A Very Quick, Mostly BC-based Sexual Health Directory

 

Above: some offerings from #WOCInRomance

Maybe it's because its February, but rather coincidentally I have had a relatively high amount of friends pondering various questions about matters related to sex and sexual health. I'm taking it as a sign from the universe to put together a quick directory of sexual health resources we have found helpful over the years.

Two caveats with this post:

  • I haven't read quite everything I'm recommending here. I'm trusting that they were recommended by sources and websites I trust. Those which I haven't read I'm marking with an asterisk *
  • Most of my friends are queer women and nonbinary folks. I don't have a lot of cis male friends, and I think these resources reflect that (i.e. this quick directory has a bias that is limited to my personal friendships and experiences)

READ

#IndianLovePoems by Tenille K. Campbell. Yes, I am asking you again to read this juicy book of poetry.

Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good by adrienne maree brown

What You Really Really Want: The Smart Girl’s Shame Free Guide to Sex and Safety by Jaclyn Friedman

*Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen 

Honestly, just read some romance novels. I do, my friends do, it's fun, hot, and lovely.

Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own by Kate Bolick. This book isn't about sexual health specifically but I feel like it's relevant enough to include somehow. It's a good one.

GO

Womyns' Ware on Commercial Drive in Vancouver is awesome. I have also heard good things (though haven't been personally) to The Art of Loving in Vancouver.


CALL

Sometimes you just need to talk to someone. Options for Sexual Health in BC and the Yukon is awesome. In their own words: "We are All About Choice: we offer current sexual and reproductive health care, information, and education from a feminist, pro-choice*, sex positive perspective. We are social profit, registered society in BC and a charity in good standing"

Just call their Sex Sense line if you have questions. I have done so many times over the years for myself and my friends, so has my spouse. Their staff are welcoming, well-trained, and informative.


WATCH


Don Jon from 2013 (Directed by and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is still probably my fave movie about (straight) sex and relationships. His journey is fascinating, but so is hers--and the 'hers' here is Scarlett Johansson. I used to recommend it to my guy friends who were flailing about in their sexuality, and now I recommend it to the women just as much.

Big Mouth - yes, the cartoon on Netflix. Why? Cuz it's hilarious and surprisingly touching to see cartoon kids go through the same things we all went through when it comes to sex, gender, relationships, myths, and facts.

Also consider checking out CBC Gem series (you can stream for FREE if you are in Canada!) The Big Sex Talk. " The Big Sex Talk challenges Canadians' ideas about gender and sexuality, explains new vernacular, and debunks all the myths surrounding sex. Narrated by certified sex educator, Shan Boodram." 


READ ABOUT WATCHING 

*She Found It at the Movies: Women Writers on Sex, Desire and Cinema edited by Christina Newland

Her Neck, Her Back: The Past and Future of Women’s Orgasms Onscreen by Jourdain Searles


OTHER FAVES

Autostraddle, always.

Scarleteen covers a lot of questions and experiences with a lot of love and care.

Qmunity is BC's Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Resource Centre

Bitch and The Mary Sue - just search 'pleasure' or 'sexual education' on either of these sites and you'll get some hot takes and smart info.


This post was updated April 2022 to add The Big Sex Talk, which premiered in 2022

Popular posts from this blog

9 Reasons Why Zack on Gilmore Girls is the Worst

Image
Of all the men in the Gilmore Girls world, I think Zack was the worst. Here's nine reasons why. I'm currently re-watching Gilmore girls for the umpteenth time, and once more I find myself loathing Zack in particular. Normally we all get caught up in Luke vs. Christopher, Dean vs. Jess vs. Logan, etc, but I think these debates distract viewers from realizing that Zack is the worst Significant Other of all the women in the show. I think the actor Todd Lowe does a great job portraying Zack, so my critique is def not his performance , my issue is the  character of Zack   who is sooo contemptible. In a way, Lowe's performance of Zack is all the more remarkable - when it comes to the Bad Men of Gilmore Girls, Zack rarely tops the list. I think it's because his many flaws are so *shrug* boys will be boys. As viewers I think we're meant to be distracted by the explosive incidents related to Logan's elitism, Mitchum's tyranny, Dean's cheating, Marty's obvio
Read more

VIDEO: Tips for Better Dailies Notes

Image
Here are 11 tips for taking better notes in dailies. If you’re in Production, good note-taking practices are essential and it never stops. As a coordinator, you might take notes for dailies. As a Production Manager or Producer you might have Production reports, all of these tasks rely on good note-taking.  A huge part of our role is data entry and management. Getting specific, let’s take a look at what you can do to take better notes in lighting/comp dailies. Even if your artists are in dailies, still make sure your notes are as specific as possible, don’t leave it to them to take their own notes, let them have that time to answer their supervisor’s questions or to focus on the feedback.  Let me be very clear: if you are in production and you are taking notes in dailies, it is your job to take accurate, efficient notes. Wherever possible, give the frame range.  Don’t just say ‘near the beginning of a shot’, say F8-12 if you can. If there are multiple characters in a scene, use their na
Read more

2 New-ish Perspectives on Work-Life Balance

Image
Who needs work-life balance when you can 'Drop the Ball' or put your priorities 'in conversation' with one another? With the onset and endurance of the COVID19 pandemic, there have been many hot takes and disturbing changes in work-life balance. All over North America at least, we have seen women drop out of the workforce at such an alarming rate that many experts are calling this pandemic-induced trend a “shecession”. In animation, we have fortunately been able to work from home, though the balance between work and life has become a lot more blurred, if existing at all. Production staff and supervisors have observed a rise in ghost hours - people quietly logging on and working on their shots or assets at all times of the day, night, weekends because our work is well, there . This is a very complicated issue, and as I am neither an economics or business expert, I wanted to offer two specific takes on work-life balance, one from Tiffany Dufu and the other from David Why
Read more