BLOG

Leonid Radvinsky's connection to OnlyFans and his significant financial contributions to the Israel lobby group AIPAC address the intersection of business, politics, and ethics in the digital age of porn. According to a report by Rolling Stone, Radvinsky, a UK-based billionaire, has been the largest donor to the American Israel Public Affairs Commitee (AIPAC) during the Gaza genocide, with donations totaling $11 million. AIPAC is known for lobbying politicians in the United States to support Israel's military policies, including providing financial and arms support from the US government. This lobbying effort not only influences US foreign policy but also contributes...

Dear Pole Hobbyists, I hope this letter finds you well, and I appreciate the opportunity to share my perspective with you. As a sex worker, I often find myself reflecting on the intersections between our worlds – the artistry and fitness of pole dancing, and the realities of sex work. I believe there are ways that we can honor and respect each other's experiences while fostering a supportive community. Firstly, I want to express the importance of educating yourself about the challenges faced by sex workers. By understanding the systemic issues, stigma, and discrimination we encounter, we can work towards...

By: Airial Clatney   Ah, the world of modern dating, where swipes meet sparks, and matches lead to quick fucks. It's a world where anticipation runs high, and casual sex happens faster than Usain Bolt, and sometimes, things get, well, a little stuck. That's why, in today's dating playbook, we're advocating for a crucial addition: lube! Yes, you read that right. Lube’s not just for the 50 plus, it's a game-changer for everyone.  Before we get into the nitty gritty, you might be wondering why you might be experiencing a lack of vaginal lubrication in the first place. Here are...

By: Regan Gray (she/her) Word Count: 897 words Content Warning: public masturbastion Author’s Note: This list uses the Dungeons & Dragons character alignment grid and is deeply indebted to Daniel Lavery’s “In Order” series. If you’re not sure what those things are, it doesn’t matter: have fun!   DIRECTLY BEFORE BED The most respectful time of the jerking off game, bedtime is optimal to smash one out à la mode with all the acoutrements available. Oh-la-la, look at you, you horny yet reliable minx! Maybe this involves lighting a Boy Smells candle, cranking SZA on your noise-cancelling headphones and loading the latest chapter in your fairy porn saga....

By: Steph Hutchinson   Disclaimer: This post is purely conversational; it is not an exhaustive list of necessary information, nor is it a replacement for medical advice. Many medical professionals and BDSM practitioners agree that breathplay is an immensely risky activity as it carries the risk of serious permanent harm or death. Intamo encourages you to heavily research, explore only with people you trust, and start light and slow.   A scalding hot take: kink becoming ultra-mainstream is a bit of a double-edged sword. I don’t mean this in the most-annoying-dude-at-the-party, “I-liked-that-band-before-you-did” kind of way, and I am truly delighted...

My chronic pelvic pain took all my pleasure out of sex. Here’s how I got it back. By: Steph Hutchinson   I always knew there was something different about my uterus. Since getting my first period at 11, I’d been plagued monthly by debilitating cramps and an elevator-scene-from-The-Shining amount of blood, in addition to moderate-to-severe pelvic pain that just never seemed to go away, and actually got worse as I got older. I remember my mother once apologizing to me for passing along our family’s trademark tilted uterus and all the discomfort it can bring, but it didn’t explain away...

By: Alana Ludington Our reproductive experiences are a full spectrum filled with many colours and shades. This spectrum is inclusive of fertility, conception, sex, pregnancy, abortion, birth, loss and the transition from postpartum into parenthood. For many folks, reproductive experiences are transformational and impact many areas of one’s life. It’s tricky to separate sexuality from any aspect of the cycle of reproduction. Sex and birth are sisters; they are two sides of the same coin! But even though sex and birth are so closely conneceted, open conversations about the evolution of one’s sexuality through out the transition of pregnancy into...

By: Anonymous May 7th, 2020: I had been in Covid-lockdown for 2.5 months and had already decided that the time off from working would not be wasted time. I had rediscovered my creativity, had painted four rooms in my home, and had found solace in my friend-turned covid roommate. It was around nine in the morning when I said to my friend: “I think I’m going to send my ex a message…” With encouragement and many drafts, I sent a carefully worded message (an essay really) telling him about the night that he raped me. Let me back up here....

By: Hannah Dwyer   Pelvic pain can be an extremely difficult thing to deal with on a lot of levels. It can make it hard to experience the joy of living in your body and lead to a chronic dissociative state, it can throw up roadblocks in your ability to enjoy sex and create sore spots to navigate in your relationships with sexual partners, it can lead to back problems, inability to exercise and resulting mental health struggles. And it can be caused by so many things: trauma, endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids, sitting all the time, digestive inflammation, hormonal contraceptives, or...

By: Faraley Vander Schilden       1. WHAT EVEN IS THE PELVIC FLOOR?  WHAT DOES IT DO? Located on the inside of the bones of your pelvis, the pelvic floor is made up of muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue that hang like a hammock between your pubic bone and tailbone. Its main functions are to help support your internal organs, provide stability to your pelvic girdle, low back, and hips, act as a “sump pump” for fluid exchange between blood and lymph, provide bowel/bladder continence, and allow for penetration and orgasm.Having a healthy pelvic floor allows all of...

By: Miranda Abild     Note: The following article is not intended as medical advice and use the content at your own risk. If you feel you might be experiencing any of the below, you may wish to speak to a medical professional.   Did you know that up to 25% of people born with vulva’s experience consistent pain in their genitals at some point in their lives? There’s no beating around the bush with this one (pun intended), it’s time to get frank and open about vulvar pain. While this pain comes in many shapes and sizes - vulvodynia,...

By: Miranda Abild   For as long as I can remember, the prescribed family format has been Father, Mother, 2 children, big house, picket fence. This is a social script reinforced early and seen nearly everywhere you look. Nowadays, we all understand that there are many exceptions to this rule. Some families have two mothers. Some parents are married, some remarried, some never married at all. Some have 5 children, some none. That said, given that this social script has existed for so long and with such veracity, our society is built around it and variations can prove challenging from...

Krystal and Jenny of The Rag Podcast chat with Airial, the co-founder of Intamo Pleasure Boutique about how sex toys can be a useful tool in exploring your sexuality, must have products, ethical porn and sex education, how to get a better understanding of your sex-drive, and advocating for your own sexual health. She shares her incredible story of how Intamo blossomed from the idea of wanting to provide free sex education to the community and how it grew into a non-judgmental and inclusive sex shop and hub for creators with a focus on BIPOC, women, and queer owned businesses....

By: Anonymous     My idea of relationships has always been that while lovely, are not something I really cared to be a part of. I love freedom, exploration, travelling and learning about people by sleeping with them. Through my teens and early twenties I spent a lot of time seeking validation through sex. I had the idea that marriage would be a trap for me, and that while I may find love and someone to be with, it would likely always  be temporary—and I wanted it that way.   I wanted temporary lovers to learn my body, to excite...

By: Halle March   I truly believe that that there is so much power that comes along with the feeling of sexual freedom, and within that it is so important to consider the aspects of ones personal self that can impact your expression of sexuality, such as chronic illness and disability, addiction, mental health, and so many other things. It’s such a special thing to be able to see yourself in the experiences of other people so I opened up the conversation with three of my best friends about how their use of SSRI’s (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, mostly used...

By: Veronica Lowry-Pereira   In 2012 I became a “legal adult.” Legal in the sense that I could vote, I could consume alcohol- far too much, too often, but that is customary for any fresh eighteen year old that I knew at the time. As my eighteenth birthday approached, so did my foray into nudity in a public forum. My body was always a place of frustration and hurt and confused queerness. The anguish I felt towards my skin was somehow untranslatable into photos. Nude photos began first because of the validation from men I received, and then it was...

By: Truly Hunter   Many long-term couples find that, after many years together, they’ve become so comfortable in their relationship that the excitement has all but faded. It’s common for people to become bored with situations and dynamics that are no longer shiny and new. Long-term relationships are one of the most common instances where this type of feeling can occur. For a lot of people, it becomes hard to maintain sexual intimacy once the boredom has set in, and often it can feel as though there’s no solution. How can we turn back time? We can’t. How can we...

By H.T.   You probably wouldn’t be shocked to hear that I’ve found more time to read while social distancing during this global pandemic. So recently, while reading a wonderful book, Maggy Van Eijk’s Remember This When You’re Sad (a book I absolutely recommend- thanks for the gift mum), I came across a passage which really resonated with me: “Women often get made to feel like their body is the enemy [...] When I was growing up, I blamed my big ass for street harassment and catcalling[...]. But my body never deserved that loathing- other people who are unable to...

By Airial Clatney   For those of you who are unfamiliar, a typical uterus is about the size of a pear and sits just above the bladder and points forward. About 20-30% of women have a uterus that is tipped forwards, meaning that it would point up or towards their back. If you're not sure if you have a tipped or tilted uterus, a good indication is that intercourse via rear entry generally feels much more painful because the head of the penis is more likely to aggressively make contact with deep pelvic floor muscles, the cervix or one of...

By Airial Clatney   1. TO CHILL THE F*CK OUT! Everyone is experiencing this pandemic in different ways, but most of us are experiencing at least a bit of stress because of unexpected change. Masturbation and orgasm is an incredible stress relief and a safe way to experience pleasure while alone and isolating at home. 2. TO RELIEVE SEXUAL TENSION Allot of us, especially those who are single or not cohabitating with our sexual partners are likely feeling allot of sexual tension, and there's nothing wrong with taking things into your own hands. Don't let your urges lead you into...

By Anika Domanski   Your sexual energy is comprised of mind, body and spirit. Tapping into these energies can awaken creativity, energy, inspiration and vibrancy into your life. Simply allowing our bodies to experience the juicy divinity of sexual pleasure, and deeper intimacy can take us to a place of healing, bliss and liberation. Sex can be an incredibly positive and beautiful experience, even if you haven’t always felt this way. Rediscovering your sexuality in healthy ways after trauma with an open mind, compassion and patience can help to deeply and passionately attune you to the pleasure, passion and connection...

By Josie (seejosiesmile)   Recently, I had been doing research on increasing pleasure and decreasing pain during intimacy (individually or partnered). During this time period I was gifted intimacy products from a few brands that use hemp in one form or another in their products. Intamo Pleasurables was kind enough to gift me with their Start Me Up plant-based intimate massage oil and the Wild Thing oil-based personal lubricant. Let. Me. Tell. You. I was slightly doubtful that these products would be as effective as they are advertised to be, but I was wrong. When the Wild Thing personal lubricant...

By Airial Clatney   For those of you who are unfamiliar with Endometriosis (ED), it is a medical condition that happens when tissue similar to what lines the inside of the uterus, which is called the endometrium, grows outside of the uterus, like on the ovaries, pelvic lining and fallopian tubes. For many people, this causes unbearable pain and significantly impacts their daily functioning. Basically, the endometrial-like tissue growing outside of the uterus thickens, breaks down and bleeds, with every menstrual cycle. Think, having your period not only inside of your uterus, but on the organs surrounding it, and having...

By Airial Clatney   (Disability Friendly) 1. START EARLY The idea of when is the ‘right age’ to start teaching kids about their bodies is widely debated, but it’s simple – the same time that you start teaching them anything else. Sex is a human drive, just like eating and drinking water, and although you won’t be teaching your toddler about sex, it’s vital that you teach them things like consent, boundaries, body parts and privacy. Why? Because no matter your age, you deserve to be able to explore and have autonomy of your body without shame. 2. TREAT YOUR...

By Airial Clatney   Once widely stigmatized and isolated, the kink community and kink practices have acquired more visibility now than ever, thanks to platforms like Fetlife, and a more open and accepted discourse around sexuality. For those folks that are unfamiliar with these practices, we're talking a huge variety of consensual intimate and erotic behaviours like bondage, spanking, role playing and modelling of 'master/slave' dynamics. Despite the general public's attitude shift about kinky practices, the desire for these practices remain classed in a clinical context as a disorder, and more specifically, 'paraphilic disorder', where the word 'paraphilia' means a...

By Airial Clatney   The importance of including sex-positive content about masturbation in comprehensive sex education has been a constant up hill battle for educators and advocates since pretty much always. For reasons like religion and culture, and because of the totally and completely false notion that it would result in kids running rampant masturbating everywhere and having sex with everyone, the fight for legitimate sex education has been real. The most crystal-clear argument (not that it should be an argument) for why masturbation should be included in our kids sex education curriculums is that it is a form of...

By Airial Clatney   It’s happened to most of us during sex… What should I cook for dinner? Do I look pretty on top? This is called ‘spectatoring’ and it totally hinders sexual arousal and pleasure. The two most common forms of spectatoring are worrying about our appearance during sex and worrying about our sexual performance. This can sometimes reflect a person’s insecurities and discomfort about sexuality as well as someone’s challenges with self-esteem. I know I’ve been there, as someone who continues to struggle with accepting my body. Mindfulness has not only helped me with improving my sense of...

By Airial Clatney   The way I see aging is that humans cycle through life and learn new ways to adapt to aging and changes that our bodies undergo as we have new life experiences. Ageism is prevalent in our communities, and society has a tendency to view older adults as lesser abled and unintelligent. While it’s true that with age comes physical and sometimes mental declines, these attitudes create a stigma around what we think we know about our aging community, which has created a total gap in healthcare failing to address topics of sexuality.  Tuuli Kukkonen’s idea that...