Sex and Love // Current

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3 days ago

Babeland challenges 'puritanical' sexual ideals

Amid a myriad of sex toys ranging from dildos to handcuffs, Audrey McManus, education coordinator at Seattle's Babeland sex shop, is adamant that fear has no place in sexual education.

Babeland's mission is simple—to create an atmosphere where sexuality is made comfortable and accessible. Its flagship store, located on East Pike Street, was created in 1993 after Claire Cavanah and Rachel Venning noticed a lack of women-friendly sex shops in the region.

While the store has grown and expanded its target audience and has multiplied to stores in New York and Seattle, the focus remains the same—to educate and create a positive environment for sexual discovery and exploration.

“We live in a society based on puritanical values,” McManus says. “Americans have this reputation of being so sexual, but we really are oppressed.”

In relation to other sex shops on Capitol Hill including The Crypt and Castle, Babeland offers a distinctly different atmosphere. The first noticeable difference is the bright lighting and colorful walls, which are intended to create a more inviting space. The displays are also presented in a less discrete way. Customers are encouraged to ask questions, turn the equipment on, feel vibrations and get comfortable with the devices before purchasing them.

Babeland clientele breaks down to roughly 65 percent women and 35 percent men. According to McManus, most people who visit the store are heterosexual, but the store’s selection is not limited to any one sexual identification.

“Gay men just don't think this store is for them,” says McManus, who indicates that gay men make up the smallest percentage of customers. “Our gay porn selection is kind of bad. This is not the mecca for gay porn.”

Along with selling sex toys ranging in price from $15 to more than $100, Babeland provides extensive sexual education classes and workshops focused on increasing sexual pleasure and releasing stigma. When it comes to teaching about sex, Babeland focuses on three key elements—lubrication, communication and relaxation.

On Nov. 8, Babeland hosted “The Art of Oral Pleasure: Clit Trick,” an event focused on educating people and their partners on oral stimulation. In an effort not to be gender exclusive, they will also be hosting a workshop Dec. 13 titled “The Art of the Blow Job.”

“The goal is for anyone to go shopping for sex toys without feeling judged,” McManus says. “There really needed to be a place where women felt comfortable shopping.”

Babeland tries to make their products easy and accessible for customers.

“Sex is something everybody does,” McManus says. “Everyone in here is here for the same reason. It is a very comfortable place to shop.”

McManus, who has been working in the sex toy industry for years, also suggests that people who are nervous and intimidated also check out Babeland's extensive online shopping collection.Amid a myriad of sex toys ranging from dildos to handcuffs, Audrey McManus, education coordinator at Seattle's Babeland sex... more

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4 days ago

British people among world's ugliest, according to attractive people only website

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4 days ago

Grover discusses What Is Marriage?

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Jessica Alba Spanking Scene In New Movie

Check it out here - http://www.staytunedvideos.com/jessica-alba-spanking-scene-in-new-movie/

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The Facebook Sperminator

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The World's Smallest Mum Is Pregnant Again

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Hard times for Hef as Playboy Q3 revenue drops $14m

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So illuminating....Glow in the dark underwear!

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Mandatory sex education lessons for all 15-year-olds

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10 days ago

How Different Are Same-Sex Couples from Different-Sex Couples?

Today 52.8% of voters in Maine rejected a law legalizing gay marriage. Arguments on both sides of the debate are often highly emotional, and "information" campaigns have at times targeted people's fears more than discussing relevant policy dimensions and welfare concerns (e.g. the right to be included in a partner's health care plan). One far too often stated opposition to gay marriage is the idea that allowing homosexual couples to marry would change what it means to be married (by introducing something "diffreent") and thereby erode the institution of marriage. But how different are homosexual marriages from heterosexual marriages really? The 2008 American Community Survey (ACS) provides us with some valuable information on the topic. One finding that sticks out is the fact that married same-sex couples are very similar to different sex-married couples on the most important demographic dimensions. For example, same-sex married couples are similarly educated, earn the same amount of income, and even raise almost the same amount of children. It is especially this last finding that strikes most people as surprising, and hopefully surprise can lead to information-seeking and reconsideration of overhauled attitudes for some. Other interesting facts from the American Community Survey include:

* "More than 1 in 4 (nearly 150,000) same-sex couples designated themselves as spouses.

* Many same-sex couples considered themselves to be spouses even though they may not be legally married or in a legally recognized partnership.

* By the end of 2008, approximately 32,000 same-sex couples had been married in the US and more than 80,000 same-sex couples registered as reciprocal beneficiaries or domestic partners or were united in civil unions.

* Same-sex spouses were identified in every state. However, they were more common in states that permit marriage for same-sex couples or offer other forms of partnership recognition.

* Same-sex couples were more likely to call themselves spouses in states that recognize marriages of same-sex couples - 31% of same-sex couples in states with marriage recognition identified themselves as spouses.In states with no form of recognition, only 26% identified as spouses.

* Massachusetts, the first state to permit marriage for same-sex couples in 2004, had an estimated 3.63 same-sex spousal couples per 1,000 households in 2008, ranking first among all states. Vermont, which has offered civil unions since 2000, ranked second at 2.71. The remaining top five states ranked by same-sex spouse prevalence were Hawaii (2.43), Utah (2.32), and Wyoming (2.28).

* The District of Columbia had the highest prevalence of same-sex unmarried partners per 1,000 households (13.22), followed by Maine (6.81), Washington (5.84), Oregon (5.73), and New York (5.15).

* Same-sex couples, both married and unmarried were more prevalent in states that had some form of legal recognition for same-sex couples than in states that had no recognition.

* Same-sex couples who identified themselves as spouses differed from same-sex couples who identified themselves as unmarried partners. "

You can find the entire survey report at UCLA-based Williams Institute's web site. There's also this short interview with Williams Distinguished Scholar Gary Gates.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolved-primate/200911/how-different-are-same-sex-couples-different-sex-couplesToday 52.8% of voters in Maine rejected a law legalizing gay marriage. Arguments on both sides of the debate are often highly... more