Welcome to this week’s installment of #SoSS! #SoSS stands for “Share our Shit Saturday”, a new feature occurring twice-monthly where I share 10 pieces I’ve read and a bit about why I like them. This’ll help me stay in the habit of reading, sharing, and complimenting work regularly, and hopefully it’ll also help you get more traffic and readers! There is so much amazing content out there; what appears on this list is far from an exhaustive list of content worth reading. And now, without further ado, here’s this week’s #SoSS; presented in alphabetical order!
Beware of charisma mirrors (Via Real Social Skills)
This piece feels timely to me, given all the conversations that have been happening both publicly and privately about industry leaders. Ruti outlines various ways of spotting people – specifically people in leadership roles – who use their charisma like a mirror, to make themselves appear better, more powerful, and more in control than they actually are. It talks about the qualities that actual, good leaders have, and how that is different from a “charisma mirror” or a “Charisma Man”
Birth Control and Intellectual Disabilities (Via Cerebral Sexuality)
Galia works as a sexual behavior specialist for adults with intellectual disabilities (someone who assists clients in making healthy behavioural changes around sexual needs), and this piece is about a common problem she faces at work. What’s the problem? Parents and caretakers, mostly. Trying to control their (female) children’s sex lives, bodies, and reproductive capabilities. She talks about ethical alternatives to forced sterilization, how important it is to have control over your own uterus, and tips for talking about client rights in relation to pregnancy with their caregivers.
Dying For A Fuck: Sex With Degenerative Disabilities (Via Fuckleberry Finn)
Changing bodies can change how you have sex. Transitioning is one of those changes, one that Finn adjusted to already, but when you start adding disabilities and health changes to the mix, things become further complicated. As Finn puts it, “there is no map, there is no guideline. I am making this up as I go”. Learning how to have sex and/or masturbate again once your health status changes is so hard at times, so disheartening when you keep having to rediscover new ways of making things work, and their piece expresses these struggles in a powerful, sad, and relatable way.
Hand Solo Masturbator by Geeky Sex Toys (Via The Big Gay Review)
OKAY, so. This is a Star Wars themed masturbator. I don’t care that I don’t have the required part for this toy, or that I’m indifferent to strokers, as soon as David tweeted about the Hand Solo, I couldn’t freaking wait for the review to come out. What is it? It’s a penile masturbator made out of silicone that is shaped like Han Solo frozen in carbonate and I’m dying over how aesthetically perfect it is. The review is – thankfully – full of delightful Star Wars references and goofy photos as well!
How I Took Care of My Brutally Chafed Girl Cock (Via Mx Nillin)
YIKE. So Nillin had a great time with a partner and ended up with a very intensely chafed girl cock as a result. They swear a lot about what a fucking nightmare this was to deal with, and share three tips they learned for how to heal their chafed junk as well as to avoid this happening again in the future. If you have any additional tips, I’m sure they’d love to hear it! Warning: this post contains explicit photos of Nillin’s chafed girl cock.
Indigo Explores: BDSM in a Therapy Context (Via Indigo Wolfe)
BDSM as therapy?? Is this a thing? Is this safe? Well, yes. And yes, it can be. Indigo discusses the various ways that BDSM has been therapeutic and/or helpful to their mental health, specifically in relation to their history of abuse and trauma. They talk about ‘actual’ trauma therapies, how they work, and how kink can fit in well with each of these types of therapies in order to compliment them. They don’t pretend it works 100% of the time, but help create ideas for how to put the odds in your favour.
Maybe – just maybe – making a difference (Via On Queer Street)
I think we all want to feel as though we’re making a difference, as though we’re affecting positive change in the world around us. Quinn outlines several moments in her life where she’s used her sex ed knowledge in a way that has felt like she’s helping. Short and to the point, this piece tackles the issue of “how do I remember that I’m making a difference when there is so much shit out there”, which is one I know I deal with regularly.
Missed Connection – MVP (Via LupeSpace)
This is th cutest little missed connection to a surprisingly queer high school crush. It’s a tale of not knowing or understanding, of being nervous and not knowing how to handle a crush that isn’t one you expect. How one closeted (to herself) high schooler found moments of intimacy and attraction with a girl for the first time, despite not fully understanding the feelings and her fear.
Na-Na Underwear Linda review: Body positivity in a delicate shell (Via TheNotice)
First off, Rae’s photos are always stunning, holy cow, and this review is no different. Both the pictures of the lingerie and Rae in the pieces are absolutely captivating. This piece is a lingerie review, but it’s also about gender. About body positivity and how it’s much easier to talk about than to feel for ourselves. It’s also about the Titanic. It’s easy to lose sight of what we’re fighting toward in general when we look at ourselves, much easier to see the things we hate. This piece was a good reminder of that for me.
What It’s Like When Worlds Collide: Woodhull 2018 (Via Backwoods Bedroom)
What do you do when you’re an anonymous sex blogger who is going to your first sexuality-themed conference? Worry, mostly, mixed with excitement and absolute panic. While this piece is mostly a review of Woodhull 2018, it is also about the anxiety Backwoods Bedroom felt when gearing up for the conference, and how she handled those feelings.
Did you read any of the above pieces? Leave a comment on their site or share them on social media to let them know you liked what they wrote! Thanks to the above authors for their amazing work!
What did you read this week?