sexual health – Pucker Up

Dec 19: Megan Andelloux on Reducing Sexual Shame and Advancing the Field of Sexuality

Dec 182014

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On Sex Out Loud this Friday, I’m live with Megan Andelloux, one of America’s most sought-after speakers on the topic of sexuality and founder/executive directors of The Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health (The CSPH). Megan and I will discuss The CSPH’s work with medical providers as well as the professional development opportunities they offer to folks looking to get into the sexuality field. Megan will also talk about her book, Hot and Fast: Sexy, Spontaneous Quickies for Passionate Orgasms, as well as answer listener questions live on the air

This week’s show is LIVE so call in with questions and comments at 1-866-472-5788, join the discussion on Facebook or Twitter, or e-mail me via tristan(at)puckerup.com and I’ll read them live on the air. Tune in to Sex Out Loud every Friday, you can listen along on your computer, tablet, or phone, find all the ways at SexOutLoudRadio.com!

Megan Andelloux, founder and executive director of The Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health (The CSPH), is a Clinical Sexologist, AASECT certified Sexuality Educator, and ISSWSH Fellow. Her innovative education programs, writing, social media presence, and ambitious speaking schedule have helped make her one of America’s most recognized and sought-after experts in the growing field of sexual pleasure, health, and politics. She has delivered her dynamic programs at more than 175 institutions of higher education, including 7 of the 8 Ivy League universities, and is an Adjunct Instructor in the Brown University Medical School. In 2012, Ms. Andelloux received the First Tracks Award for Innovation in Sexology by Honest Exchange, as well as came out with her first book, Hot and Fast: Sexy, Spontaneous Quickies for Passionate Orgasms (Amorata Press). She has also written timely consumer feature stories, industry trend reports, and journal articles for the education and research communities. Find The CSPH on Tumblr | Twitter | Facebook.

Nov 1: Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders and Jackie Strano of Good Vibrations on Sex Out Loud

Oct 282013

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Tristan Taormino welcomes Dr. Joycelyn Elders and Jackie Strano to Sex Out Loud on Friday, November 1, 2013 at 5:00 pm Pacfic time, 8:00 pm Eastern time on the VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network. Taormino interviewed Dr. Elders in person at CatalystCon West in Woodland Hills, California, where Elders gave the closing keynote talk last month.

During the interview, Dr. Elders recalled growing up in rural, segregated, poverty-stricken Schaal, Arkansas and how it ultimately impacted her lifelong dedication to public health. Dr. Elders talked about her appointment as U.S. Surgeon General by President Bill Clinton in 1993 and how she was forced to resign over a controversy about her public statements about safer sex, masturbation, and sex education. Elders and Taormino discussed abstinence-only sex education, the current state of HIV/AIDS, and how we can empower young people around their sexuality.

dr elders Dr. Joycelyn Elders, the first person in the state of Arkansas to become board certified in pediatric endocrinology, was the sixteenth Surgeon General of the United States, the first African American and only the second woman to head the U.S. Public Health Service. Long an outspoken advocate of public health, Elders was appointed Surgeon General by President Clinton in 1993. In 1995, she returned to her alma mater, the University of Arkansas School of Medicine, as a faculty researcher and professor of pediatric endocrinology at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital. In 1996, she wrote her autobiography, Joycelyn Elders, M.D.: From Sharecropper’s Daughter to Surgeon General of the United States of America. Now retired from practice, Dr. Elders has teamed up with the University of Minnesota Medical School, which has created The Joycelyn Elders Chair in Sexual Health Education to advance the design, evaluation, and dissemination of essential sexual health curriculum for all individuals as well as training for allied health care providers and education professionals.

“It was an honor and a privilege to speak to Dr. Elders,” says Taormino. “She is such an inspiration to sex educators everywhere. She’s bold, unapologetic, and fearless about her commitment to comprehensive sex education in our country. Plus, she’s very feisty—I can’t believe some of the things she said!”

The second half of the show will feature Jackie Strano, Executive Vice President of Good Vibrations, the presenting sponsor of Sex Out Loud. Strano was at CatalystCon West for Dr. Elders’ keynote. “Dr. Elders is one of my personal sex positive icons for her bravery and for telling a simple and necessary truth during a climate of intense fear around sexuality in this country’s history,” says Strano. “For the last 19 years, Good Vibrations has dedicated the month of May as ‘Masturbation Month’ in homage to Elders’ bravery and commitment to pleasure, sex positivity and sex education.” In their interview, Taormino and Strano talk about the state of sex education in America, why sex-positive retail stores are so important, and how Good Vibrations has paired with various non-profit sex-positive organizations to raise money and awareness.

Jackie Strano is the Executive Vice President of Good Vibrations the legendary feminist sex positive adult retailer founded in 1977. Strano is an award winning and best-selling adult filmmaker of explicit and non-explicit sex-ed movies, a sex educator for over 20 years, author, performer, producer, and has lectured at conferences, universities, and appeared on HBO, various documentaries, and featured in Cosmo, Playboy, Self Magazine, Salon, The Village Voice, and various independent newspapers throughout the country.

“Tristan continues to deliver high quality shows week after week on Sex Out Loud,” says Karen Dana, Executive Producer of the show at VoiceAmerica. “Not only does she have top-notch guests from a variety of fields, but her conversations with them are thoughtful, provocative, and inspirational. That’s what makes Sex Out Loud the highest-rated show on the entire VoiceAmerica Network.”

Sex Out Loud airs live on Fridays at 5 pm Pacific / 7 pm Central / 8 pm Eastern on The VoiceAmerica Variety Channel. All shows will be available in Tristan Taormino’s Content Library on The VoiceAmerica Variety Channel for on-demand and podcast download. It is sponsored by Good Vibrations, Astroglide, We-Vibe, and Sportsheets.

About Sex Out Loud®:

Sex Out Loud explores the world of sexuality from every angle with host Tristan Taormino®, who interviews leading authors, educators, artists and icons and gives listeners an uncensored, inside look at alternative sexual practices and communities. Guests have included Dan Savage, Susie Bright, Jessica Valenti, Kandi Burruss, and Margaret Cho. Sex Out Loud airs live on Fridays at 5 pm Pacific / 7 pm Central / 8 pm Eastern on The VoiceAmerica Variety Channel; it is the number one rated show across the entire VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network. Tristan Taormino is an award winning author, sex educator, speaker, and filmmaker. She is the author of seven books and editor of twenty-five anthologies. She has appeared on Melissa Harris-Perry, Joy Behar: Say Anything, HBO’s Real Sex, Ricki Lake, and The Howard Stern Show. She lectures at top colleges and universities and teaches sex and relationship classes around the world.

About Good Vibrations:
Good Vibrations is a diverse, woman-focused retailer providing high-quality, sex-positive products and non-judgmental, accurate sex information through our clean and comfortable stores, catalog, web site, wholesale division, product and movie production lines in order to enhance our customers’ sex lives and promote healthy attitudes about sex. We recognize that sexuality touches on every aspect of our lives and that many people face challenges around positive sexual expression. Our goal is to help everyone we come into contact with to discover ways to experience sexual pleasure, health, and well-being. Since sexual diversity is a core component of the human experience and each person’s sexuality will change over the lifespan, we welcome all forms of consensual sexual expression, desire, and fantasy. Good Vibrations strives to be an agent for social change, through the lenses of sexuality, diversity and ethical business practices. Both within our organization, and throughout the communities we serve, we are committed to fostering respect, promoting supportive communication, providing access to educational resources and strongly advocating for women in leadership roles.

About VoiceAmerica/World Talk Radio, LLC:

World Talk Radio, LLC is the world leader in online media broadcasting and the largest producer and distributor of live internet based talk radio and TV, delivering more than 200 hosts broadcasting to eight niche community based channels and over 1,000 hours of programming weekly on its VoiceAmerica™ Network and WorldTalk Radio Network as well as live and on-demand video content on VoiceAmerica.TV. World Talk Radio, LLC is one of the pioneers in internet broadcasting, producing and syndicating online audio and video, offering an innovative, effective and comprehensive digital broadcast platform.

June 14: Francisco Ramirez on Sexual and Public Health; Airial Clark on Sex-Positive Parenting

Jun 112013

This week’s episode of Sex Out Loud features our final interview from the CatalystCon series with Francisco Ramirez, known for giving Free Sex Advice on the streets in NYC every week, answering questions about relationships, sex, and dating. He’ll discuss the inspiration for his project, how he’s turning people’s stories into a podcast, and the phone app he’s developing. Then, Airial Clark, known for her site TheSexPositiveParent.com, will be interviewed live in the second half of the show. Clark has created sex education curriculum and led workshops where she provides parents and caregivers the tools they need to become the resident sexuality expert for their families.

This second half of this week’s show is live, so find out all the ways to listen here and you can call in with questions at 1-866-472-5788, join the discussion on Facebook or Twitter, or even e-mail me via tristan(at)puckerup.com and I’ll read them live on the air!

Francisco Ramirez holds a Master of Public Health (concentration in sexuality) from Columbia University. For 15 years, Francisco has addressed the sexual health needs of diverse communities worldwide. He is a long-term consultant at the United Nations and has led multi-lingual education initiatives for: the UN, MTV Networks, Planned Parenthood, New York Academy of Medicine, and the NAACP. Since 2008 Francisco has offered Free Advice on sex to passersby in NYC parks. He is a prominent voice in the media on sex. At MTV Voices and MTV Staying Alive, he is an on-camera host and producer of sex-related content. In 2010 he guest-hosted the Savage LoveCast with Dan Savage. Currently, he is developing an original TV series and co-hosting a forthcoming web series on sex. Francisco lectures at universities and is creating a mobile app focused on sex ed. Francisco has worked in over 10 countries and is based in NYC.

Airial Clark, M.A is the founder of The Sex-Positive Parent. She has a Master’s degree in Sexuality Studies from San Francisco State and also a rambunctious single-parent of two teenage sons. Airial graduated from UC Berkeley in 2007 with a BA in English Literature and Anthropology. She is a contributing writer for the San Francisco Bay Guardian, Oakland Local, Good Vibrations Magazine, the Sex Positive Photo Project of the SF Bay Area and Shades Magazine. Airial presented her graduate level research on the intersections of race, non-monogamy and parenting at the Open SF conference and will be presenting two sessions at this year’s CatalysCon West. Airial sees the mission of her work to provide strategies and support for sex-positive parenting; specializing in community building for parents with alternative sexualities. She leads parent-education workshops, provides one-on-one parent coaching and consults other sex educators on how to include parents in their work.

Mar 1: Joan Price Gives Straight Talk on Senior Sex and Ageless Erotica

Feb 262013

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This Friday on Sex Out Loud I talk with Joan Price, author, editor, and ageless sexuality advocate. Joan will discuss her book Better Than I Ever Expected which first got her named “the senior sexpert” and her latest book, Naked At Our Age: Talking Out Loud about Senior Sex. We’ll get a sneak preview of her presentation at Catalyst Con in Washington DC in a couple weeks, as well the scoop on the latest anthology she edited, Ageless Erotica, a collection of hot stories where age is no limitation to getting busy.

Joan Price (www.joanprice.com) calls herself an advocate for ageless sexuality, though she has also been dubbed “senior sexpert,” “the beautiful face of senior sex,” and “wrinkly sex kitten” by the media. Joan, age 69, has been writing, speaking, and blogging about senior sex since 2005. Formerly a health & fitness writer, she switched topics to senior sex when she wrote her spicy memoir, Better Than I Ever Expected: Straight Talk about Sex After Sixty, to celebrate the joys of older-age sexuality. Her blog (www.NakedAtOurAge.com) attracted a growing community of sex-positive (and sex-inquisitive) seniors who sent Joan their stories and questions. This led to her next book in 2011: Naked at Our Age: Talking Out Loud about Senior Sex, a compilation of 130 reader stories, advice from 45 experts, and Joan’s candid commentary. Naked at Our Age won Outstanding Self-Help Book 2012 from the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) and 2012 Book Award from the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists, and the audiobook was nominated for an Audie in 2013. She recently edited a steamy senior sex anthology titled Ageless Erotica. Visit Joan’s zesty, award-winning blog about sex and aging at http://www.NakedAtOurAge.com, where Joan continues to talk out loud about Boomer/senior sex, partnered or solo.

Feb 22: Christopher Ryan on the History of Human Sexuality and the Future of Ethical Non-Monogamy

Feb 192013

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This Friday on Sex Out Loud at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT, I’m live with Christopher Ryan, the renegade researcher behind the New York Times bestseller, Sex At Dawn, a controversial, idea-driven book that challenges everything you know about sex, marriage, family, and society. We’ll discuss the ideas behind the book including monogamy, sexual orientation, and family dynamics, as well as his latest project, KoTango.com. Kotango is an ethical non-monogamy site, a global community dedicated to modern relationships, and the culture that surrounds them.

Christopher Ryan received a BA in English and American literature in 1984 and an MA and Ph.D. in psychology from Saybrook University, in San Francisco, CA twenty years later. He spent the intervening decades traveling around the world, living in unexpected places working at very odd jobs (e.g., gutting salmon in Alaska, teaching English to prostitutes in Bangkok and self-defense to land-reform activists in Mexico, managing commercial real-estate in New York’s Diamond District, helping Spanish physicians publish their research, Ebonics to English translation for a Spanish film festival…). Along the way, he decided to pursue doctoral studies in psychology. Drawing upon his multi-cultural experience, Christopher’s research focused on trying to distinguish the human from the cultural. His doctoral dissertation analyzes the prehistoric roots of human sexuality, and was guided by the world-renowned psychologist, Stanley Krippner.

Christopher has lectured at the University of Barcelona Medical School, consulted at various hospitals, contributed to publications ranging from Behavioral and Brain Sciences (Cambridge University Press) to a textbook used in medical schools and teaching hospitals throughout Spain and Latin America. He’s been featured in major national media, both conventional (e.g., MSNBC, Canada’s CBC-TV, Oprah Radio, CNN, NPR, The Washington Post, Time, Newsweek, The Atlantic, Outside magazine) and Internet-based (e.g., Salon.com, Seed.com, Big Think, and Andrew Sullivan’s Daily Dish blog over a dozen times). He and his work have also appeared in many international newspapers (e.g., The Times of London, Toronto Globe and Mail, Israel’s Ha’aretz, The Sydney Morning Herald, SonntagsBlick) and television (U.S., Spain, Russia, Canada, Australia).

Jan 18: All About Prostate Pleasure with Charlie Glickman and Aislinn Emirzian

Jan 142013

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This week on Sex Out Loud I welcome Charlie Glickman & Aislinn Emirzian, the authors of The Ultimate Guide to Prostate Pleasure: Erotic Exploration for Men and Their Partners, who bring their combined years of expertise as sex educators to answer all of your questions about the prostate. They’ll discuss common concerns and questions on the topics of prostate health, massage, toys, and pegging, as well as teach how prostate pleasure can improve your sex life. This show is live and we’ll be taking questions on the air from listeners as well, so call in at 866-472-5788 with your question or post them on Facebook or Twitter.

charlie and aislinn

Charlie Glickman: I’ve been a sexuality educator for over twenty years. I got my start providing queer outreach and safer sex workshops as a student at Brown University and when I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, I volunteered at for LGBT outreach and support organizations, the rape crisis center, and sex education organizations. In 1996, I was hired at Good Vibrations, where I was the Education Program Manager until 2013. I received my PhD in Adult Sexuality Education from the Union Institute and University in Cincinnati in 2005, and I’m certified as a sexuality educator by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists. I’ve taught university courses for therapists and clergy, provided in-service trainings for medical and mental health professionals, and I teach workshops on a wide range of topics, including sex-positivity, sex & shame, gender & masculinity, sexual orientation, communities of erotic affiliation, and many sexual practices such as prostate play, anal sex, pegging, sex toys, BDSM, and polyamory. I also present at conferences and community events.

Aislinn Emirzian: I became involved in sexuality education as a student at Smith College in Massachusetts, where I joined a student-run peer sex ed group that was affiliated with the college’s health services. During my 2 years of participation in this program, I facilitated workshops for fellow students on topics like safer sex methods, sexual anatomy and sex-positivity. I was also thrilled to have the opportunity to give a lecture and Powerpoint presentation on feminist pornography! Following graduation, I continued in the field, working with sex positive adult toy stores: First, Oh My Sensuality Shop in Massachusetts, and later Good Vibrations in California. During my involvement with Oh My, I developed and managed a new in-home toy party program run by the store, while also facilitating toy parties, assisting customers at the shop, and representing the store in outreach workshops. At Good Vibrations, I received a great deal of sexuality training, attended as many After Hours workshops as I could, and generally dove head-first into the thriving sex-positive community of the Bay Area. Having landed myself in “sex world,” I noticed that there was a growing interest in prostate massage (especially among heterosexual couples), but very little information available on the subject. With Charlie, I co-authored The Ultimate Guide to Prostate Pleasure: Erotic Exploration for Men and Their Partners. During the year 2013, I will begin a year-long book tour during which I will teach my prostate pleasure workshop at venues all across the country.

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Anal Sex Study Mentioned in Salon

Nov 282012

The Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy published a study on anal sex last month that was ignored by most folks in the media – except for Debby Herbenick at Salon!

In an incredibly short period of time, anal sex has become a common part of Americans’ sex lives. As of the 1990s, only about one-quarter to one-third of young women and men in the U.S. had tried anal sex at least once. Less than 20 years later, my research team’s 2009 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior found that as many as 40-45 percent of women and men in some age groups had tried anal sex. With its rising prevalence, I felt it was important to devote a chapter of my first book, “Because It Feels Good,” to anal health and pleasure — only to find that a magazine editor wouldn’t review it because the topic of anal sex was “not in the best interest of our readership.” Even though nearly half of American women in some age groups have done it! She added, “In the correct circles, I personally will be suggesting the book to those with whom I can share such a resource.”

Hmm. The correct circles. Which ones would those be?

Read the whole article here: http://www.salon.com/2012/10/05/anal_sex_sciences_last_taboo/

Aug 3: Activist Audacia Ray on Sex Worker Activism, Sex Industry Reform, and How Sex-Positive Feminism Failed Her

Jul 302012

This Friday on Sex Out Loud, I talk to writer, media maker, and crusader for people in the sex industry Audacia Ray about her role in the sex workers’ rights movement. We’ll discuss the work she does with the Red Umbrella Project, an organization she founded and directs as well as her thoughts on strategies for increasing awareness of the myriad issues facing sex workers. Plus, she’ll address her controversial remarks at this year’s Momentum Conference, and tell is why she no longer identifies as a sex-positive feminist. This will be a live show, so be ready to join in the conversation online and call in with questions!

Audacia Ray is the founder and director of the Red Umbrella Project, where she works to amplify the voices of people involved in the sex industry. At the Red Umbrella Project, Audacia hosts monthly live storytelling events and a weekly podcast, leads media and storytelling workshops, and provides communications support and leadership for individuals and communities who wish to tell their stories and reframe public debate. In 2010, the Village Voice named the Red Umbrella Diaries series and Audacia’s blog Waking Vixen to their Best of NYC list. As the Program Officer for Online Communications and Campaigns at the International Women’s Health Coalition and a communications consultant for the Global Network of Sex Work Projects, Audacia has worked with activists all over the world to build communications strategies around challenging topics like youth sexual health, sexual rights, HIV, and sex work.

Her skills are rooted in years of experience as an activist, writer, and media maker. Audacia is a former sex worker who was an executive editor at the Utne Reader award-winning $pread magazine for three years and is the author of Naked on the Internet: Hookups, Downloads, and Cashing In on Internet Sexploration. She has been blogging about sexuality and culture since 2004, and has shot and edited a variety of videos and video podcasts, including Naked City TV, a twenty-two episode documentary video show that she produced for the Village Voice in 2008. Audacia also developed a syllabus and taught as an adjunct professor of Human Sexuality at Rutgers University for three semesters. She has a BA from Eugene Lang College at the New School and a MA from Columbia University.