Gene Demby, journalist and co-host of NPR's Code Switch, talks with Tristan about how racism and the environment in America informs sexual education, religion, interracial dating, fetishization, swinging while Black, and other issues that impact us today. (This special 90-minute episode was recorded before the uprisings & protests that began in late May 2020.)

Gene Demby on Race & Sex in America

Join award winning author, speaker, sex educator and media maker Tristan Taormino as she explores the world of sexuality from every angle. Tristan interviews leading authors, educators, artists and icons about sexual pleasure, sexual wellness, identity, relationships, community, and social justice. Get an inside look at alternative sexual practices, communities, and relationships—like LGBTQIA folx, BDSM, polyamory, sex work, and disability—from both leading and underrepresented voices. Tristan also shares her twenty years of experience with honest, sex-positive sex advice for listeners. Excited by sexual pleasure and sexual politics? You’ve come to the right place. This program contains explicit content that may be unsuitable for some listeners.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Sexuality

Health

Health & Fitness

Dr. Megan Stubbs joins Tristan Taormino to talk about her book Playing Without A Partner: A Single’s Guide to Sex, Dating, and Happiness (Cleis Press). They explore being single in the U.S. today, body mapping and acceptance, sex with near strangers, and how to live your best single life. Special thanks to Dipsea and Intensity by Pour Moi for their support of this episode.

A Single’s Guide to Sx, Dating, and Happiness with Dr. Megan Stubbs

Comedian and co-host of the popular podcast Sex Talk With My Mom, Cam Poter joins Tristan Taormino to catch up and cover as many topics as they can! They talk about pandemic sex, polyamory, dating apps, the relationship escalator, talking about sex with your mom, and the complex magic of kissing (and why it’s sometimes underrated). Special thanks to Dipsea and Lorals for their support of this episode.

Kissing, Dating and The Relationship Escalator with Cam Poter

Political theorist Lorna Bracewell joins Tristan Taormino to discuss her new book Why We Lost the Sex Wars: Sexual Freedom in the #MeToo Era. Bracewell breaks down what has been lost in the history of the sex wars and creates a revisionist history which breaks down the narrative of only two “sides” (anti-pornography feminists and sex-radical feminists), reveals how classic liberal ideas infiltrated the arguments of the time, and why the voices of women of color are unrepresented in the history. She connects the contentious time for feminism, sexual politics, and free speech with the current era of #MeToo, Slut Walks, and trigger warnings. Special thanks to Calm and Dipsea for their support of this episode.

Why We Lost the S-x Wars with Lorna Bracewell

Dr. Marie Thouin joins Tristan Taormino to talk about her research on compersion in non-monogamous relationships. She defines compersion as “our wholehearted participation in the happiness of others. It is the sympathetic joy we feel for somebody else, even when their positive experience does not involve or benefit us directly. Thus, compersion can be thought of as the opposite of jealousy and possessiveness.” They discuss compersion as a feeling, a practice, and a goal and some practical ways to access it. Dr. Thouin holds a PhD from the California Institute of Integral Studies.⁠ She is the founder of Love InSight, a mindful dating and relationship coaching practice where she supports growth-minded people of all backgrounds and relationship styles to foster soulful, intentional love. Special thanks to Manscaped and Lorals for their support of this episode.

Compersion in Polyamory with Marie Thouin

Professors and longtime scholars on sex work Barb Brents and Ron Weitzer join Tristan Taormino to talk about their work with Scientists for Sex Worker Rights. They talk about hysteria and lack of solid research around sex trafficking, the fight to decriminalize sex work, and what’s happening on the local level in various states. Barb Brents is a co-author of Paying for Sex in the Digital Age (One World/Random House) and The State of Sex: Tourism, Sex and Sin in the New American Heartland (New York University Press). Ron Weitzer is the editor of the anthology Sex For Sale (Routledge). Special thanks to Dipsea and Manscaped for their support of this episode.

Gene Demby on Race & Sex in America

Download our free app to listen on your phone