual behavior of fans and cause a significant change in local birth rates and sex ratios? A review of 4 different studies indicates that the answer is “maybe”. These studies looked at birth rates and/or sex ratios in live births 9 months after […]
Public Kerfuffle Over Genitalia in Switzerland
A transgender woman was removed from the women-only nude section of a popular open air bathing spot in Bern, Switzerland after people complained about her presence. When tensions rose on site, staff asked her to leave, and when she refused, police escorted her from the premises and allegedly detained her at a station for two […]
Evaluating the “Dutch Protocol” for Youth Gender Transition
In a special issue of the European Journal of Developmental Psychology, two articles have appeared evaluating the influential “Dutch protocol” developed over 20 years ago at the Center for Expertise on Gender Dysphoria of the Amsterdam University Medical Center. This program calls for puberty blockers at the outset of pubescence, hormonal therapy at around age […]
New Documentary Celebrates Sex-Positive Cable TV Pioneer
Bang My Box, a new HBO documentary produced by Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex & the City), chronicles the life of iconic New York City public access TV show creator and host Robin Byrd. The Robin Byrd Show first aired on public access in 1977 and ran for over 20 years. The late night call-in show […]
Penile Plethysmography Ruled Inadmissible
In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court of South Carolina has ruled that penile plethysmography lacks sufficient scientific support to be used as a reliable indicator of likely future recidivism in sex offenders. Among its many flaws, the court cited a lack of standardized metrics among different labs, poor test-retest consistency, inconsistent test materials, and […]
“Cumdump” as a Sexual Identity
“Cumdump” is a slang term in the gay community for a man whose primary sexual goal is to receive ejaculates from multiple partners within a limited period, either serially or at a group sex party; the concept is most often framed by scholars through risk-based and pathologizing discourses, but the development of PrEP and effective […]
Sexual Newspeak: The Consequences of Semantics on Gender and Sexual Minorities
The Malaysian government has officially replaced the term “LGBT” with “deviant culture” (Malay: “budaya songsang”) in its public communications and educational materials, framing LGBTQ+ identities as out of sync with the country’s religious and cultural values. Human rights advocates argue that this new terminology further stigmatizes LGBTQ+ people and reinforces discrimination. And, as related to […]