black women and sexuality
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A New Bill in New York State Seeks to Outlaw Hymen Exams
Have we had enough talk about hymens yet? Assemblywoman Michaëlle C. Solages (D-N.Y.) certainly has; as black America continues to debate Atlanta-based rapper/producer T.I.’s parenting skills, the third-term legislator from Long Island, N.Y., has introduced legislation prohibiting the practice of “virginity tests”—specifically, medical examinations of the hymen intended to verify virginal status. Such exams typically…
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The (Other) Talk: What Last Week’s Grown-ish Got Right About Mothers, Daughters and Sexuality
Do you remember your first time? Was it awkward, exhilarating, overwhelming, tender, traumatic—or some combination of all of the above? Mine was all of those things. I was a high schooler in suburban Chicago, in the throes of my first—and at that age, what I believed would be my last—love. Even today, I can sincerely…
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Going With the Flow: Embracing the Blood That Binds Us
In the immortal words of the late Joan Rivers: Can we talk? No one ever really tells you what a mess periods are, do they? Even before they start, no one tells you to expect clotting; or how sometimes you’ll have to wash your hands three or four times to remove the crisp iron scent…
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Playing the Blame Game: Consent Is Both Simpler and More Complicated Than You Think
He liked me. I liked him back. I exchanged my phone number for his beeper information, and it was a go. In the days of analog communication—before inboxes and DMs—that is what a hookup entailed. His responses to my pages were timely, and he didn’t mind spending countless hours discussing hip-hop. I was digging Ghostface.…
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Ladies First: Black Lightning Is a Superhero Story That Doesn’t Strike Us Down
(Warning: Spoilers abound below.) “Strange Fruit” echoing in the background of the show’s opening minutes. A young black woman narrating. References to Fannie Lou Hamer and Harriet Tubman. Mentions of SZA and Solange. Testosterone might power Black Lightning, the superhero, but a healthy dose of estrogen helps drive Black Lightning, the series. In the series,…
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Defying Gravity: 5 Pole Dancing Athletes Debunk Stereotypes—and Dare You to Try Something New
Ballet dancer Misty Copeland once said: “You can do anything you want, even if you are being told negative things. Stay strong and find motivation.” Two years ago, I applied this same perspective to pole dancing. I transitioned from joking about having two left feet to signing up for a pole dancing course; I left…
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Shedding Light on Reproductive Health: Understanding Adenomyosis
U.K. native Kat François, 44, is a reputable performance artist, writer and playwright, best known for her televised appearances on the BBC3 Poetry Slam Championships in 2004 and the World Poetry Slam Championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 2005. But despite her accolades and extensive global résumé, we initially found ourselves bonding over our reproductive-health…
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Black Women and Sexuality: Damned if You Do, Damned if You Don’t
On Thursday night, I was looking at the Facebook post that linked to my column on raunchy twerk anthems. As I do on our main site, I like to engage with the readers in the comments. As I read through what people were saying, I noticed a disturbing pattern: A great number of men were…