Special Coverage: Sex and Relationships

Sex Worker Rights Are Human Rights

Juhu Thukral, On The Issues Magazine. August 28, 2008.
It cannot be said enough: sex workers are people -- friends, wage earners, parents -- and they deserve the same human rights as everyone else.

From the blogs

Call Girls at the Political Conventions

by Catherine, The Frisky

The RNC and DNC mean a boost in business for sex workers.

NBC Censors Sexual Orientation Of Openly Gay Gold Medalist Diver

by Amanda Terkel, Think Progress

Thank God for the Winter Games -- those figure skaters are all super-manly men.

Hallmark Gets Down with Same-Sex Marriage

by Isaac Fitzgerald, AlterNet

Now same-sex couples can receive incredibly earnest cards at their weddings too.

The Sex Industry: A Call for Harm Reduction

by Ren, Feministe

I don't think the sex industry is going anywhere anytime soon, so thusly, I think that focus should be placed on the people in it.

Northern Exposure: National Sex Day in Canada

by Malcolm Harris, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association

I wonder what right-wingers and the media would do if someone in the U.S. tried to devote an entire day to sex.

Edwards Scandal Raises Monogamy vs. Polygamy Debate

by Octogalore, Feministe

The cases of John Edwards and Eliot Spitzer bring to light some views on monogamy and polygamy.

The PTC Thinks TV Will Turn Your Kids Into Sex Freaks

by Tana Ganeva, AlterNet

Another day, another alarmist report by the PTC decrying immorality on television.

Media Salivate Over Edwards' Affair; Shrug Shoulders Over McCain's Alleged Infidelity

by Digby, Hullabaloo

"I realize that everybody gets excited about sex scandals. It's human nature. "

G-String Rules: Republican Family Values in a Strip Club

by Phoenix Woman, Firedoglake

GOP fundraisers raise money for "Family Values" candidates in Vegas strip club.

Feminist Porn: Sex, Consent, and Getting Off

by KaeLyn, Feministe

"Legalization and support of sex work can open the door to helping the sex/adult industry become safer and healthier for sex workers."

The Bikini Car Wash: One Sexist Tradition

Kimberly Gadette, Women's eNews. August 28, 2008.
Bikini car washes, inexplicably sanctioned by many parents, teach girls the best way to turn a buck is by stripping down for men.

The Christian Right's Slick Campaign to Make Abstinence Seem Trendy

Vanessa Valenti, AlterNet. August 28, 2008.
Conservatives finally learned that sheer moralizing doesn't keep teens from having sex. Now they have a creepy new tactic.

Why Young Women Delay Marriage

Erich Goode, Sirens Magazine. August 27, 2008.
Most women in their 20s are far more concerned with education, career, and gaining life experience than with their single status.

Same Sex Marriage Affects the Whole Country

Suzi Steffen, AlterNet. August 22, 2008.
How same-sex marriage in California affects the country -- and the election.

Freakonomics Author Takes on 'Plight' of Mixed Race Adolescents

Twanna A. Hines, Huffington Post. August 22, 2008.
In a new study, the author of Freakonomics treats biracial kids like fashion accessories. And that's one of the less offensive things about it.

Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Movement Loses Ground

Joseph DiNorcia Jr, RH Reality Check. August 22, 2008.
Despite the best efforts of conservative groups and the Bush Administration, more kids are getting information that can save their lives.

The Naked Truth About Stripping: Reality and Fantasy Are Poles Apart

Bernadette Barton, On The Issues Magazine. August 20, 2008.
Our culture and media are obsessed with strippers. But in real life women who dance for a living inspire rabid sexism.

Sex Talk: AlterNet Readers Sound Off on the Female Orgasm

Tana Ganeva, AlterNet. August 16, 2008.
AlterNet readers had a lot to say about Shere Hite's article on the "myth of the vaginal orgasm."

Catching the Wrong John: When Are the Media Going to Talk about John McCain's Infidelity?

Drew Westen, Huffington Post. August 13, 2008.
If John Edwards' infidelity is news, and he's not a candidate for anything, why isn't John McCain's?

Female Orgasm and the Need for a New Definition of Sex

Shere Hite, On The Issues Magazine. August 12, 2008.
Decades after the publication of the Hite Report on Female Sexuality, society still clings to outdated notions about women and sex.

The 'Chick Flick': A Primer on Love

Chelsea Kaplan, The Frisky. August 12, 2008.
Romantic comedies or dramas can teach us a host of lessons about dating and relationships.

Why We Should Stop Demonizing John Edwards

Michael Bader, AlterNet. August 12, 2008.
If the public wants to get to the bottom of Edwards' affair we have to drop the moral platitudes and look at what led him to it.

Sexual Math: A Small Number of Partners Does Not Add Up to Happiness

Rachel Kramer Bussel, Huffington Post. August 11, 2008.
Yet another reason feminism still has work to do: women who surpass an entirely arbitrary number of sex partners are labeled 'sluts.'

The Rise of Arranged Marriage in America

Amy Williams, Amy DePaul, AlterNet. August 9, 2008.
Advocates of assisted marriage say it maintains tradition. Critics point to gender inequities and an unhealthy preoccupation with ethnic purity.

Why I Hate Beauty

Michael Levine, Hara Estroff Marano, Psychology Today. August 8, 2008.
Men are barraged by images of unobtainable women in the media, making it difficult for them to desire the ordinarily beautiful.

Who Marriage Is For: A Tale of Two Weddings

Greta Christina, Greta Christina's Blog. August 7, 2008.
Gay marriage is drastically changing the institution of marriage. And that's a very, very good thing.

I Don't: A Contrarian History of Marriage

Cynthia Kling, Huffington Post. August 6, 2008.
Susan Squire on why it will take more than a couple of decades to transform a 5,000-year-old institution.

Art and Porn: An Interview with Editor Dian Hanson

Liz Langley, AlterNet. August 5, 2008.
Porn editor Dian Hanson on art and porn, censorship, the mainstreaming of pornography and her experience as a woman working in adult entertainment.

Sex in Crisis: How the Religious Right Is Trying to Ruin Sex for Everyone

Dagmar Herzog, Perseus Books. August 4, 2008.
The religious has right co-opted the language of feminism and the sexual revolution to try and make you feel bad about sex.

Is Marriage Worth Fighting For?

Courtney E. Martin, The American Prospect. July 31, 2008.
Recent steps legalizing gay marriage have made me reevaluate my aversion to the institution. But I still have my doubts.

Abstinence-Only Sex-Ed Most Prevalent in the South

Catherine Morrison, RH Reality Check. July 31, 2008.
The children of Kentucky and Alabama for example are treated to a mix of religious propaganda, gender stereotypes, and misinformation.

Should Prostitution Be Legalized?

Amelia, The Frisky. July 30, 2008.
The pros and cons of decriminalization and legalization.

Eat Me: In Defense of Sex and Bacon

Josey Vogels, My Messy Bedroom. July 28, 2008.
Sarah Katherine Lewis' new book connects the dots between food, sex, and our relationships with our bodies.

Swingtown: Opening the American Marriage

Lauren Cahn, Huffington Post. July 28, 2008.
It's nice to live in an era where sexual freedom means I don't have to feel that a night out with friends is incomplete without an orgy.

Bush Administration Tries to Lure States into Supporting Abstinence-Only Sex-Ed

Scott Swenson, RH Reality Check. July 25, 2008.
Once again the government is going against what the majority of Americans think about sex-ed.

What Trans Erotica Gets Wrong

Andrea Zanin, Sex Geek. July 24, 2008.
There's a vast difference between eroticizing trans people and exoticizing them in ways that scream "I'm clueless and disrespectful."

Racist Myths About African Sexuality Persist in AIDS Prevention Efforts

Gbemisola Olujobi, Truthdig. July 24, 2008.
The colonialist myth of the oversexed African has resurfaced as an explanation for Africa's high AIDS transmission rate.

"Return of Desire": Fighting Myths About Female Sexuality

Sue Katz, Consenting Adult. July 23, 2008.
Gina Ogden's new book knocks down false assumptions about women’s sexual dysfunction by actually listening to women.

Online Adoption Agency Denies Service to Gays

Deb Price, Creators Syndicate. July 21, 2008.
The adoption website is brazenly violating anti-discrimination laws.

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CSC

The Center for Sex & Culture promotes sex education, advocacy and research, helping advance progressive perspectives on sexuality. The center offers classes and workshops on sexual issues.

CPS

The Center for Positive Sexuality (CPS) arms teens with the information they need to take care of their sexual health. CPS also aims to facilitate dialogue on condom availability and sex education in schools.

PEN

The Prostitutes' Education Network (PEN) is an information service about legislative and cultural issues that impact prostitutes and other sex workers. PEN is a valuable resource for sex workers and activists/educators who study issues of decriminalization, human rights in the context of prostitution, and violence against prostitutes.