I can’t help but directly plagiarize myself, since next to ranting, I think the most important thing about blogging is getting people access to information.
Here is a brief list of links that I think may be helpful.
xox
GENERAL SEX INFO/EDUCATION:
Scarleteen: Sex Education for the Real World.
I can’t really recommend this blog enough. It’s upbeat, thorough and informative. Never judgmental, i wish i had this resource when i was figuring shit out.
Emily Nagoski: Sex Nerd blog
Yeeee, i respect this woman!
SEX/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH:
Planned Parenthood
Amazing resource. Can’t say enough good about them. Birth control, abortions, health access, etc.
Our Bodies Ourselves.
General Health, woman’s health, pregnancy, sexuality, etc. This book should be in everyone’s library.
Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom
This is a great alternative health resource that i have turned to again and again to take care of myself by Dr. Christiane Northrup. It was recommended to me in a pap smear crisis and i think you need this book.
Orgasm, Inc.
This is a great new flick about the medical industries search for “pink viagra” and the medicalization of “female sexual dysfunction.” Truly fascinating and pertinent.
Cycle Savvy by Toni Weschler. Written for teens but a great way to get in touch with your cycle, track your ovulation, know your body, etc.
SEX BOOKS/GUIDES:
The Good Vibrations Guide to Sex
This book must be bought, so i’m sending you direct to a purchasing source.
Nina Hartley’s Guide to Total Sex.
(And Nina Hartley in general!!) Click this link for porn, sex education, how to’s and rockin feminist sex positive perspective.
Are We Having Fun Yet
If you read this book, you will surely know it’s so dated, but i sort of look at it as a bit groundbreaking for its time.
SEX TOYS:
Good Vibrations.
Sex Toys, sex info, amazing staff, sex positive kick ass mission, amazing museum of vibrators. Condoms, lube, dildoes, vibrators, etc. If you have any fear or questions or hesitation, go to them!
Adam & Eve
Endless supply of adult toys.
Babeland
Seriously, are you getting the picture? Buy some sex toys. It’s worth it. Explore, play, figure it out, enjoy!
HISTORY OF VIBRATORS
And while we are on the topic of sex toys, might as well learn about their history. An all time favorite topic of mine.
The Technology of Orgasm by Rachel Maines.
She is my history superhero. Ever wonder where and why vibrators were invented? Yeah, it’s good.
Passion and Power
Lil’ flick on the topic, featuring Rachel Maines herself. Dated but informative!
OPEN RELATIONSHIPS:
i would start with Tristan Taormino, one of my personal heroes. i have long respected her feminist porn and sex education, and she recently moved into the realm of relationship advice. Her book is called “Opening Up“. She is bad ass and you can sort of skip around this book like it’s a resource. You can read it cover to cover for sure, which i would recommend if you’ve never even considered non-monogamy.
Then there is always the classic, “The Ethical Slut,” which people (including me!) often complain is too hippie, but it’s good if you can get past that. Especially what they have to say about jealousy. It’s okay to be jealous when your partner is on a date with someone else, you just have to fess up to the emotion, recognize where it’s coming from, and get the support you need.
There is a more casual story-like book called “Open” by Jenny Block. This book is a narrative of Jenny’s experiences with non-monogamy. She sort of tells her life story from childhood to being in an open marriage. It’s a quick read and definitely reassuring if you feel like you are alone in your process.
Lastly, and possibly most excitingly, “Sex at Dawn.” It’s my hope and dream that their more scientific approach to questioning whether or not monogamy is natural will open up a whole new realm of investigation on the matter.
PORN
Tristan Taormino is absolutely my favorite porn director/sex educator. She has the most feminist bad ass approach to pornography and hot/sexy/informative sex education. The first film of hers i ever saw was The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Woman. She somehow combines an informative how to video with some hot damn porn. You can be into anal sex or not, i would recommend checking this out as a good intro to how porn can be more than grody degrading cum shots.
For feminist porn that isn’t instructional in nature, take a look at her Chemistry series. This is a brilliant, hot, unscripted porn series where she hires porn stars, puts them in a house together for a weekend, and films them fucking. It is so good. If you have a hard time getting into the idea of porn but are still compelled to take a look, start with this. Complete with interviews with the actors/actresses; it’s fascinating and hot.
I could go on about Tristan forever, but i will let you do some exploring on your own.
Annie Sprinkle! Goddess of Sex! So her porn is a little dated, but her books are fucking outstanding. It’s a stellar look into her life. Her website is a great resource for a sex positive outlook. One of her best contributions to society was the Public Cervix Announcement. As a post-porn performance artist, Annie did a performance piece where she invited the audience to the stage to take a look at her cervix. Thank you, Annie!
violet blue. Author of The Smart Girls Guide to Porn, violet blue knows her feminist porn. i admit that there was a time in my life i though i needed to be against porn to be a feminist. Fuck that! Porn can be fun if you have a positive approach to it and can feel good about the actors/actresses.
Eros Blog i don’t know too much or have too much to say about this blog. But it has some fascinating historical photos and crazy archives of pornographic photos. Definitely worth a look.
FEMINISM
Cunt has to be one of the best things to read, ever. If you haven’t read it, i highly recommend checking out this little gem by Inga Musico. It would not be an understatement to say it was life changing.
Eve Ensler is a great feminist author, playwright and performance artist. Her most famous work is The Vagina Monologues. It’s an incredibly powerful performance to go check out.
RAPE/SEXUAL ABUSE
Fugitivus blog. This blog is incredibly cathartic to read; it’s rightfully angry, personal, and fearless.
Healing Sex: A Mind Body Approach to Healing Sexual Trauma. This resource is by Staci Haines. It employs a somatic healing approach to overcoming sexual trauma. It is mostly directed at people abused in their youth but is a guide for anyone. I wouldn’t recommend starting to read this until you are ready to address your abuse head on.
Hope you find some of this information good and helpful!