Feature image of April Alexander by Francois Pistorius.
All of the photographs on NSFW Sundays are taken from various tumblrs and do not belong to us. All are linked and credited to the best of our abilities in hopes of attracting more traffic to the tumblrs and photographers who have blessed us with this imagery. The inclusion of a photograph here should not be interpreted as an assertion of the model’s gender identity or sexual orientation. If there is a photo included here that belongs to you and you want it removed, please email bren [at] autostraddle dot com and it will be removed promptly, no questions asked.
Welcome to NSFW Sunday!
+ Is Rule 34 of the Internet (that there is porn about everything) still true? The Washington Post (?) investigates, noting that tube sites, many of which are owned by the same company, have homogenized mainstream porn:
Most tube sites recommend and promote specific tags, for instance, which helps determine how we talk about sex. They also decide what content to promote and what to bury, not unlike Amazon.com or Netflix. On top of its curated homepage (viewed by nearly 30 million people a month), and its carefully strategized media and social-media presences, Pornhub personalizes its content recommendations based on algorithm, which tends to smooth out any quirks or curiosities that people may bring to it.
‘The thing that gets me about [mainstream] online porn is that it’s not that wild,’ Tarrant said. ‘It’s explicit, and some of it is extreme. But it’s oddly very narrow. I wouldn’t describe it as diverse or creative.’”
+ At Oh Joy Sex Toy, Niki Smith discussed bootblacking, its history, what happens when you do it and more.
+ Twenty stories of coming out as poly cover embarrassment, parents, slut shaming, support, saving relationships and more.
+ Kink can look like lots of different things.
+ Run out of probiotics? Why not eat a vulva?
+ YA books can help parents talk to kids about consent.
+ Facebook currently only lets users list one partner, but a new petition is hoping to make its relationship status menu more inclusive of poly folks:
“Currently, Facebook allows you to choose one of nearly a dozen relationship statuses: ‘Single,’ ‘In a relationship,’ ‘Engaged,’ ‘Married,’ ‘In a civil union,’ ‘In a domestic partnership,’ ‘In an open relationship,’ ‘It’s complicated,’ ‘Separated,’ ‘Divorced’ or ‘Widowed.’ Polyamorists can, of course, choose ‘It’s complicated,’ but what if their polyamory isn’t complicated? ‘In an open relationship’ is another obvious choice, but it forces users to choose only one partner to link to on Facebook. As Sara, a signee of the petition from North Carolina, writes, ‘I’m polyamorous, with multiple partners. Currently I can only list one, which is not fair to the others,’ she said. ‘Because so much of my social interactions happen through facebook, I would really like to honestly represent myself.’”
+ Crystal healing for your crotch? Chakrubs are crystal sex toys meant to make you feel fulfilled spiritually and literally:
“In the yogic tradition, healing stones and crystals are often tied to the idea of “chakras,” meaning major points of energy located throughout the body. These range from the top of the head to the base of the spine. The idea is to keep each chakra point balanced to ensure physical, mental and emotional clarity. What’s missing from the 7 main chakras, however, is a direct nod to the genitals.
That’s why Vanessa Cuccia decided to take the idea of chakras and turn it into chakrubs, which she defines as “Instruments of pleasure and practice made from 100 percent pure and organic crystal that bring a sense of sacredness to your playtime.” In other words, she’s selling slick stone dildos designed for your spiritual and animal pleasure.”
+ Some sex toys are adorable and shaped like childhood toys, but it’s not because their users are repressed:
“‘Women can enjoy a wide range of things from the silliest to the most erotic, from romantic to the most intense and animalistic,’ Castellanos continued. ‘We cover the gamut, as far as sexual arousal goes. So, to have something that’s cute or whimsical is not unreasonable whatsoever.’
Essentially, she’s saying that I shouldn’t giggle about anyone buying a Hello Kitty dildo. Why should I judge a woman for wanting some silly sexy time? All that matters is that a toy provides pleasure.”
+ From the Autostraddle Lesbian Sex Archives: sometimes you’re not sure whether breaking up was the right decision:
Our post-breakup hearts are large, they contain multitudes. But the overall point, I guess, is this: you will notice that my commentary on these situations trends towards the cautionary. […] You didn’t write anything about what was still good in the relationship, or what you wanted to gain back by re-entering it. Instead, you talked about being scared that you lost out on something. Being scared after a breakup, especially after such a long relationship, is 100% normal — but it’s not a great reason to jump back in. If you do decide to reconnect with your ex, it should be because you actively desire the relationship again and think it would be best for both of you to be back in it, not because you’re scared not to be in it.
