Where: Purple Passion
Address: 211 West 20th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues, NYC
Phone: 212.807.0486
Cost: $20 (and enjoy a 15% discount on shopping before or after the class)(Class size is limited so prepaying is strongly advised. Our last class was sold out. Don’t be turned away. Reserve your spot at the store.)

These days, everyone can have a dick of their own – or two, or three! But how do you pick one, and what do you do with it once you’ve got it? Come learn how to choose a cock and harness that best suit your body and your purposes. Then we’ll dive into the nitty-gritty of where you can stick it and how to enjoy it – givers and receivers alike. We’ll cover packing (everyday cock-wearing) as well as playing with a variety of techniques and orifices, with a focus on pleasure and safety.

Andrea Zanin , a.k.a. Sex Geek, pretty much writes and talks about sex all the time unless she’s eating, sleeping or having it. She lives in Toronto and is an organizer, educator and writer within the queer, polyamory and BDSM/leather communities, as well as being an active trans ally. She frequently speaks about alternative sexuality for universities, colleges, sex shops, community groups and conferences in Canada, the States and internationally. Andrea also writes alternative-sexuality news and commentary for the Montreal Mirror, Xtra! Toronto and Outlooks Magazine, as well as blogging at http://sexgeek.wordpress.com. She has a background in women’s studies and sexuality studies from Concordia University, and is pursuing an MA in those same fields at York University with a focus on Canadian leatherdyke history. Andrea has judged a number of leather title contests, including GLLA Bootblack 2008, International Ms. Leather 2009 and Mr. Leather Toronto 2010. She co-organizes the annual Canadian leatherdyke weekend An Unholy Harvest, runs a book club called the Leather Bindings Society, and occasionally writes erotic fiction on the side.

Fetlife event: http://fetlife.com/events/24051

Pawtucket, RI November 26, 2009 – The Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health (CSPH), the first non-profit sexuality resource and information center in South Eastern New England, is set to go before the appeal board on November 30th @ 630pm to challenge a zoning decision that prevented it from opening in September.

After a controversial zoning decision was made by Pawtucket zoning officer Ron Travers, The CSPH was not permitted to open. The reason for denial was a lack of zoning clause for “education” to take place within the Grant Building. The CSPH was not permitted to open because its mission states it works to provide education.

After numerous national and local news organizations picked up the story and interviewed city officials, it became clear that the Pawtucket city officers had given pre-textual reasons for not allowing The CSPH to open. Harvey Goulet, the City’s director of administration, was quoted as objecting to “this type of business” as “not really something we feel is appropriate for our city.” The ACLU has weighed in on the battle regarding adult sex education stating in a press release “the city’s intent is to suppress the speech that would occur at the Center. Such content-based discrimination raises serious constitutional concerns.”

Liberal, conservative, moderate and libertarian news media have all been in favor to allow The CSPH to open and they agree that the location and the presentation are appropriate for the environment it is currently housed in. Neighbors of The CSPH have housed petitions requesting the center to be able to open. Providence Journal writer Bob Kerr and popular conservative talk radio host Dan Yorke have both voiced support for The Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health.

Ms. Andelloux, the director of the non-profit Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health is a certified sexuality educator who wants to provide the adult community with a safe place to access information about sexuality issues. The Appeal Board meeting will take place in the Monday, November 30th, at the Pawtucket City Hall, 3rd floor at 630pm. The public is invited to attend.

For questions or statements contact Megan Andelloux at 401.345.8685

# # #

If you’d like to express your support for the CPSH, here’s a form letter Megan sent me. You can  fax a letter to (401)772-3356 or call (401) 728-0500 and ask for Anna Salum to voice your concern on Monday. Here is a sample copy of one:

City of Pawtucket Board of Appeals
137 Roosevelt Avenue
Pawtucket, RI 02860

Dear Members of the Appeal Board,

I am writing on behalf of The Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health (CSPH) and it’s founder/director, Megan Andelloux. I want to voice my support for The CSPH, the positive work it will do and the vital services it will provide.

As a person I appreciate that there will be a place where one may openly seek medically accurate, safe information about a subject that is often hard to address. As a business owner, I appreciate the passion and dedication that Ms. Andelloux is applying to starting a ground-breaking, non-profit organization in Pawtucket, RI.

Lastly, as a concerned citizen outside of Pawtucket, I am in shock that the members of this city would object to bringing more revenue and visitors because they believe of a “lack of zoning”. I have been reading the newspaper articles since the beginning of this situation and it has become glaring obvious that this lack of zoning is a veiled attempt to cover the city’s panic about talking openly on sexuality issues. With prevailing attitudes like this, it is apparent to me that the CSPH is arriving just in the nick of time to open our minds and our hearts to a world of new possibilities.

I urge you to support the entrepreneurship of Ms. Andelloux and to support the growth of Pawtucket through business people who think outside the box.

Sincerely yours,

Bend Over Boyfriend (1998)
Studio- Fatale Media
Director- Shar Rednour and Jackie Strano
Cast- Dr. Carol Queen, Robert Morgan, Laura Goodhue, Cupcake Jones, Greg Heiman, Troy, Miss Behavin’

Bend Over Boyfriend came out in 1998 and was the first and only instructional video of its kind to introduce anal pleasure for men, through strap-on sex with a female partner.  Although today the film seems a bit dated, compared to newer films of the same topic, like Tristan Taormino’s “Expert Guides”, at the time of its launch the film was groundbreaking and has remained one of the best-selling videos on this topic of all time.

While I have read some praise for the film, I have also read some criticism including that it is “too instructional”, “not erotic”, and that it has an “infomercial quality and the officious attention to every detail”.  This makes me wonder what people think an instructional film is.  I mean really.  I don’t expect instructional films about sex to be erotic, or to lack instruction.  I want them to teach me something in the simplest way possible.  I want the people presenting the topic—in this case Dr. Carol Queen and Robert Morgan—to be enthusiastic, knowledgeable and experienced, and to provide details, even if they are not always relevant to me.  I don’t necessarily want to be entertained or aroused by the content, or expect it to get an Academy Award.  I want to learn something new.  If I wanted to just watch people fuck, I’d rent a porno.

Now, I’ll admit that academics are often a bit dry.  After all, Carol Queen is not an actor, but an educator, although she does know and present her topic better than any actor could.  And, while she does recommend products at the end of the film and where to buy them (read: resources), I think it is certainly useful if the general public doesn’t have a clue about anal dildos or strap-ons, which was certainly the case back in 1998.  And, let’s remember that sex shops were not always as sex-positive or as helpful with knowledgeable staff as they are today.

I think Bend Over Boyfriend is a great film and it is easy to see why it has had such longevity.  Carol and Robert are passionate about their topic and very experienced.  They talk about anatomy, prostate pleasure and health, relaxation and massage, safe sex, arousal, gender-bending, and the best tools for anal stimulation (including mouth, tongue and fingers!).  After this ten minute intro, they show you enthusiastically how it is done (and while this is probably not erotic for the viewer, I bet it was for them).  The film also includes two other male/female couples that demonstrate different scenarios, variations of anal pleasure and sexual positions.  So Bend Over Boyfriend was an excellent guide when it first came out, and today I believe it still has information that is valuable to share, especially for couples seeking to explore anal sex for men and gender-bending for the first time.

Thank you to Babeland for this trip down memory lane.  Be sure to check out Bend Over Boyfriend and all the other excellent instructional films they have in their store as well as their Bend Over Boyfriend Strap-on Kit.

Studio: Adam & Eve
Category: Instructional
Director: Ernest Greene
Starring: Carmen Luvana, Melissa Lauren, Nicole Sheridan, Nina Hartley, Voodoo
Released on: 10/2/2005

I love Nina Hartley and it is always a pleasure to receive and review one of her guides. Nina began her adult film career in 1984 with Educating Nina about the same time she received her nursing degree and has made 650 adult films since then. Although Nina has never worked as a nurse, she uses her skills to educate others in the porn industry. Daughter of Zen Buddhists and feminists, Nina adopted their philosophies and is an advocate of female sexual empowerment, believing that women should “take control over their own pleasure…” Nina has won several AVN Awards and has been inducted to the AVN Hall of Fame.

Nina Hartley began creating educational videos in 1996 with her first “how-to” DVD: “Nina Hartley’s Guide to Swinging”. She now has twenty-three guides in her repertoire including her latest three “Guide to Great Sex During Pregnancy” (2008), “Guide to Bondage Sex” (2008), and “Advanced Guide to Anal Sex for Men and Women” (2007). The guides are targeted towards couples who are interested in exploring the hedonistic pleasures of adventurous sex and cover a wide range of topics including spanking, strap-ons, female ejaculation, stripping, group sex, erotic massage and even foot fetishes. All of Nina’s guides are directed by her husband Ernest Greene.

“Nina Hartley’s Guide to G-spot Sex” (2005) is the eleventh sex guide in the series and features her usual format: Prologue Chat with Nina, Hands-on Demo, Feature Sex Scene, Bonus Scene, Interview with Nina, Behind the Scenes, as well as the usual Previews and Gallery.

Prologue Chat

In this guide, Nina recruits Carmen Luvana to chat about G-spot sex in a Q&A format in which Nina acts as educator. Nina knows her subject well, is articulate and enthusiastic. Unfortunately, poor Carmen has trouble stumbling over her dialogue. To be fair, I’m not sure how many takes Carmen had (I’m guessing one) so this may be a directorial problem, which doesn’t make sense since digital video is so cheap. Fortunately, I was too distracted by her hotness to really care. I was disappointed that Carmen is not in any of the sex scenes though, which was surprising since she’s the co-host. The coolest part about this segment, however, is that Nina uses a huge anatomical map of the female pelvis to enlighten the viewer on what the G-spot is and where it is located. Nina’s demonstration with the chart is enlightening and makes G-spot anatomy easy to understand.

Demo Scene

Nina’s been getting pretty kinky lately and this demonstrative scene shows plenty of that. Nina and her sexy friend Melissa Lauren (Fashionistas: Safado 2007) are dressed in skin-tight PVC: Nina as a naughty nurse and Melissa as the patient in a gynecological chair. One of my favorite role-playing fantasies is nurse/patient so I absolutely loved this scene. Melissa Lauren is French and has a very sexy accent. Nina explains that the G-spot only reveals itself once a woman is turned on and commences foreplay on Melissa whose spread eagle in stir-ups. After a bit of foreplay and cunnilingus, Nina slips on latex gloves and gives Melissa an internal examination. This is where the scene really gets interesting. Nina inserts a speculum into Melissa’s vagina, showing viewers the spongy tissue of the G-spot. This is up-close-and-personal and you can really see the spongy tissue inflating like a little wrinkled balloon. Later, an anal speculum is inserted and Nina shows how the G-spot can be massaged indirectly through the anus with more subtlety, which Nina explains is her favorite way to stimulate herself. Nina then demonstrates various G-spot toys and the best positions for G-spot sex, using her strap-on, which includes missionary style, doggy style and the old reverse cowgirl.

Feature Sex Scene

After a brief intermission with Nina and Carmen, husband and wife team Nicole Sheridan and Voodoo take center stage. I have watched Nicole and Voodoo in other films by Nina and their performance here lacks their normal sizzle. Nicole pretends that they are exploring her G-spot for the first time, which requires suspending your disbelief. After all, she is a seasoned porn star. Because of this the scene craves their customary “wow” factor and their exceptional chemistry. They do, however, illustrate the best positions for G-spot sex, which is constructive.

Bonus Scene

I really don’t enjoy bonus scenes that don’t relate to the topic at hand. This one seems to have been thrown in for promo reasons from producers Adam & Eve. It is a scene from “University of Austyn” (2005) featuring a cheerleader going down on a geek and then sex in varying positions. I didn’t see a G-spot anywhere.

So should you buy this guide?

I would give this film 3 out of 5 cherries. There is definitely something to be learned here and the scene between Nina and Melissa is great, worth the price alone. For those who know little about finding their G-spot, this guide would be insightful. I appreciate that Nina spends time afterward in her interview talking about her own G-spot experiences and letting women know that every experience is different. Nina has never experienced female ejaculation, so advises women not to make ejaculation their ultimate goal, but to enjoy the journey of exploration and orgasm in itself. My only quip about the film is the sometimes amateurish quality: sound, cinematography, editing and dialogue. If Nina (or her partner Ernest Greene) could figure this stuff out I’m sure they’d make a million. Oh, wait, they already have.

Buy this Guide and check out other Nina instructional DVDs at Eros Boutique.

Or Watch the Film on Video on Demand or Just the Gyno Scene Here.

Online and in person, retailers are redefining sex education and customers are lining up to learn.

By: Jamye Waxman

When you think of sex-ed, do you think of science class or gym teachers? Perhaps you don’t. But even if you did, it’s not how most people view sex education these days. Today, more students are ditching the classrooms and seeking out nontraditional educators, many of whom come out of, or live in, the retail sex world. These adult students are looking to the pros to teach them how to have better sex. From certified (and non-certified) sex educators to retail sex shops, consumers are learning firsthand that knowledge is pleasure. Moreover, they’re signing up en masse for a different type of classroom experience, one that comes without chalkboards and desks but still stresses homework and extra credit. (more. . .)

As reported in many newspapers across the country, a customer of a professional dungeon in NYC was injured recently in an unfortunate accident. In response to this, the NYC based TES (The Eulenspiegel Society) is reaching out to professional dominants with an offer of free education and support.

TES Media Representative, Susan Wright says: “When something like this happens, it reminds us that we can never be too careful or be too knowledgeable when participating in consensual BDSM activities. TES offers educational classes and workshops every week to the Adult Alternative Community and as a show of support would like to offer these classes free to any actively working Professional Dom/Domme, during the months of March, April & May.” To register please visit http://www.tes.org/pd

As the oldest and largest BDSM support & education organization in the USA, TES has been educating the public on safe, sane & consensual BDSM practices since 1971. TES presents anywhere from 2 to 5 educational meetings, workshops & parties every week at various Manhattan locations. You can visit http://www.thesexcarnival.com/2007/10/condom-song-telugu/

I missed posting or mentioning this (because I am swamped), but Amber Rhea points us to Renegade Evolution’s comprehensive roundup.

Lux Nightmare has a new site, Boinkology. “Because sex rocks, and we should talk about it.”

Congratulations Lux, and see you soon!

…There is a widening gulf between how the best- and least-educated Americans approach marriage and child-rearing. Among the elite (excluding film stars), the nuclear family is holding up quite well. Only 4% of the children of mothers with college degrees are born out of wedlock. And the divorce rate among college-educated women has plummeted. Of those who first tied the knot between 1975 and 1979, 29% were divorced within ten years. Among those who first married between 1990 and 1994, only 16.5% were. (more. . .)

By Tremayne Gibson and Rusty Mason

Sex: it is everywhere from magazine covers to television screens to billboards. Though sex has become a major engine of advertisement and entertainment in modern America, how to properly teach children about it remains a contentious debate. There is due cause for urgency in this debate, as the United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world. To combat this, some propose teaching young people the benefits of “waiting” to have sex. Others take a more comprehensive approach and advocate educating adolescents to make their own, fully informed decisions. Despite its nature as a key public health issue, recently multiplying sex education programs in the United States seem to owe their growth and composition more to political concerns than research-based recommendations.

(more…)

By THOMAS BARTLETT

The Jewish Theological Seminary, considered the flagship institution for Conservative Judaism, will begin accepting gay and lesbian students into its rabbinical and cantorial schools, effective immediately, the institution’s chancellor-elect announced on Monday.

The decision followed a ruling in December by the movement’s highest legal body that allowed the ordination of gay rabbis but left it up to the seminaries to decide whether to do so. While that ruling paved the way for the change, discussion of the issue had been going on for a quite a while at the seminary, according to Arnold M. Eisen, the chancellor-elect. “It was a very long, deliberate, and thoughtful process of consultation,” he said.

(more…)

We are proud to announce a new Dark Odyssey event this April for people interested in sex, spirituality, and BDSM. This will be our third hotel event and will feature:

-An amazing line up of nationally-known presenters, including sex educators, BDSM masters, top-notch Tantra teachers, relationship experts, and award-winning authors, activists, and community leaders.

-Over 50 unique, dynamic workshops on identity, sex, relationships, swinging, polyamory, BDSM, Tantra, spirituality, and lots more.

-Our infamous special events including nightly parties, a banquet with entertainment, hospitality suite, incredible vendors and, of course, a huge, fully equipped dungeon and other intimate play spaces.

All this happens in the comfort and luxury of the same hotel where we celebrated the New Year in 2006.

…As the teacher, Monique Binford, delved into an unexpurgated discussion covering issues from vaginal dryness to Viagra, one student’s cane clattered to the floor, another student adjusted his hearing aid and a third fidgeted in her orthopedic shoes. By the time Ms. Binford got around to describing a safe sexual act involving Saran Wrap, a woman shouted, “Enough, already!” and the room erupted in laughter.

The sex educators had news for this class of 40 people in their 70s and 80s, just in time for Valentine’s Day: Older folks are friskier than ever, and it’s never too late to learn about safe sex.

(more…)

By Krittivas Mukherjee

MUMBAI, Feb 9 (Reuters Life!) – This is India’s version of sex in the city.

A rare sex museum in Mumbai, the country’s teeming financial capital, is drawing hundreds of prostitutes and their regular clients who say they learn more about HIV/AIDS from its graphic exhibits than staid lectures on safe sex.

Antarang, which means intimate in Hindi, is a one-room exhibition of nude statues, models of the human anatomy and illustrations near a well-known red light district in Mumbai. And it is India’s only sex museum, according to its management. (more...)

Thanks, Lolita.