Em-URGE-ing Voices

Posts Tagged: sex

Pop Goes Sex Positive: Now With 0% Slut Shaming

When Christina Aguilera’s new single “Love Your Body” dropped several weeks back, I made the point to check it out. The artist has gone through as many unique phases as a chameleon, from teen pop royalty to blue-eyed soul icon. I was interested to see what the artist formerly known as Xtina had up her sleeve this time around. What I discovered was not just a really catchy pop song, but one with a sex-positive message. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cfCgLgiFDM

Is Consent Enough?

 [Trigger warning: sexual violence] Part of the reproductive justice movement is a belief that all persons (of legal age) should be able to consent to any form of sex as they please. With this comes the understanding that these acts will not bring foreseeable bodily or emotional damage. I hold these beliefs to be true and I consider myself to be open-minded when it comes to the kinky side of things. So what made me reevaluate this belief? It was just an average Sunday morning when I woke up and checked the news for the day when something grabbed my attention – “BDSM Assault Trial to Take Place in February.” Naturally I investigated further… what I found was this The case centers around a young woman, known as FV, who… Read more »

The Queer Factor: Why Comprehensive Sex Education Matters

When I began questioning my sexuality in my teens, I didn’t know how sex between two women “worked.” I felt a lump rise in my throat when I tried to talk to a pretty girl. My face flushed. The hairs on my arms stood on end. But aside from these physical indicators, I was clueless. As far as I knew, lesbians had sex via osmosis or hand holding. My sex ed class wasn’t of much assistance. The small Georgia school system in which I was enrolled followed an abstinence-plus curriculum. Any acts of intimacy referenced in our thin textbooks were of the standard (some might even say boring) penis-in-vagina variety. I eventually learned what constituted queer sex through an awkward independent study course. With the assistance of t.A.T.u.’s infamous “All… Read more »

“That” Girl

This post will serve as an introductory piece to the readers of this blog. So… I’ve got something to admit. I’m one of THOSE girls. You know the kind. The kind of girl that gets Rush Limbaugh’s panties all tied up in a knot. The kind of girl that would rather listen to Carly Rae Jepson’s “Call Me Maybe” on repeat for the rest of her life than listen to what Ann Coulter has to say. Call me young, call me stupid, but do not call me unaware. I am exactly aware of what people are trying to take away from me. And I’m not backing down, not without a fight. What do I believe in?

Putting the Sex Back in Birth Control: Why the Dominant Narrative on Contraception Undermines Young People

Originally posted on RH Reality Check While I applaud Elizabeth Banks for her new ad supporting Planned Parenthood, birth control, and President Barack Obama–and wholeheartedly empathize with her personal story–I’m reminded of a sobering fact: the progressive community is deathly afraid of talking about sex and young people. That’s right. I said it. Between Banks new web promo aimed at female voters, Sandra Fluke’s testimony before Congress last February, and the reactive messaging around Rush Limbaugh’s vile comments, one thing has remained clear: our movement is far more comfortable elevating stories about birth control when they don’t involve sex. Pure unadulterated sex. Sex without the fear of an unintended pregnancy. You know… the primary reason young Americans use birth control. And for arguments sake, maybe there’s a good reason for this. Maybe–just maaaayyyybe–we’re trying to appeal… Read more »

The Virginity Complex: Where do I fit in?

Las month was the first time I had seen a movie in about a year. Why would I pay upwards of $15 to see a movie when I could wait six months for Netflix? The movie that I chose to use my precious paycheck on was Magic Mike. If you haven’t heard about the movie, you obviously aren’t one that views Channing Tatum’s abs as a more precious work of art than the Mona Lisa. The movie had little plot line and subpar acting, but it did have one thing that I was craving: sex. The gyrating bodies of the A-list actors dripping in sweat were pleasing to all of my senses. When I left the theatre, I couldn’t help but think of that stupid question, “If I ever got… Read more »