Securing Sexuality

Melissa Saavedra is a Navy Veteran, romance novel connoisseur, and the founder of Steam Box- an artfully assembled, intentionally diverse, monthly box of hot reading, self-care products, and the occasional toy or two. This week, she's here to tell Stef and Wolf all about her path towards becoming an inclusive erotica entrepreneur as well as the conference she's hosting this fall for Romance aficionados, Steamy Lit Con. If you're a lover of steamy literature, if you've always wondered what the appeal of bodice rippers is, or if you just want to know how someone becomes a pleasure curator? This is the episode for you!

Show Notes

Anyone who knows Stefani knows that she is pink OBSESSED. From her hair to her desk, her brand can be summed up (in the words of her Rabbi) as "pink, controversial, and Jewish." So it's no wonder that Stef & Wolf's first post-pandemic trip back to the movie theater was to see Greta Gerwig's summer hit, the Barbie movie. It was slightly more surprising to Wolf to learn exactly what Stefani used to do with her Barbie's back in the day. Listen in as Wolf and Stef talk about the role that these classic toys have in helping children of all genders envision their future adult lives... and unpack some of the ways that the brand has gotten it wrong over the years. Remember the WiFi-enabled Hello Barbie, or the Video Girl Barbie camera? Yeah. This episode is for anyone who has ever watched a child play with their toys and wondered to themselves "what the actual f*@k are they doing?"

Show Notes

Straithe is a social robotics, privacy/security, and human-computer interaction researcher and all-around badass. She's an expert in the ways our use of technology inform how we engage and form relationships with others- coworkers and grocery store clerks, partners and doctors, and everyone in between. Straithe believes that we build empathy for each other when we show empathy to the robots in our lives and she's here to tell us all about why this is and how we can become better humans by interacting with machines. Join us to learn about the small details that create a sense of distance between ourselves and the machines we encounter, and why learning to look past them can also inspire us to be more accepting, inclusive, and kind to the people in our world as well.

Show Notes

Flash back with us to early May, when Wolf and Stef were still on their European Sabbatical. Somewhere on the continent, there exists a cyber brothel- probably more than one, actually- and Stefani decided to check it out... for science. If you've ever wanted an experience that can only be described as somewhere between Labyrinth and Taken, this episode is for you. Listen in as Wolf and Stef recap her adventure, complete with audio recordings of what Stefani describes as "the least sexy thing I've ever done." Fair Warning: In this episode, somebody's yum is about to get yucked.

Show Notes

Brad "RenderMan" Haines" has been hacking things his whole life, but has been doing it professionally for over 20 years. Based out of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,  he has done  work to expose vulnerabilities in wireless networks, Government and corporate networks around the world, Air Traffic Control systems, and most recently, connected sex toys. He is the founder of the Internet of Dongs project (https://internetofdon.gs) where he and  his wife, Circuitswan, work to

Show Notes

Recently, Wolf was asked by some friends of ours to offer safety suggestions for therapists working with clients who belong to targeted people- trans folks, queer people, women accessing reproductive healthcare, and others. This conversation is necessary because those who are fighting against the rights of these communities aren't just attacking legislatively- they're going after individual providers directly. In this week's episode, Wolf explains the systemic and institutional barriers to privacy that leave mental health providers exposed to harassment and abuse, and shares some strategies for protecting both your practice and your private information. Bodily autonomy and a sense of safety are basic rights everyone is entitled to, no matter what you do or who you are. This episode gives you a head start on protecting and preserving YOUR right to privacy and self-determination online and off.

Show Notes

Did you know that only 29 states require schools to teach sex education... and that 1/3 of those do NOT require this education to be medically accurate? Most of us were lucky enough to learn the "birds and bees basics" at some point before graduation; but how many of us were taught how to turn down unwanted attention with grace and tact- or to receive that no without shame or anger? That's where Unhushed comes in. Unhushed is a values-based, comprehensive educational curriculum for kids of all ages and Executive Director Karen Rayne is here with Curriculum Writer Jessica Smarr to tell us all about the importance of emotionally inclusive, medically accurate information... especially for kids who live and breathe social media. This isn't your gym teachers health class, thank goodness, and Stef and Wolf are here for it.

Show Notes

Recorded live at the AASECT (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists) annual conference, Wolf and Stef sit down with author and activist Jane Fleishman to discuss her book The Stonewall Generation: LGBT Elders on Sex, Activism, and Aging. Jane tells us about using 1-800 numbers to find the next protest, singing songs while stuffing envelopes, and the best possible way to hand someone a leaflet. Along the way, she offers her advice for bridging the digital divide between aging activists and the next generation of social justice advocates. Sitting around the table together, Jane reminds us that young or old, online or on paper, Pride belongs to everyone.

Show Notes

Wolf and Stef are joined by Jackie Rotman, founder and CEO of The Center for Intimacy Justice, a nonprofit advocacy group focused on challenging ongoing censorship of information about sexual health for women and people of diverse genders by social media conglomerates. In this episode, Jackie explains why advertising menstrual products on Instagram is an act of social justice, how visibility impacts mental health, and what we can do to advocate for access to real, inclusive, medically accurate, and pleasure-promoting content online.

Show Notes

Can ChatGPT make us better at flirting? Can AI replace my therapist? Should Stef & Wolf outsource this whole darn podcast to our future robot overlords? What does it mean to form a romantic attachment to a personality that may or may not actually exist? This week we explore all the ways in which people are using artificial intelligence to mediate their relationships- romantic, professional, and all points in between. Where is a philosopher when we need one?!

Show Notes