sex

Her tagline is: Porn...Peace...Politics

What more can I say? 

Dear friend, Amanda Brooks, has an excellent post at Bound, Not Gagged. In it she discusses a certain big blogging kahuna and his ignorance of blogs & websites run by sex workers.  Seems he's never bothered to look, just assume he's cooler than anyone else because he believes in his own 'blogger authority'.

Here's what I have to say about it . 

From this article in the Times, a list of 20 weird court cases, come the following sex-related ones ~ nearly half of them! 

2. In 2005, a Brazilian woman sued her partner for failing to give her orgasms. The 31-year old woman from Jundiai asserted in her case that her 38-year old partner routinely ended sexual intercourse after he reached an orgasm. After a promising start the action ended in something of an anticlimax for the claimant when her case was rejected.

5. In 2005, the Massachusetts Appeals Court was asked to rule on when a sexual technique was dangerous. Early one morning, a man and woman in a long-term relationship were engaged in consensual intercourse. During the passionate event, and, without the man’s consent, the woman suddenly manoeuvred herself in a way that caused him to suffer a penile fracture. Emergency surgery was required. The court ruled that while “reckless” sexual conduct may be actionable, “merely negligent” conduct was not. It dismissed the man’s case.

elizabeth and i have found this amazing and inspiring Virgin ad campaign showing elderly, naked couples...why would anyone assume that gran and grandad are not "initmate"????

i would think and see in public, older couples being extremely connected...holding hands, walking arm in arm...i celebrate their ability to give and recieve love and affection

your thoughts?

does anyone feel offended by images of mature people engaging in intimate relations?????

For example, what do you think about Richard Newman's observation that there is so little actual male pleasure depicted in porn? Or, what do you think it would take to get more widespread use of condoms in porn? Or what kinds of concerns do you have about the working conditions behind the porn that you watch? (And how would you find out about them?)

Via Amanda Marcotte at Pandagon and RH Reality Check :

Ten prominent researchers in adolescent health and sexuality sent a letter to Congreswoman Nancy Pelosi and Senator Harry Ried explaining why it is wrong to continue funding abstinence-only education.

Not only is it ineffective, it also puts teens at risk for disease and pregnancy, and, as Marcotte points out, it puts schools in the business of disseminating propaganda instead of fostering critical thinking skills and putting a high value on complete and accurate information.

Happy Thanksgiving, in the "day of gratitude" sense of the holiday.

It is easy to be pretty depressed about this country's sexual state of affairs. Much of the news and politics we cover here is of the sort that provokes outrage and activism. Less often does it prompt celebration. But today is a day for reflection and for gratitude, and there are, in fact, some bright spots in the past year. I'll start us off. Add your own reflections in the comments.

The US Congress -- both houses -- voted to repeal the global gag rule. We wrote about it here.

New York, Ohio, Virginia, Minnesota, Colorado, Maine, California, and Pennsylvania and at least five other states, have rejected Title V "abstinence-only" funding.

Genarlow Wilson was freed.

A circuit court declared the 2257 regulations unconstitutional.

Oh, and of course, this site was born, and had its coming out party. See the photos! We're grateful for Rapture Cafe and its amazing crew, and for the super-talented writers and performers who celebrated with us! And I'm very grateful for Chris Hall, the most amazing collaborator I could have.

So, what sex-related events or news or goings-on are you thankful for?

The cranberries are destined for our table later in the day. 

I saw this article and it may have recieved more press in the states but I was really touched that a retired supreme court judge (and I can't imagine a man doing this) has come out to say that her husband who has been suffering with alzheimer's has begun a "relationship" with another woman in a care home where he now resides.

The conversation has begun.

Click here to join in.

You'll find our review of Prime and some early excchanges. As Pepper Schwartz says in her first comment here, her most important message is about the importnace of "enjoying our sensuality and sexuality all of our lives, and especially in our fifities, sixties and beyond!"

Are you a reader who can share your experience of sex and sensuality in our fifties, sixties and beyond? Mimi, that means you. And I know there are others! Or perhaps you are a reader anticipating that kind of experience in the future? Jump into the conversation! And men too -- don't be shy. After all, many of those experiences involve you!

Come, talk about sex and older women with Pepper Schwartz!

Starting this weekend, Pepper Schwartz will join us for a discussion of her new book, Prime: Adventures and Advice on Sex and Love in the Sensual Years.

Please join us!

Jeffrey Rosenfeld reviewed the book for us here. We'd especially love to hear from people who have read the book, but all are welcome.

Dr. Pepper Schwartz is a noted sociologist specializing in sexuality. She has written over 40 academic research articles, and also many accessible books on sex and relationships including, including The Great Sex Weekend and Everything You Know About Sex and Love is Wrong, along other books aimed at helping people keep their sexual relationships interesting and vibrant. She has also written Ten Talks Parents Must Have With Their Children About Sex and Character and 201 Question to Ask Your Kids / 201 Questions to Ask Your Parents, books that help parents talk about sex with their kids, Pepper Schwartz has dedicated her career to opening up sexuality as a realm of sociological study, but also to making that study useful and accessible to the public. In Prime, she does something academic-types rarely do under their own names: she reveals much about her own sex life, using her own experience as a prompt to offer advice to herself and to other women experiencing the dating and relationship-building world in their 50s.

This conversation marks the beginning of a new feature for us here in the Square. We're initiating a series of conversations with authors of the books we review, and we're thrilled that Pepper Schwartz has agreed to kick off the series for us.

The conversation will take place in the comments section of Jeff Rosenfeld's review. When we start, I'll put a direct link to the conversation on the sidebar of the site so you can get there quickly!