How the urge to keep the peace can make you do things you regret — At a hostel in the ancient city of Taormina, Sicily, a pretty girl greeted me at the front desk. As she checked me in, a man standing behind her checked me out with a big smile in the way I’d come to learn Italian men do. He was several years…

One conversation could change everything. — Taylor loves giving oral sex. But Simon, Taylor’s partner, feels uncomfortable receiving it. He doesn’t like to be the center of attention. Every time he receives head, he worries his partner isn’t having fun and is only doing it for his sake. His libido shuts down. The first few times…

On a podcast, I severely lowballed the number of people I’ve slept with, and it made me realize a few things. — A few weeks back, I was interviewed on a podcast where interviewees are asked to discuss their sexual escapades, for example, a particularly juicy one-nightstand or a spicy fling abroad. And when talking about a specific person you slept with, you’re supposed to refer to them by their “number.” (So…

Sex need not be a step on the relationship escalator or bust. — I’m currently dating someone with whom I know “it’s not going anywhere.” See the thing is, although Eric is happy seeing me (and other women) for the time being, he sees himself as monogamous in the longer term. I, on the other hand, do not. I am polyamorous by nature. …

A message to all writers and artists in the trenches — “I love creating, but I hate marketing,” says the writer, the DJ, the guitarist. After all, an artist’s job is to make stuff. Not to convince people to buy stuff. An artist’s role is to build something beautiful, awe-inspiring, and emotional. Something innately human that transcends the marketplace. …

At age 33, I’m digging into what it means to be “straight” — Unlike many people who identify as LGBTQ+, I have never been forced to reckon with my sexual orientation. As a heterosexual cisgender female, I’ve always liked the gender I was “supposed to” like. But now at 33, I’m questioning my straightness in a way that I never had before. Why I’m questioning my straightness. The…

Two years ago, I asked my partner Flo what he thought of having a threesome with another woman. He agreed enthusiastically. So we immediately met a woman and did the deed. Just kidding. As you know, in 2020, the pandemic was in full swing, and I had some other hesitations…

We were half-falling asleep, half cuddling, half-watching John Mulaney’s stand-up special on Netflix, when he pulled me closer to him, and started rubbing my breasts from behind. The sun was starting to rise, we’d been up all night dancing. …