How to Celebrate Pride Month All Year

June is unofficially known as Pride Month all over the world. Parades, demonstrations, educational seminars, and celebrations of the LGBTQIA community take place in most major cities as a chance to show pride. While the movement has been building for centuries, a turning point took place on June 28, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar located in the West Village of New York City. After the authorities raided the bar and physically abused LGBTQIA+ patrons, riots took place on the street. This was the impetus to begin pride marches all over the country, which served as a watershed moment of the LGBTQIA+ rights movement. While this year may look much different, with marches all over the world being postponed due to concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pride Month lives on. 

Wondering how to celebrate Pride Month? Here are a few quarantine-approved ways to celebrate pride!  

Honor LGBTQIA+ Pioneers 

Sylvia Rivera was credited with throwing the first brick at The Stonewall Inn while resisting arrest. Barbara Gittings fought to remove the title of “disorder” from homosexuality from the American Psychiatric Association. Harvey Milk was the most notable openly gay man to be elected to public office. The Gay Rights Movement has no shortage of heroes along the way. Become educated with their inspiring beginning and, even, some of their tragic outcomes. Understand the sacrifices these brave pioneers made in order to advance LGBTQIA+ rights and promote acceptance and diversity in the world. See them in the same light as other national and global heroes.

Be an Active Ally

Being an ally requires more than just “accepting” the LGBTQIA+ community. According to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), some of the best ways to be an ally include: listening to others’ experiences, letting people in your life know that homophobic/biphobic/transphobic jokes are offensive, standing up for your LGBTQIA+ friends and colleagues if they are being bullied or discriminated against, and to stop assuming everyone you meet identifies as straight. Allyship is not only literary -- it is action-oriented and requires folx to consistently show up and affirm people’s identities that are different from their own. Being a true ally means intentionally and unapologetically supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.

Be An Allied Consumer

Support LGBTQIA+ owned businesses and make contributions to allied organizations. A directory of businesses can be found here, including fashion designers, jewelers, and makeup artists. Another way to be an allied consumer is to support businesses that actively practice allyship through their mission and partnerships. Brands such as Nike, Reebok, Target and Uggs have all made contributions or participated in LGBTQIA+ initiatives this year.

Keep the Pride Alive

Pride month may only be 30 days, but LGBTQIA+ pride lasts for 365 days. Keep learning, keep growing, keep donating to incredible organizations supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. Some of our favorites are the National Center for Transgender Equality, Equality Federation, and The Trevor Project. Looking for additional resources about where to contribute? Checkout this list. And, as always, visit our Instagram page for more information on how to continue supporting the LGBTQIA+ community year round.

Happy Masturbation Awareness Month! Here’s Why You Should Celebrate…

If you’re not a sexpert like myself, you may not have known that May is Masturbation Awareness Month. While International Masturbation Day is May 28th, we dedicate the entire month to awareness and celebration of a scintillatingly enjoyable and anatomically natural form of pleasure that we think very highly of. This year’s celebration couldn’t come at a better time as many around the world find themselves with lots of alone time and less access to sexual partners. While there are many great reasons to masturbate this month (and every month), here are a few of our favorites.

It’s the Safest Form of Sex Right Now

This may go without saying, but having solo sex is the safest way to prevent sexually transmitted infections and, especially right now, viruses. We were recently interviewed by USA Today for saying so. Now, we’re not saying avoid sex with a trusted partner you live or are quarantining with. However, if you’re not living with a sexual partner, masturbation is the safest way to go to scratch that itch for pleasure while keeping a safe social distance. Just make sure you clean up your toys if you’re bringing them to the party.

It Helps with Sexual Functioning and Disease Prevention

There are some unintended, but potentially life changing, benefits of masturbating from a health and wellness standpoint. Research suggests that vibrator use, a major activity in masturbation for vulva owners, may lead to more positive sexual functioning and lead to a person being more proactive about their sexual health. For penis owners, research also suggests that more frequent ejaculation can help reduce the risk of prostate cancer. There has also been research suggesting that masturbation has therapeutic potential to fight certain cardiovascular diseases. 

It Activates Hormones in the Brain that Promote Happiness

Masturbation (orgasm specifically) has been known to be involved in the release of oxytocin and dopamine in the brain, known as the “happiness” and “love” hormone, respectively. As is explained in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, oxytocin development begins right before pregnancy, continues during birth and later, travels throughout the entire body, triggering, or modulating a full range of physiological functions and emotions: happiness, attraction, love, and affection. The same hormones that are activated when experiencing happiness, love and affection are also activated during orgasm.

However you choose to celebrate Masturbation Awareness Month, make sure to do it safely and don’t forget to enjoy yourself! Be sure to visit our website for suggestions about our favorite pleasure-enhancing stories and devices.

Dating in the Time of Quarantine: 5 Social Distancing-Approved Date Ideas

It’s been almost 2 months since the state of Illinois went into stay at home order in an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our community. It has meant no Cubs or White Sox baseball, no street festivals and concerts and, of course, no dine-in restaurants. While we must recognize the financial hardships facing those who work in those industries, it is also okay to ask oneself the question “how am I supposed to continue dating?” 

For years, dates have revolved around going out for dinner, grabbing drinks, going to a game or taking a walk in the park. Should dating be completely put on pause until the shelter-in-place order is over? We don’t think so. Here are a few ways to keep on dating through the quarantine.

Virtual Dinner Date

Grocery stores are still open, so put together some recipes! Decide amongst yourselves which cuisine to prepare and do your best to dazzle your date with your culinary prowess. Having Italian? Make your Zoom virtual background the gondolas in Venice or the Roman Coliseum. Get creative, show off your fun side and make the best of it all while eating some yummy, homemade food. Don’t want to leave the house to go grocery shop? Support a local small business for delivery and do the same date.

Netflix Party

Can’t Netflix and Chill? Try Netflix and Chat. One of our favorite new Google Chrome extensions, TeleParty, allows you to sync up your Netflix with your friends and watch the same movie or show in real time. Use the chat room feature to discuss the show or anything you want. If you want a more personal touch, FaceTime on the side so it feels like you’re together. Just don’t forget the snacks!

Erotic Fiction Story Time

Ready to turn up the heat a little bit in the relationship? Find some erotic fiction and read it together over Zoom by sharing your screen. Take turns reading aloud the dialogue and let the subject matter get you feeling some type of way. We recommend Lit Erotica for all your online erotica needs.

Surprise Window Visit

As long as you are wearing a face mask and keeping a 6 foot social distance from others, taking a walk on a nice day is allowed and often encouraged. To surprise the person you are dating, find time to drop by their home and let them know you’re outside. For partners desperately looking to see each other in person, a simple window-to-sidewalk conversation can be a nice moment while also keeping proper social distance.

Online Concert

Concert dates are one of our go-to’s and we couldn’t imagine being in the dating stage and not having live music to experience together. Find a concert online or check out one of the many artists streaming concerts during this time to watch together. No matter where you are physically, being together in an experience is the most important part of establishing a connection with someone new.

These are just a few of our favorite activities for those newly dating during the time of social distancing. Do you have any favorite virtual date ideas? Follow us on instagram and let us know!