tagged w/ Sexuality
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National Women’s Health Organization Highlights Wellness & Anti-Aging Benefits of SexNational Women’s Health Organization Highlights Wellness & Anti-Aging... more
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Herb Ritts (1952-2002) occupies photography’s Mount Olympus, along with the most important fashion and glamour photographers of the late 20th Century, including Horst, Richard Avedon, Bruce Weber, and Helmut Newton. His photographs are a pivotal reference in our collective cultural memory; the classical poses of celebrities and models with their clean lines and distinct forms are easily recognizable as his style.
Herb Ritts was self-taught and he took his cues from the desert landscape surrounding his home and his close proximity to Hollywood culture, evident in the graphic quality and visual simplicity of his photographs and the heightened glamour of their subjects. He inserts a sense of rigorous formalism that seems to be inspired by modernist photographers like Edward Weston, August Sander or Man Ray.
The Edwynn Houk Gallery in Zurich recently presented an exhibition of photographs drawn from the collection of the Herb Ritts Foundation. In addition, the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, has recently acquired 69 black-and-white images by the late L.A. fashion photographer valued at close to $1 million, given by his foundation in a single transaction that was part gift and part purchase. A Ritts exhibition is being planned at the Getty, drawing in part from the new acquisition, for April 2012.
This piece includes a number of high-resolution photographs, a photo-gallery and a documentary short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/the-photography-of-herb-ritts-distinctive-portraits-with-monumental-sensuality/Herb Ritts (1952-2002) occupies photography’s Mount Olympus, along with the most... more
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High-flying stunt center of controversy
Sex and the Older Woman – You Might Be Surprised!High-flying stunt center of controversy
Sex and the Older Woman – You Might Be... more
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Planned Parenthood and the Center for Latino and Adolescent Family Health Release Tools That can Help Parents Talk to Their Children About Sex and Sexual HealthPlanned Parenthood and the Center for Latino and Adolescent Family Health Release... more
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Kristin Chenoweth dropped a gay bombshell on Tulsa, Oklahoma by appearing on Piers Morgan and announcing support for LGBT Americans.
"I am a Christian, and I would call myself conservative in some ways and not so conservative in some ways," she told Morgan, which was reported on piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com "And I don't think the gay issue is a political one, but I do think it's a civil rights issue," she said.
"I believe as a woman, as a Christian, as an actor and as an artist that people who love each other should be allowed to be married, and I know that doesn't go along with what Mrs. Bachmann and everybody that proclaims that, but that is why I believe," the Tony and Emmy award winner told Morgan on the show.
She also told him: "If it was a sin to be short, what would I do? Well I'd be right on the hell bus ... I believe that's the way God made me, and I don't believe God makes mistakes, and that includes a person's sexuality.
One of the reasons this particular interview makes so much difference is that Kristin Chenoweth hails from a very conservative Tulsa suburb, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
I'm a firm believer that any kind of activism by celebrities that forces people to challenge their ultra-fundamentalist beliefs in the conservative areas of our nation, like Broken Arrow, is a very good thing. Those areas are overrun with backwards, hateful Michele Bachmann types, and should be ground zero for positive change. Kristin Chenoweth's statement makes her a heroine for our community, and especially the young LGBT kids who struggle to survive in an environment that can be downright dangerous for them.
Be sure and read the comments below the story in the Tulsa World. They show just how powerful her witness is
.http://tinyurl.com/ygwajpnKristin Chenoweth dropped a gay bombshell on Tulsa, Oklahoma by appearing on Piers... more
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LOrion
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added this
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8 months ago
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"Reporter David Steel" investigates a BRAND NEW and growing branch of the "reparative therapy" movement.
Not to be taken seriously, seriously.
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"Reporter David Steel" investigates a BRAND NEW and growing branch of... more
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Slice them where you will, any collection of psychoanalysts is as mad as a parliament. Novelty beards, whirling eyes, twitches, deranged clothing, tics, jitters and habits you wouldn’t want to go into. ButSlice them where you will, any collection of psychoanalysts is as mad as a parliament.... more
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I know about this school since I live near Chicago. They feel they have a right to get into you personal life. They once fired a teacher because she got divorced.I know about this school since I live near Chicago. They feel they have a right to get... more
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CNN...
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/07/27/cameroon.breast.ironing/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
Breast ironing tradition targeted in Cameroon
From Nkepile Mabuse, CNN
July 27, 2011 8:53 p.m. EDT
Click on photo to play video
Activists fight breast ironing tradition
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(CNN) --
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Every morning before school, nine-year-old Terisia Techu would undergo a painful procedure. Her mother would take a burning hot pestle straight out of a fire and use it to press her breasts.
With tears in her eyes as she recalls what it was like, Terisia tells CNN that one day the pestle was so hot, it burned her, leaving a mark. Now 18, she is still traumatized.
Her mother, Grace, denies the incident. But she proudly demonstrates the method she used on her daughter for several weeks, saying the goal was to make her less desirable to boys -- and stave off pregnancy.
A study found that one in four girls in Cameroon have been affected by the practice.
The U.S. State Department, in its 2010 human rights report on Cameroon, cited news reports and said breast ironing "victimized numerous girls in the country" and in some cases "resulted in burns, deformities, and psychological problems."
There are more than 200 ethnic groups in Cameroon with different norms and customs. Breast ironing is practiced by all of them.
Some mothers use hot stones or coconut shells to flatten their daughters' breasts.
Doctors believe improved diets have resulted in young Cameroonian girls going through puberty early. Many of them are also becoming pregnant early.
Terisia became pregnant at 15. Her child died at birth.
She told CNN that breast ironing doesn't work. She hates the practice and wishes her mother had instead talked to her about sex and preventing pregnancy.
Grace Techu argues that if it weren't for the breast ironing, Terisia would have become pregnant at an even younger age.
Techu has four daughters, and she used the procedure on the first two. The third avoided it because her breasts are growing at an acceptable rate, Techu says, and the fourth girl is still too young.
Mothers who want their children to finish school before becoming parents have resorted to this drastic measure, and many see nothing wrong with it.
In 2006, a German nongovernmental organization exposed the practice, which at the time was done mainly in secret.
Now, charities have embarked on campaigns to educate mothers in Cameroon that sex education -- not breast ironing -- is the solution to ending teenage pregnancy.
Dr Sinou Tchana, a gynecologist in Cameroon, has seen breast glands that were destroyed. She also saw one case of cancer, though she says it couldn't be established whether the ironing caused or only exacerbated the cancer.
"One mother came with secondary burns because the stone she was using to do this breast ironing burned her," Tchana says.
One of Tchana's patients is a 23-year-old whose scars are still painful 14 years after her breasts were ironed. She has joined the effort to confront mothers about the effects of their actions.
The challenge for all those trying to stop the practice is reaching parents like Techu in villages before a ritual that they say is motivated by love shatters more lives.
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CNN's Josh Levs contributed to this report.CNN...... more
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Jean Harris dies at 66; forceful gay-rights organizer
The longtime Democratic Party activist campaigned in favor of gay candidates, pushed California to expand domestic-partnership rights and helped block an Oregon bill that would ban talk of homosexuality in schools.
Jean Harris
Political activist Jean Harris was called “the lesbian Al Sharpton” for her colorful personality and confrontational style. (Denise Penn)
By Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times
July 2, 2011
Jean Harris, a feisty advocate for gay and lesbian rights and longtime Democratic Party activist who helped elect openly gay candidates in California, has died. She was 66.
Harris, who had a number of serious health problems, was found June 25 in her Palm Springs home by her partner, Denise Penn. An autopsy to determine the cause of death is underway.
An Orange County native, Harris played a key role in mobilizing support for the so-called lavender sweep of 1990, when San Francisco voters elected two lesbian supervisors and a gay school board member.
She held prominent leadership posts in Democratic circles, including chief of staff to San Francisco Supervisor Harry Britt, who succeeded gay icon Harvey Milk after his assassination in 1978, and deputy to Mayor Frank Jordan after he took office in 1992.
Known as a savvy organizer, Harris became the founding director of Basic Rights Oregon, the state's largest gay-rights organization, in 1996. Under her guidance, the group collaborated with environmental, labor and abortion-rights groups to build a base of 125,000 gay and pro-gay voters that became a decisive force behind the defeat of a 2000 ballot measure to prevent discussions of homosexuality in Oregon schools.
Following the victory in Oregon, she returned to California to serve as executive director of the Alliance for Pride and Equality (now called Equality California), which became one of the state's most influential advocacy organizations for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals. In 2001 she worked with then-Assemblywoman Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) to pass AB 25, a landmark bill that granted domestic partners many of the same rights as married couples.
"Her legislative advocacy, grass-roots organizing and coalition building became the bedrock for the modern LGBT justice movement in California," Jim Carroll, interim executive director of Equality California, said in a statement this week.
Harris left the organization in 2003 to campaign for Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean. She later worked for former state Assembly Speakers Herb Wesson and Fabian Nuñez and former state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata.
Born in 1944, Harris grew up in Long Beach. She majored in history at Cal State Long Beach before enrolling in post-graduate courses at San Francisco State.
She worked her way through college climbing telephone poles for GTE, eventually rising into the management ranks. In 1971 she entered politics as a field organizer for Sen. George McGovern's presidential campaign. In later years she served as chair of the California Democratic Party's Lesbian/Gay Caucus and president of San Francisco's Harvey Milk Lesbian/Gay Democratic Club.
Once described as "the lesbian Al Sharpton" for her colorful personality and confrontational style, Harris was unabashed about her sexuality and political goals.
"She could be a pain," said John Burton, the former state legislator who chairs the California Democratic Party. "She'd push and sometimes people got upset with her, but she cared enough to not be nice in order to achieve the community's goals."
Harris favored men's clothing, telling authors Karen V. Hansen and Anita Ilta Garey that she wore ties "because I want every man who sees me to know … I'm after their power. … They know right up front, I'm a dyke, I'm tough, I'm here, I want to know exactly what's going on, and if you've got the power, I'm gonna try and take it from you."
In addition to Penn, her partner of 10 years, Harris is survived by her mother, a brother, a sister, four children and a granddaughter.
.Jean Harris dies at 66; forceful gay-rights organizer
The longtime Democratic Party... more
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This is a poem I wrote about abortion, the pro-life/pro-choice debate, and the points that I think we are missing when we talk about abortion. You can read the poem here as well:
http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/newyorkglow/737875/This is a poem I wrote about abortion, the pro-life/pro-choice debate, and the points... more
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Darrel Ray, raised a fundamentalist Christian in Topeka, Kan., shed a heavy cloak of guilt surrounding sex after he left the church in the late 1970s, and wondered if his experience reflected that of others.
Today, he has finished research that he said bore out his hypotheses -- that religion and good sex don't mix. In an online survey of 14,500 people who had come from a religious background, he discovered that once they had abandoned their churches, their sex lives improved.
(read all about it at link)
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/atheists-best-sex-lives-claims-kansas-psychologists-survey/story?id=13679076Darrel Ray, raised a fundamentalist Christian in Topeka, Kan., shed a heavy cloak of... more
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So I've always liked the idea of being dominant in bed with a partner but have never had the guts to go through with it. My new boyfriend, I say new but we have been together for a pretty long time now, told me he would like me to take control and be the dominatrix type in bed. I'm all for this but I'm not sure exactly what to do. So any advice on how to act and/or dress for this would be great. I was thinking just manhandle him a bit, demand and order him around, be a bit rough and such things? His exact words were "I just want you to own me" So what do you thinks a good idea?
Also how do I stop myself from cringing in embarrassment through all this, since its my first time I know I'll find it difficult.
---------------------------------------------------------- My reply to this future dominant:
(Continues....)
http://people.tribe.net/1bf224e9-b448-41ae-8a82-429d1b0ea80d/blog/afb52abf-d152-4768-9019-d7eaa62b31b6So I've always liked the idea of being dominant in bed with a partner but have... more
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To know what really sexual fantasies are, first let’s have a look at our sub-conscious mind. Our sub-conscious mind is like an abyss, hidden, fathomless and mysterious, yet it is more important than the working mind. Please keep in mind that it is not the conscious mind that activates and controls us but the sub-conscious mind. All our senses and bodily organs are in fact an extension of this sub-conscious mind.
http://www.prophet666.com/2010/07/sexual-fantasies-improve-your-sex-life.htmlTo know what really sexual fantasies are, first let’s have a look at our... more
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neel
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added this
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1 year ago
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I watched eagerly as I sat outside my family’s home near the San Juan islands this weekend as my boyfriend’s eyes were glued to the cellphone I held out in front of him. His mouth was agape; his eyes, bulging; a look of horror and sheer entertainment covered his face as I -- stifling giggles and knee-slaps -- watched him have his first experience with one of the most puzzling internet phenomenons of the year: Rebecca Black’s viral video and tween-tastic song, Friday.
If you enjoy your Condo Beneath A Rock, you may not have heard of the immensely… popular? new teen sensation, Rebecca Black, and her solo anthem, Friday. With over 80 million views on YouTube, has become both a overnight success… and a bit of a joke. BBC, ABC Australia, and Yahoo Music were only a few of the media outlets to publicly label Rebecca Black’s single “Worst Song Ever.” Sure, it’s auto-tuned to high hell, completely overproduced, and the lyrics absolutely leave something to be desired… But Worst Song Ever? Let’s take a few steps back, mature, adult-run media organizations.
Trust me, I fancy my taste in music to be pretty damned good. Obviously, as you read above, I reveled in my partner’s shock and awe that such an… unusual song could be quite so popular, but honestly -- I support this chick 150% and here’s why:
Meet Rebecca Black. She was born in Anaheim, CA in June of 1997. Yes, that puts her at the end of her 13th year on this planet. Do you remember when you were 13? I certainly hope so. Me? I’m twice her age, but I still recall my interests in my first true year of teen-dom -- I loved Silverchair, making bracelets, and running into my friends at lunch so we could sit on the tables in the cafeteria and pretend we were hardcore badasses. I was less-than-stylish, had a face full of zits, and being cool was slowly climbing the chart of “Most Important Things Ever.”
Obviously, I was no Orange County girl like Rebecca Black, but I think it’s safe to say that interests don’t vary too widely based on geographical location -- I am, after all, a west coast girl, and the only experience I have to compare is my own.
Now, onto the insane amount of criticism, hate mail, and insults this girl has received. I understand that the song may not be up to Tchaikovsky, Dylan, or The Who standards of music, but let’s take some things into consideration:
1) Who is this song geared towards?
Is a 35 year old lawyer going to throw this song on in his BMW Z3 as he drives home from work? Probably not. Is a college kid, thirsty for beer and sex going to blast this during a kegger (sans the irony effect)? No. Are the folks at the tattoo shop going to set their playlist to play this between the metal and butt-rock? Mmm, doubtful.
This song is not intended for everyone, in the same way that Tenacious D is probably not the best musical selection for a 9 year old. Of course Rebecca Black’s song isn’t going to be the favorite of the vast majority of over-15-ers. It’s not meant for you! So when gigantic media outlets and grown-ass adults put this 13 year old girl (13 year old girl…) down for her lack of omnipotent relate-ability… Well, frankly, it makes them look like assholes. Mostly because they’re acting like assholes.
2) Who would you rather kids to look up to?
Rebecca Black is classified, by Wikipedia, as an “American Pop Singer.” That would make people like Ke$ha, Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera her colleagues. Every third day, I run across an article about the demise of modesty in America’s female youth, yet we send a fully-clothed, age-appropriate girl up to bat and she strikes out immediately based on the fact that she’s a “mind-meltingly horrific” singer (oh, please.). It’s no secret that the more attractive you are, the further you’ll get in show business. This girl is cute -- but a KNEE LENGTH DRESS and STRAIGHT, DARK HAIR?! What are you, a KID?! She’s not appealing in the same way that other teenage musicians are, and she’s getting straight up destroyed because of it. Put that girl in a miniskirt, bustier and the latest YSL heels, and we’ve got a star.
[image - view at the webpage]
Vanessa Hudgens, age 21.
Oh.
If we’re sexualizing teen girls on the regular, shouldn’t we support a girls who is… acting her age? Perhaps we should entertain the idea that this kind of personal-insult backlash is what tells young women that, in order to be successful, they have to sex it up. What a notion!
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Taylor Momsen (17), aka Option B.
[image - view at the webpage]
3) Kids need to relate to music, too.
Part of my desire for ultimate badass-ery in junior high school was fueled by my adoration of ladies like Gwen Stefani, Monique Powell, and Beth Gibbons. They were so cool. Not only were they cool, they were gorgeous. Not only were they cool and gorgeous, they were relatable. One of my boyfriends in high school dumped me at a school dance. Did I go home and blast “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt? Hell yeah! When I was jealous of my big sister’s ability to go to rock shows, Save Ferris’ “Under 21″ ran through my mind. Want a song that sums up pretty much my entire high school experience? Listen to Portishead’s “Numb” on repeat and you’ll get the point. At 14 years old, can I relate to Gaga’s pro-gay anthems? Mmmmaybe, certainly not fully. Can I relate to dying and longing and waiting for Friday so I can have a weekend? Absolutely.
Now, pop music was just getting intense as I moved into high school, but even Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” was relative to an extent. These days, the pop stars of my youth are… well, my age. Another unsurprising idea: pop stars’ demographics change along with their age. That’s why Britney can get away with “If U Seek Amy” and Christina can wear assless chaps and talk about how great it is to be a filthy b-, and even then parents of 12 year old are writing nasty letters about it.
[image - view at the webpage]
Even Miley Cyrus grows up… Well, sort of. Here she is performing her “Sweet 16″ routine.
The Justin Biebers (age: 17), Selena Gomezes (age: 19), Vanessa Hudgenses (age: 23) and Zac Efrons (age: 23) are all today’s youth has to relate to and, frankly, not all of the kids in America want to hear over and over about the importance and emergency of finding a boyfriend or girlfriend. One would think it was a refreshing viewpoint to hear a song that was sexless, shameless, and romantic-relationship-less. Even at 25, it’s nice to run across a song that actually tells a story. Remember when music was about more than getting laid or rich or cheated on?
I admit, as a musician and previous explorer of the music industry -- the auto-tuning and lyrics of “Friday” are seemingly below typical music standards, especially for these days. That being said, it might interest you you know that Rebecca Black’s mother paid for this song to be produced by ARK Music Factory. No, she wasn’t pulled out of the mall as she was boppin’ through Nordstrom, and she didn’t almost make it on American Idol -- her mother wanted to give her daughter the opportunity to record a song, and she did. In that case, there is a very good chance this song wasn’t even intended to be super public. Rebecca Black uploaded it to YouTube in February while her life was still publicist-less, manager-less, and record-contract-less.
I know it’s hiarious to listen to the song and marvel at how we can’t currently relate to the things Rebecca Black talks about in “Friday,” but before taking to the ‘net, Twitter, or your multi-million dollar media outlet (ahem), let’s consider the fact that 13 year old girls deserve a voice, too, and more than that, they deserve not to be chastised for, well, acting their age. Give Rebecca Black a freaking break.
http://thedemoiselles.com/archives/rebecca-black-horrible-singer-but-appropriate-somehowI watched eagerly as I sat outside my family’s home near the San Juan islands... more
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If love is a battlefield, marriage is a war zone. If love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage then marriage must be the horse that shits on the street. God is love. God is not marriage. Love is a many-splendored thing. Marriage isn't. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. How do I marry thee? By legal contract after a late night of drinking with lap dancing naked people...
...What about homosexuality? Homosexual couples are not even recognized by the government. Marriage laws result in discrimination against them. The problem here is not that the government should recognize and sanction homosexual marriage. The problem is that government is involved in marriage at all for anyone.
Is marriage sanctioned by our corporate controlled government because of the fiscal implications of the marriage industry? The caterers, banquet halls, photographers, wedding planners, wedding dress and fashion industry? If people didn't get married would our economy come crashing down? Is it necessary to have a big event costing thousands of dollars to proclaim and show off to the world we are supposedly in love and have decided to sign a legal contract as official proof? Is this our one chance in life at sitting at the head table and being king and queen for a day? Is marriage all about vanity...?
more... http://jonraymond.blogspot.com/2011/04/why-is-government-in-your-bedroom.htmlIf love is a battlefield, marriage is a war zone. If love and marriage go together... more
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Feeling blue or incapable of experiencing pleasure in any way, shape, or form? Then you might be gay!That's the conclusion that was sort-of arrived at by scientists in China, who have been studying the effect of serotonin on the sexual preferences of male mice. In their study presented in Nature magazine male mice bred without serotonin lose their preference for females.The researchers say it is the first time that a neurotransmitter has been shown to play a role in sexual preference in mammals.But as always both experts and sexual rights organisations have warned about the dangers of drawing conclusions about human sexuality.
The research
The research team first bred male mice whose brains were not receptive to serotonin and these mice lost the preference for females compared with unmodified males.When presented with a choice of partners, these modified mice showed no overall preference for either males or females.But when just a male was introduced into the cage, the modified males were far more likely to mount the male and emit a "mating call" normally given off when encountering females than unmodified males were.The contentious aspect of their research findings were that a preference for females could be "restored" by injecting serotonin into the brain of the modified males.Professor Keith Kendrick, a neuroscientist at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, told the BBC that "There is some very limited evidence for altered responses to selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the brains of homosexuals, but we have been using psychoactive drugs which either increase or decrease serotonin function for quite some time now, and while effects on sexual arousal, impulsivity and aggression have often been reported, no effects on sexual preference/orientation have."At this time therefore any potential links between serotonin and human sexual preferences must be considered somewhat tenuous."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12825688Feeling blue or incapable of experiencing pleasure in any way, shape, or form? Then... more
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Eden Cafe Piece: http://www.edencafe.com/lesbian-chases-straight
For the last 6 months I’ve been spending more time studying straight relationships, comparing them to my past lesbian relationships, and to the near relationship with a guy I fell for last year. The results of this personal exploration were a lot of heated conversations with my straight girlfriends and constant disagreements with my mother – oh and I lost the guy in the end. Let’s start at the beginning.
Know Thyself
The Tao Te Ching says that knowing others is intelligence, but knowing yourself is true wisdom. In a world where things tend to be black and white, right or wrong, yes or no, it was only natural that I thought my sexuality options were gay or straight. This was exacerbated by gay friends who cracked jokes about our bisexual friends, such as “bi now gay later”, and one even referred to my past bisexual lover as a hoe. He’s now bisexual, by the way.
I was no different than any other youngster who grew up in red-state America with all of the homophobia that entailed. But throughout my entire coming out process I still watched straight porn, I read and wrote straight erotica, and I was always friends with straight men. I assumed I liked reading or watching the girls in the porn, and loved my guys, because my masculine side needed a place to express itself. All of this could have been a pretty big indicator, to a more open and flexible mind, that I was open to men. Lesson number one: As Socrates said “Know thyself” and don’t be afraid of the unknown.
Enter The Dude
Read more at Eden Cafe: http://www.edencafe.com/lesbian-chases-straightEden Cafe Piece: http://www.edencafe.com/lesbian-chases-straight
For the last 6... more
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