Molly Algernon’s Sex Positive Project

By Kendra Holliday

An interview with a local artist who has a vision. Will she succeed? That’s up to you! Donate to Molly’s Kickstarter project today!

Kendra Holliday: Who are you? Where are you from?

Molly Algernon: I am Molly Algernon, or some know me as Miss Omission. I’m Midwest born and raised, originally from Quincy, Il but consider South St. Louis my home. It’s where I learned to be myself and to grow as a person.

KH: What is your art background?

MA: Strangely enough, I’ve never taken an art class. I had never even THOUGHT about taking an art class until recently, and even now it is more to get in touch with the community and mingle a bit. It’s hard to get out there when you don’t know a single artist. I’ve always been around art, though. My mom always made sure, even though we were living in poverty, that I had the proper supplies to express myself creatively. There has just always been something there for me. I felt at home in a painting or portrait. When everything around me was crazy I could calm it down by drawing. I’ve done it all… painting, drawing, photography, writing, drama…. I take that back… I’ve never done sculpting. Maybe I should try that next?

KH: What is your family like?

MA: I’m the child of an openly gay mother and a hippie father. Born with the freedom to express myself radically and powerfully. A perpetual student. Wanting to explore, expose, and express. Interested in all things taboo. Wanting desperately for everyone to reach their full, sexual, naked, beautiful potential.

My mom was the Executive Director of a Domestic Violence/ Rape Crisis Center for nearly 15 years. I was always around the nasty side of what I thought sex was. It was my mom who taught me that bad stuff wasn’t about sex. Sex was merely a tool to gain power. From then, on I knew I wanted to see sex. I wanted to know the good side. I wanted to see what everyone else saw as sex. My mom also was a nationally renowned speaker on Sexual Assault and also Sexual Freedom. She’s a prominent member of the LGBTQ community as well as a prominent member of the Social Justice (league ha!) community, as she is now the Executive Director of a large local Non-Profit.

I’m also the youngest of 5. My three brothers, I think, are clueless to the fact that I’ve ever even had sex. And I’m pretty sure they would like to keep it that way. My sister (the oldest), on the other hand, is AMAZING. She has been so supportive and is even one of my models. =)

KH: What are you doing?

MA: I want to open the eyes of those who haven’t seen. I want people to see the beautiful and twisted aspects of human sexuality. We are bombarded with the pornographic, airbrushed, well-lit stylings of Hollywood sex everyday, but we never see the real sexuality outside of the box. Whether that box be our television or our mind, it has captured and conformed us. We are all sexual beings. However, we are not all sexual in the same way. We are cross-dressing, fetishizing, scarred, gender-fluid, lesbian, gay, trans, bi, queer, questioning, equal opportunity, big, small, black, white, everything in between, sexual humans.

It is so important to me to enlighten people. We are so sexually conservative in this country, and it seems that everyone has become rather complacent about it. What happened to sexual liberation?! Did that mean you were only allowed to be liberated in your bedroom as long as you didn’t tell anyone?! I’m sorry… but that ain’t MY idea of liberation. All sex can be beautiful. All sex can be something that people want to hang on their walls and call art. Maybe I’m in it to trick the upper echelon into putting a picture of some seriously kinky shit onto their walls. Who knows? I just think it’s beautiful.

KH: Why?

MA: I want to help expose society to these people they may never otherwise notice through a series of photographs/oil paintings. There are several Erotic art galleries and events in February to which I would like to submit my art once completed. I hope to continue expanding this series even after I have shown in these galleries, but the money raised will be used specifically to get ready for these exhibits. I have surrounded myself with an amazing, open-minded, multi-labeled group of individuals who are not shy about their sexualities and bodies. They are willing to help me show everyone how beautiful it is to be sexual.

I believe that people are most beautiful at their most vulnerable. When they’re nude, there is no lying about their body. No shame. No false bravado. Just them.

KH: How can the sex-positive community help? How does Kickstarter work?

MA: You can donate to my project via Kickstarter for as little as $5. All donations $10 and up come with a gift straight from me, a sign of appreciation. The thing is.. I have to reach my goal of $1,000 by January 25th or I don’t get ANYTHING. That’s how hugely important it is. Also, those who donate aren’t charged until my goal is reached, so just pledging now won’t actually cost you anything  until I get to $1,000.

Just spreading the word is also very helpful. I’ve had a few people offer to send me checks, and while I appreciate the support, I would rather have them donate online to help me reach my goal. If there are financial issues for these people come January, I will totally understand and give the money back. I’ve been there. I just want to reach my goal so that the people who CAN give WILL.

KH: What are your goals?

MA: The money raised will be used mainly for supplies. I will need donations for film, printing prices, canvas to print on, supplies to make frames (as I intend to do that myself), oil paints and supplies, and entry fees for the various galleries/exhibits.

I would like to have my art displayed at the Naughti Gras exhibit, Shameless Grounds, and now SatansMaster has offered to let me display at The Facility. I’ve finally come to the conclusion that  this is what I want. I’m not going to give up. This Kickstarter grant is a launching pad for that, and I hope beyond hope that it is successful.

KH: What is sexy to you?

MA: Sexy to me (in a man) is vulnerability. My husband has become one of my models. He enjoys wearing female clothing and being what he considers to be more vulnerable. I guess I have a bit of a nurturing side to me. I see someone feeling weak and I just want to scoop them up and engulf them. That trait is especially sexy in men because of the social stigma surrounding males and their softer side. I say, ‘MEN, Be vulnerable! It’s ok to let your guard down! It’s ok to cry!’

For a woman (and yes, I do so enjoy both) I find confidence to be so amazing. All women have that  strut they use when they are feeling good and GOD DAMN if it doesn’t just bring me to my knees.

On a side note, I also love hands. Men’s big, square, callused, rough hands. Ugh… quiver.

KH: What does sex-positive mean to you?

MA: Sex positive means understanding that people are sexual beings and that we all have our kinks. I no longer have any knee high/thigh high stockings because my husband stole them all. But that’s ok, and it should be ok to everyone. We were made this way. We should go beyond just “accepting it” and EMBRACE it. I’ve learned so much more about myself and so much more about who I can be, what I can handle, what kind of strength I have since becoming part of the sex positive community than I ever did in my 22 years before hand. And I think if everyone would just  let down their guard for a bit, they would all feel the same way.

Donate to Molly’s Kickstarter project today!