Sunday Sex Reads: Best of the Week

“In 1998, Leo Hindery, one of the country’s most prominent cable news executives, flew to Denver, Colorado to speak at a conference for the Roman Catholic church. The internet is corrupting the fiber of our country, he complained. The impropriety of cyberspace was “perhaps the greatest threat to morality and decency we face today.” … he chose as his target the webcam of a 21-year-old woman named Jennifer Ringley, through which she broadcast the banal details of her life, 24 hours a day.”
How The Very First Camgirls Redefined What It Means To Live Online (Fusion)

“For Girl On The Net, remaining anonymous is a constant source of consternation, angst and exhaustion. From using a burner phone which can’t be traced, to fastidiously wiping the internal location data for every photo she uploads … The 24 hour task of maintaining anonymity has had a knock-on effect on GOTN’s mental health. After her panic attacks became daily occurrences and her anxiety became unmanageable, the stress eventually culminated in a breakdown.”
Leading sex blogger reveals the dark side of writing about her experiences (Independent UK)

“On Monday, Utah lawmakers roundly rejected a bill that would have given parents the choice of opting their children into comprehensive sex education. Now, porn site xHamster is responding by sending traffic to the site from Utah to PG-13 sex education videos.”
Porn Site Reroutes All Utah Traffic To Sex Ed Videos (Voactiv)

Without My Consent, a San Francisco-based advocacy organization that aims to help victims of revenge porn, has released a slew of new resources this week in an attempt to make seeking justice easier for victims. The new materials, dubbed “Something Can Be Done! Guide,” provides a step-by-step guide for victims. It provides concrete measures that they can take, including evidence preservation, copyright registration, restraining orders, and takedown requests to Internet companies—many of which don’t require the often-costly services of a lawyer.”
If you’re a revenge porn victim, consider this free, helpful legal guide (Ars Technica)

Cheap-shot writing, interesting story. “For years, Lee has been beset by a dream of becoming a human vibrator, a bionic man endowed with an implant designed explicitly to bring pleasure to the opposite sex. By upgrading his parts down under to include a tiny vibrating device implanted just below the skin, he hopes to also upgrade his status from average Utah dad to that of a cyborg-era Cassanova. … Lee is a grinder, a member of a niche community of biohackers pushing the limits of what it means to be human by augmenting their bodies with all sorts of synthetic parts. ”
Meet the Body Hacker Trying to Become a Human Vibrator (Gizmodo)

“I Googled “male masturbation coach in California” to see if such a thing existed. … I wasn’t anticipating the loveseat. It’s an awkwardly cozy seating arrangement — for siblings playing Xbox, let alone a masturbation interview with a stranger. But that’s where we both have a seat and I proceed with my first question: “What’s the most common thing you hear from your clients?””
My Afternoon With a Masturbation Coach (MEL Magazine)

We’re Still Working: The Art of Sex Work, a group exhibition of artwork created by mostly Bay Area-based sex workers and curated by Holloway and Javier Luis Hurtado, highlights this under-explored elision between artwork and sex work. … “We strongly believe that placing sex workers at the center of our own narrative is one of the best ways to fight for sex worker justice,” [the mission statement] reads. “We’re Still Working provides a platform for the brush, the camera, the mic, the sequins and the sweat to insist that sex work is not only work, but can also be art.””
The Sex Workers Telling Their Own Stories Through Art (Broadly)

“…Garner is correct when he writes that there is power in being “unapologetically queer.” But let’s not hurt ourselves patting our own backs. Queer sex is great, and it is certainly under-represented, but it is not, in itself, a form of political resistance.”
Queer Sex Is Not Resistance — or at Least, Not Resistance Enough (NY Mag)

“Now on a crusade to shake up the pornography industry for good, Erika Lust is in the process of gathering a global community of female adult filmmakers who are more concerned with cinematic value than gratuitous sex scenes—and who are interested in one simple idea: films driven by a female character. “These women want to make films where the woman’s pleasure is important; they want to show diversity in casting, and they want to work for an ethical production process.””
Stylish New Porn Made by Female Filmmakers is Going Mainstream (Harper’s Bazaar)

Warning for survivors of sexual assault and trauma. “Last month, she posted the man’s picture on social media, naming him as the person who she said attacked her … “I thought about outing him for months,” Crain wrote in a follow-up post. “I felt so powerless as the criminal justice system crawled along and I wasn’t supposed to say anything. I was supposed to sit tight and trust the system.” … Crain said she received dozens of messages following the post. Some women said they had planned dates with the man. Others shared uncomfortable experiences with him. One woman told Crain he had physically attacked her.”
She named her accused rapist. 4 months later, she waits for NOPD (The Times-Picayune/NOLA)

Main post image via Treats! Magazine #2.

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