On Coming Out

Today is National Coming Out Day, so I’ve spent most of the morning reflecting on the idea of “coming out” and what that means. When I’ve written about the subject previously (see: “If you’re not out, you’re hurting us”), I’ve discussed the political ramifications of being out. I still believe that, over all, it’s those […]

Gay Catholic Priest Breaks Silence Over Church Abuse of Power

Richard Wagner, Ph.D., is the only Catholic priest in the world with a doctorate in human sexuality. He is a gay man and the author of the seminal work, Gay Catholic Priests: A Study of Cognitive and Affective Dissonance.  The media firestorm that erupted after its publication and the backlash within his religious community because […]

Gay Pride Month

For the third year in a row, President Obama has declared June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. The story of America’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community is the story of our fathers and sons, our mothers and daughters, and our friends and neighbors who continue the task of making our […]

It Gets Beautiful: One Rabbi’s Perspective on Being Jewish and LGBTQ

Ed Note: This post was originally published on Huffington Post and is reprinted with permission from the author, Rabbi Andrea Myers. If you like this post, please check out her book, The Choosing: A Rabbi’s Journey from Silent Nights to High Holy Days’ (Rutgers University Press, April 2011). Living on Long Island as a sheltered […]

Temptations Adult Toy Party April 25!

Temptations parties are often referred to with a giggle or a wink – “one of THOSE kind of parties.” An adult toy party is a little bit like any other home sales party – from cookware to candles, almost everyone has been invited to come to their friend’s house at some point, and to bring […]

Brent’s Oral Exam: A Cute, Effective Safer Sex PSA

by Johnny Murdoc I’ve been thinking a lot about safer sex, lately, especially when it comes to the gay community. I’ve been especially torn between my role as a sex educator, and someone who strongly endorses safer sex practices, and my belief that people have the responsibility to make decisions for themselves and should have […]

SEX POSITIVE: A Documentary About the Birth of Safer Sex

I just finished watching Sex Positive, a documentary about Richard Berkowitz, who (along with singer and activist Michael Callen and physician Joseph Sonnabend) is largely responsible for the safer sex movement as we know it.   The film is probably most interesting because it’s complex. Berkowitz isn’t portrayed as a flawless hero and his fight […]

Syncing Sexual Identities

by Johnny Murdoc One core problem that we at SEX+STL would like to address is the dissonance between our sex lives and the other factors that make up who we are. It’s no secret that American culture is incredibly uptight when it comes to sex (although not nearly as uptight as some other cultures) and […]