An increasing number of people have been discovering that monogamy is not their ideal relationship structure. Some may feel that their sweetheart lives too far away for either party to be getting everything they need and/or want out of the relationship. Others might find themselves attracted to more than one person and want to explore those attractions ethically and with the consent of everyone involved. Still others might find that they want to focus the bulk of their energies on themselves, but still want to engage in meaningful relationships that...

All too often­—through media, government regulation or percieved “social norms”—people get the message that their sexuality is wrong, weird or somehow deviant. Only by bringing awareness to real sexual experience, both bad and good, can individuals prove that sexuality is more personal and diverse than has been previously thought. Advertisements, movies and TV shows give women the impression that they should either be sexual objects, existing for the aesthetic pleasure of others, or that they should be virginal and sexless. Men receive equally limiting prescriptions for their sexuality: that they...

Modern concepts of gender are expanding at an increasing rate to include people who do not feel comfortable as exclusively “female” or “male.” Germany recently added “X” as a third gender option on birth certificates, and Sweden introduced the gender neutral pronoun “hen” around 1960. In order for notions of non-binary gender to be fully embraced, though, we must develop a vocabulary to talk about it with depth and complexity. People unfamiliar with trans*, third gender and genderless identities may feel confused or even threatened when it comes to speaking...

It’s really bothersome that “virginity” is still such a profound measure of worth for so many people, regardless of whether virginity is “pure” or “uncool.” The whole notion of “virginity” is silly anyway. Why is “having your cherry popped” (more on how that’s a complete fallacy later) with penis-in-vagina sex so much more significant than any other sexual act? Virginity is, in fact, a concept that arose several thousand years ago in societies where women were seen as property to be bought or traded. Forbidding women from engaging penis-in-vagina (PIV)...

Kink, or kinkiness, is a sexual preference that does not get enough accurate representation in mainstream media. Kink covers a wide variety of sexual behaviors and interests, and is not all whips and chains and gimp suits like some would have you believe. Understanding kink as atypical sexual behavior requires first that one understand “typical” sexual behavior. According to The British Medical Journal, “vanilla sex” includes mutual masturbation, oral sex, anal sex, frottage (or grinding) and penetrative sex without any element of BDSM or fetishism. The term “kink” is a...

Puget Sound is a sexy, sexy place. In order to get in on the sexy action, there are a few basic concepts on which all students should have a firm grasp before embarking on their sexual conquests – consent, open communication, and diversity of sexual expression. Consent is rule number one when it comes to gettin’ down. In fact, call it rule zero. Sex without consent is not sex, it is rape. One of the most well-known slogans of consent culture is the phrase, “No Means No,” which is absolutely...

You’re getting hot and heavy. The moment feels just right, and you don’t want anything to come in and wreck it. Unfortunately, the chances are any time you get intimate with someone, it won’t go exactly the way you planned out in your head. A million things can happen that might burst your sexy-bubble: hair in the mouth, queefing, head-bumping, clothing getting stuck and unexpected visitors are just a few possible mishaps. Luckily, there are a handful of ways to get The Mood back and to even avoid “losing” it...

The stigma against women’s sexuality is staggering. Despite great strides that have been made toward visibility and acceptance for queer and sexually empowered women, gay women are often pegged as “fake” or are accused of betraying their fellow lesbians if they decide they like men, too. Consider, for instance, a hypothetical freshman girl: she comes to school for the first time, unsure of her place in this tight-knit campus community. How will she be seen by others? The allure of labeling herself in order to feel more connected to her...

Cunt. It’s a pretty powerful word, but maybe not for the reasons you might think. For those of you who saw the Vagina Monologues, cunt is a word that’s being reclaimed by a lot of people who are tired of a word that is historically associated with female power being twisted into something shameful and derogatory. Contrary to what you might think, cunt doesn’t just mean “vagina,” though. There’s a rich history to the word that would make all those people who’ve ever used it as a putdown blush if...

Feeling good about yourself is really the foundation for any kind of success, and it’s most certainly one of the most crucial parts of a fantastic sex life. When you respect yourself, other people will respect you, too. When you are capable of making your own decisions, you’re less likely to do something you’ll regret tomorrow. This is where enthusiastic consent (a phrase I hope we’re all familiar with on this liberal artsy sex-positive campus) comes in—you should never, ever feel guilted or pressured or obligated to make sexytimes with...